The need to belong is deeply human.
I have spent more than two decades creating and implementing belonging practices in workplaces across sectors and in educational institutions. For the past six years, I conducted research on belonging, specifically workplace belonging.
We can create a better future of work by understanding how to enhance belonging in the workplace.
Leading workplaces promote “cultures of belonging,” reflecting a shift from outdated, extractive and dehumanizing models of labor, toward employee dignity, well-being, and connection. Workplace belonging extends far beyond simple interpersonal connections; it functions as a web of interconnected relationships across a broader ecosystem.
My qualitative research study found:
SIX FACETS OF Workplace Belonging
our experience of belonging is embedded in a larger context
Belonging is emerges through a network of interconnected relationships. Through my research, I developed an Ecosystem of Workplace Belonging, outlining six levels belonging.
Ecosystem of Workplace Belonging
Belonging to Oneself, which includes authenticity and purpose and meaningful work
Moments of Belonging are interactions, relationships, and connections with colleagues, teammates, and peers
Organizational Belonging encompasses organizational policies, benefits, structures, and culture
Communities of Belonging (external to the organization) like one’s industry, professional associations, or neighborhood
Societal Belonging is determined by dominant social norms that are determined by economic, political, legal and social systems, as well as media
Belonging Over Time, which recognizes that the experience of belonging can shift over a period of time
