Belonging isn’t about fitting into a clique at work. It’s about feeling like your perspective is welcomed and your contributions make a difference. That matters whether you sit next to 4 coworkers or 40. When people feel like they belong, they’re more likely to share ideas and do their best work.
According to leadership consultant and coach Dr. Amber Johnson, to make your team members feel like they truly fit in, belonging must be paired with uniqueness. In other words, you should appreciate the uniqueness each person brings to the team. In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we share her ideas on how to do this.
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- Create onboarding that introduces the person, not just the role. You might introduce someone with their title. That’s a great start, Dr. Johnson says, but it doesn’t clarify what unique contributions the person might offer. For example, instead of saying “Meet Sam, our new sales manager” you could say, “Meet Sam, our new sales manager. I’ve asked him to help strengthen our prospecting strategy because he’s exceptional at building relationships.”
- Invite in quiet voices. People stay silent in meetings for a variety of reasons. According to Dr. Johnson, you can make it easier by inviting them into the conversation. Try to give quieter people time to prepare their thinking. For example, you could say, “In a minute, I’m going to ask Tammy and Lyle for their thoughts, as they represent important perspectives we don’t want to miss. Before I turn it over to them, I do want to revisit the point Beth made earlier …”
- Show appreciation that names strengths, not just completed tasks. Don’t just say “well done.” It’s nice to hear but not instructive. It’s better, according to Dr. Johnson, to name what made the person’s contribution valuable. You could say something like: “Thanks for finishing the report, and especially the insightful work you did to tighten the language and make sure it aligned to our KPIs. You have an eye for detail and unified messaging. That was a significant contribution to our team.”
- Feedback that acknowledges the future. When corrective feedback is needed, Dr. Johnson advises being direct and clear and reassuring the person that they still belong. A good way to do this is by framing the feedback as information they need for the future. Here’s an example: “The meeting felt disorganized at points, which I know wasn’t your goal. I want to share some feedback so that as you plan future meetings here, you can keep these ideas in mind.”
People don’t do their best work when they feel invisible. They do it when they know their ideas matter and their strengths are recognized. Help every team member feel like they belong and that they bring something no one else can.
Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Amber Johnson, PhD is a Chicago-based leadership development consultant, coach and communications expert.
