I think it goes without saying that attracting and retaining the right people has measurable impacts on our business. When we get it right, we often know early on and can see the benefits for our whole operation.

 When we get it wrong, the impacts can be strong and long-lasting, and there’s not always a quick fix. It is in these situations when we know we need to do more.

We need to invest.

According to David Irvine – trusted leadership expert and author – creating a culture of belonging can help us do just that.

He says belonging is a fundamental human need; everyone from the smallest child to the highest-powered CEO needs to feel they are noticed, are valued, and that they make a difference.

As leaders, fostering a sense of belonging can have a bigger impact than we may think.

Here is what Irvine has to say about helping people in your organization feel like they belong.

Care

People really don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Do you know what matters to the people in your organization? Do you care about the people you work with? Do you care about their personal lives?

You can’t fake caring — people can tell when you do. Truly showing you care can improve relationships, communication and productivity, as well as recruitment and retention for your organization.

Listen

Every relationship has an ask/tell ratio – the balance of the amount each person talks and listens in any interaction. Assess the ask/tell ratio in your relationships. You can demonstrate investment in your relationships by spending at least twice as much time listening as you do talking.

Ask team members meaningful questions such as, “What do you like about your job? What do you not like about your job? How I can I better support you when you come to work? How can I better support you when you are away from your job?”

Serve

Servant leadership is different from pleasing leadership. Instead of trying to make everyone happy by giving them everything they want, serving leadership means clarifying your expectations and committing to give them what they need to be successful.

Your direct reports need to feel that you are working for them, not the other way around. Caring and listening are key components of being a serving leader.

Encourage

Encouragement means believing in people and doing everything you can to make everyone around you smarter and better. Rather than draining energy, intelligence and capacity by pretending to be the smartest person the room, to be encouraging means sincerely valuing the opinions of others and conveying your confidence in their ability to succeed.

Alignment

Belonging helps us feel that we make a difference, just because we are here. You can foster that sense of belonging by helping people find their unique talents and contribute to the success of the organization; they will know their unique abilities genuinely contribute and make a difference. When you align the needs and values of a team member with the needs and values of the organization, you’ll never have to motivate them again — and you’ll open the door to loyalty and retention.

Becoming better leaders

Our Leadership webinar series is a unique opportunity to bring leaders (and aspiring leaders) in your team together for cost-effective professional development. The goal of these sessions is to deliver practical insights and tools that can be used to create a workplace that has greater resilience, clearer purpose, and foster a sense of belonging.

Join us this fall as David Irvine helps us all become better leaders — for our organizations and for our industry. Find out more/register: here