A sense of belonging among team members plays an important role in overall organizational success. When employees feel they are part of a collective with a shared purpose, they are more engaged, motivated and committed to their work, which leads to higher productivity and more innovation.
So how can leaders cultivate this essential feeling of belonging to something greater than themselves in employees? Here, 15 Forbes Coaches Council members share expert insights and actionable strategies to create a more inclusive and cohesive workplace where everyone feels a sense of belonging.
1. Focus On Psychological Safety
Having all the needed resources helps a team feel a sense of belonging and is the foundation of fostering a culture rich in psychological safety where all participants have a voice. When team members feel safe to express their ideas and concerns without fear of negative repercussions, it leads to increased engagement, better problem-solving and enhanced overall performance. – Laurie Waligurski, LGW Executive Consultants, LLC
2. Promote Inclusivity And Recognize Contributions
Instilling a sense of belonging is key to organizational performance because it creates collaboration, boosts morale, develops peer accountability and enhances employee retention, leading to positive morale and employee retention. Leaders can achieve this by promoting inclusivity, encouraging open communication, recognizing contributions and creating an environment of trust and respect. – Chris Aird, With Purpose
3. Encourage Constant Engagement Between Employees
Create an environment where there’s constant engagement between teammates so they can see firsthand that they’re not missing out. People who feel they aren’t a part of what is happening can get suspicious and cynical because they’re on the outside looking in. They tend to fill in blanks with unproductive assumptions and conspiracies when they do not feel like they’re in the loop. – Glenn Grant, Selfassembled Ventures
4. Ask Open-Ended Questions And Be Willing To Pivot
When people feel that they belong, they are willing to share their voice, take risks and fully participate in projects, deliberations and even debates. Leaders can only unleash the full potential of their teams when their staff believes—based on actions, not just words—that their contributions matter. A great place to start is to ask open-ended questions, be curious and be willing to pivot. – Joanne Heyman, Heyman Partners
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5. Leverage ACT
Instilling a sense of belonging boosts employee engagement, productivity and retention. Leaders can create this through ACT: acknowledging diversity and celebrating individual differences and contributions, communicating openly with transparency, and trust, which is built through collaboration and by tying everyone to a vision. These steps create a culture where everyone feels valued, enhancing overall performance. – Kiran Mann, M2M Business Solutions Inc.
6. Check For Biases And Blind Spots
Team members who don’t feel that they belong are more likely to engage in “me versus we” thinking that can drag—or even sabotage—organizational performance. Inclusive leaders can help people feel a sense of belonging by 1. making belonging an accountable priority, 2. continuously checking for biases and blind spots, and 3. being genuinely curious about other perspectives. – Sheri Nasim, Center for Executive Excellence
7. Find A Common Purpose For Your Team
Without a sense of belonging, you will not have any ownership, which is an essential ingredient for superior business performance. If the leader can find a common purpose for the team, that is the best way to create a sense of belonging. – Basav Ray Chaudhuri, Coach with Basav
8. Connect People’s Top Values To The Organization
Teammates show up as their best selves when they feel they belong. Encouraging clarity on an individual’s top five values and how they connect to the organization improves motivation. As an example, the value of growth leads individuals to take risks outside of their comfort zone. As leaders identify opportunities to leverage these values and tie them to the organization’s goals, performance soars. – Shelley Hammell, Sage Alliance, Inc.
9. Provide Hope, Expectations And A Clear Benefit
Belonging comes from hope, expectations and benefit. People want to belong to something of meaning and purpose—a true vision for the future. Without high standards of excellence, technically and behaviorally, people know the vision can’t be achieved—so build trust. Finally, is there a clear benefit for employees in terms of advancement, development and reputation? Hope, expectations and benefits equal a sense of belonging. – Mark Samuel, IMPAQ Corporation
10. Create Inclusion Using Gamification
As a proponent of gamification, I’ve seen how elements like goal-setting, progress tracking and rewards foster belonging and teamwork while promoting individual growth. Leaders can use gamification to create inclusive environments that improve performance, retention and collaboration, driving long-term success. – Anna Boltenko, RE.SET Coaching and Mentoring
11. Make Belonging A Core Value
Instilling a sense of belonging is key to a performing organization. When people don’t feel like they belong, it impacts their mental and physical well-being, lowering engagement, resilience and problem-solving. Leaders must care about this and be about it, embedding belonging as a core value in the organization’s strategy, treating it as both important and urgent and fostering it daily. – Angela Dash, The Pace Institute, LLC
12. Support Employee Growth; Communicate Openly
Study after study around employee engagement shows that when people feel seen, valued and included, they not only perform better—they are truly engaged. Leaders are the direct link to their sense of belonging by creating team trust and safety and inspiring action. Open, consistent and transparent communication are the key pillars of this. Providing support for their growth, and frequent feedback are keys as well. – Sohee Jun, S.J. Consulting, LLC
13. Aim To Bring Out The Best In Everyone
Everybody is somebody, and everybody has unique skills and talents. The best organizations recognize that and do everything possible to bring out the best in everyone. The most important thing a leader can do is make the environment safe for people to get to know each other, share their strengths and weaknesses, innovate, make mistakes and share ideas. Incentivize continuous improvement and growth. – Jason Ballard, Soar Higher Coaching & Training
14. Show Care For Colleagues
Belonging implies several healthy cultural attributes. When we feel belonging, we are able to put forward discretionary effort toward work goals. We care for our colleagues and know that care is reciprocated. We vest ourselves much more deeply in the work product and work experience when we feel belonging. Belonging is both special and rare. Organizations that have it have an advantage. – Evan Roth, Roth Consultancy International, LLC.
15. Focus On Building Healthy Relationships
Leadership is a relationship, and a sense of belonging comes from a healthy relationship. Relationships fulfill the basic human need for connection, acceptance and security. When leaders cultivate strong relationships and align their teams with a shared vision, performance naturally improves. A great leader knows that a sense of belonging nurtures our spirit and empowers us to achieve greatness. – Sarat Chakravarthi, LeadYouth Education