Leadership Challenges: Creating a Sense of Belonging in Today’s World

As a result of the pandemic, many people have reevaluated their values and what is important to them.

There is no doubt this brings several challenges for leaders. A key topic that I find fascinating is how leaders can create a sense of belonging while embracing the freedom that people need to be able to choose to work where they work best.

It's also a common conversation topic with friends and family, who are looking for the positives of the crisis of the last few years. People I've spoken to have different stories to tell. I have examples of friends who are given the opportunity to combine work and travel, pack up their laptop and work in Malta for a couple of weeks. To the other extreme of the frustration of those being told when to work in the office so their manager can constantly see what they are doing.

For leaders looking to respect this shift in values, it's a tricky minefield to navigate with no easy one size fits all answer. It means careful consideration of the kind of culture leaders want to build and finding other ways to create a sense of belonging, rather than just relying on an office environment.

So, what does a 'sense of belonging' actually mean? Many of us (but I admit not all) crave a sense of purpose and a culture where you can be yourself and build great relationships. The 2018 Gallup report sums up the positive impact of being able to build friendships at work.

The challenge is everyone experiences ‘belonging’ differently.

I often found it exhausting being in an office with others for 8 hours a day. Probably because I’m an introvert and it took a lot of energy to join in office banter or chat.

I don't think I ever got a huge sense of belonging from being around others all day, every day. Having a great office to go to with a clear identity definitely helped. However, being told when I should sit in that office didn't.

But, I did have a sense of connection by collaborating with people on the same wavelength as me. I could be authentic and have fun. Sometimes that was in a meeting room (and yes the free tea and cakes always helped), and sometimes it was on a zoom call when someone just messaged me or checked in to see how I was.

I talk a lot about values with my coaching clients because it can be challenging to really understand what is important to us and what this looks like in reality. A great tool is a Values Charter, where you take a core value (like belonging) and write down what needs to be in place for this to be met. You can see mine below. When I think back to when I worked in an organisation, I'm sure being told when to work in the office wouldn't be on this charter. But, having the flexibility to choose when to see my colleagues, have a face-to-face meeting or when to work from home would have.

Leaders do not have an easy job trying to navigate these complexities. It's a fine balance to make sure that colleagues feel a sense of belonging, coupled with the trust and freedom to choose where they work.

One way is to create a framework for what this balance looks like so expectations are clear but trust colleagues where to work rather than mandating 2 set days in the office. I wonder if this is actually a way of creating a sense of belonging.

The framework could even be co-created between leaders and colleagues. So, agreeing up front when we get the best out of working face-to-face and trusting people to work where they know they will be most productive. Or asking people what changes could be made to an office to make them a collaborative space rather than just a bank of desks.

The pandemic has meant a shift in what people value most, including the freedom to choose where to work. Hybrid working is a great solution, but for me, the benefit is eroded when people are told they have to work in the office for x number of days. Most people are adult enough to work out when they need to have a meeting face to face, either to work through a challenging problem or to resolve conflict. And when to work remotely to focus on getting a piece of work done.

This trust (which goes both ways), could be the very thing that leaders are looking for to create a sense of belonging.