The new B, in DEIB

You may already be familiar with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I). However, the next evolution is Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). In the past year, you may have seen DEIB. If you are wondering what the B stands for, its belonging.

Belonging is the experience of being accepted and treated as a full member of a community by being who they are every day.

And why is belonging part of diversity, inclusion, and equity?

Recent studies show that 73% percent of respondents stated that fostering a sense of belonging was important to their organization’s success, with 93% agreeing that a sense of belonging drives organizational performance.[i]

The main attributes to creating a sense of belonging are[ii]

1.)    Comfort – workers should feel comfortable at work, including being treated fairly and respected by their colleagues.

2.)    Connection – they should feel connected to the people they work with and the teams they are a part of.

3.)    Contribution – they should feel that they contribute to meaningful work outcomes – understanding how their unique strengths are helping their teams and organization achieve common goals.

Here are three steps to creating a sense of belonging in the workplace.

Create and or communicate meaningful work outcomes – frame importance/relevancy of tasks.

Research shows that when people view their work as meaningful, their performance and attitudes transform. Explain how their tasks relate to business, product, or customer outcomes which can build ownership. It also clarifies the importance of their work and how it relates to the organization.

Build and maintain personal relationships – get to know the workforce.

Most workers crave a personal connection, so it’s important to be vulnerable and seek clarity from colleagues. Practices like an open door or turning on cameras in virtual spaces are simple behaviors that can prompt connections between others. Expressions of gratitude also helps others feel connected to the organization’s purpose and mission.

Co-create for success.

A component of ensuring everyone feels respected and treated fairly is their comfortability. It requires organizations to have a diverse lens to create opportunities for everyone to contribute equitably. Involve the workforce in efforts to personalize an action plan.

Put employees at the center and learn to understand what makes them feel valued, and make sure leadership is in support. Today, belonging is when you are open to being yourself at work.


[i] Deloitte’s Human Capital Trends survey, 2020

[ii] Deloitte’s Human Capital Trends survey, 2020

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9 Questions to Show You Care

Image
  By: Shana Young Are you struggling to connect with your employees? Chief Learning Officer for the International Trade Administration, Brian McNamara, says the key is simple - just care more, sincerely and authentically. One of the easiest ways to show employees you care is to ask questions and listen, really listen. Do not listen to respond, insert your own view or opinion or interject with words of advice.  Here are nine questions you can start with to connect and care more: 1.     What do you want?  For yourself?  For your career? 2.     What do you enjoy doing the most? 3.     What gives you satisfaction and makes you feel alive and inspired? 4.     What do you enjoy doing the least? 5.     What do you resist or procrastinate doing? 6.     What frustrates you? 7.     What challenges do you face? 8.     What keeps you from being empowered and successful? 9.     How can I help and support you?  When people lead with the simple act of caring more, they are likely to experienc
Read more

What It Means to Have Heart

Image
  In August, our DLS webinar focused on emotions in the workplace. Something struck when the speaker said, “set the tone for the energy you want them to match.” It all became clear. To better deal with emotional dialogue in the workplace, it starts with you. Better communication is a sure way to improve your relationship with others, but why do relationships matter at work? Our ability to connect with others at work can impact the organization’s productivity, engagement, and sense of psychological safety. Learning to communicate or deal with conflict the right way starts with you. How can you do this? According to Crucial Conversations (McMillan, 2021) , this is as simple as Start with Heart. What does that mean? When dealing with a conflict your ‘heart’ is your intent and motive. At times our motives are good, but we approach these situations with the mindset to defend ourselves, prove the other person is wrong, or make them change, which makes us lose. 1.)   Must stop believing peopl
Read more

3 Ways to Build Trust in a Team

Image
Mental Health Awareness Month is here, so what better time than now to talk about trust. For myself working in an environment where trust matters is important. Teams aren’t effective when there is no trust. A lack of trust leads to stress, conflict, disengagement, productivity, and decreased retention. Even more so trust is important to the mental health of a team because it supports psychological safety. A 2015 Google study found the five keys to a successful team and the number one factor was psychological safety. Author and professor at Harvard Business School Amy Edmondson describe psychological safety as “a critical driver of high-quality decision making, healthy group dynamics and interpersonal relationships, greater innovation, and more effective execution in organizations.” Here are 3 simple ways you can start the work to build trust among your team. Build connection, communication, and compassion To get to a place where you feel like others on the team have your back y
Read more