One effective method for
building teams and sustaining their performance is to create a meaningful sense
of belonging. Sound simple? Far from it.
In their terrific, new book, Radical Inclusion, Dr. Ori Brafman and General Marty Dempsey (USA-Ret.) tell us that “belongingness” provides a productive sense of identity, security and order. Creating a feeling of belonging to a common cause is a strategic leadership tool, practiced with unrelenting intentionality by the best leaders. The authors suggest many reasons why people can develop a sense of belonging to a team, such as “feeling that your efforts on behalf of the group are meaningful” and “being able to imagine how your contribution will have a meaningful impact.”
Helping employees understand (cognition) and feel pride (emotion) in the impact of their work – from the start of a project to its finish – is crucial for cultivating a true sense of belonging. It provides authentic, substantive ways for people “to feel that they are part of something” bigger than themselves. In other words, our duty as leaders is to place the work of our people in context, connect it to the work of other team members and, in the process, help everyone see the big picture.
In their terrific, new book, Radical Inclusion, Dr. Ori Brafman and General Marty Dempsey (USA-Ret.) tell us that “belongingness” provides a productive sense of identity, security and order. Creating a feeling of belonging to a common cause is a strategic leadership tool, practiced with unrelenting intentionality by the best leaders. The authors suggest many reasons why people can develop a sense of belonging to a team, such as “feeling that your efforts on behalf of the group are meaningful” and “being able to imagine how your contribution will have a meaningful impact.”
Helping employees understand (cognition) and feel pride (emotion) in the impact of their work – from the start of a project to its finish – is crucial for cultivating a true sense of belonging. It provides authentic, substantive ways for people “to feel that they are part of something” bigger than themselves. In other words, our duty as leaders is to place the work of our people in context, connect it to the work of other team members and, in the process, help everyone see the big picture.
Image courtesy of Mad to Glad.