What's good, Culture Change Leader! Welcome to The Mid-Level Up Newsletter! Each week I, Ray White, want to provide you with a lil' sumthin-sumthin to equip you for a belonging workplace culture! You will find notes of encouragement, perspective, and reflection that could assist you to take action in your leadership. Let me know what you like, how you plan on implementing the content, and share it to a friend. P.S. If this was forwarded to you, subscribe here! Subscribe Here!

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The Quick and Qualitative Way to Measure Belonging in your Workplace

So, Reader, how often do you consider if your team feels like they belong? How is that reflected in your leadership?

And did you know that creating a workplace culture where every member feels a sense of belonging can make a significant difference in the overall productivity and happiness of a team?

I am sure you do, because it has been one of the most talked about concepts when it comes to employee wellbeing since 2020. But the misconception leaders have is that belonging is some thing that happens, or something that you can just hire.

It’s not a process that happens by chance, but rather one that requires deliberate efforts and strategies.

So let's explore the three ways to foster a sense of belonging within the workplace qualitatively – gathering feedback, conducting exit interviews, and measuring employee involvement.

Gathering Feedback

Feedback is a critical component in understanding whether a culture of belonging is being cultivated within your organization. This information can be gleaned in various ways, such as one-on-one meetings with employees, where you can ask if they feel involved in their work and if their needs are being met. Implementing surveys can also be an effective way to gauge if employees feel safe, heard, and valued.

Additionally, creating focus groups can provide a safe space for employees to voice their thoughts and feelings about specific initiatives.

The key here is to actively listen for indications that employees might feel excluded or discriminated against and take necessary steps to rectify such situations.

Example questions to ask when gathering feedback:

• Tell me about your experience on the team.
• Do you feel like you can voice your perspective?
• How can my leadership help you achieve your goals?

Conducting Exit Interviews

Exit interviews provide valuable insights into an employee’s experience within your organization. By asking specific questions about inclusion and belonging, you can gauge whether employees felt that they belonged during their tenure.

If employees felt that certain aspects of the organization, like onboarding, were not as inclusive as they could be, you can use this feedback to make necessary changes.

The ultimate goal is to create an environment where every employee, current or former, feels a sense of belonging.

Example questions to ask during exit interviews:

• What would have made your experience better on the team?
• If you were hired all over again, what would you wish would have been done differently?
• What advice would you give to the new hires in the organization?

Measuring Employee Involvement

The level of employee involvement in initiatives and events can also serve as a measure of belonging within the workplace. If only a specific group of people are regularly involved, it might indicate that some voices are not being heard.

It’s important to reach out to those who are not showing up and understand their needs to foster a more inclusive environment.

Remember, a diverse and inclusive workplace is one where every voice matters and every identity is valued.

Example questions to ask YOURSELF to measure employee involvement:

• What voices am I not hearing the most in these meetings?
• What knowledge am I missing that I can invite a team member to speak into ?
• What does the team value in this season and how can I bring that to them?

So now what?

Creating a belonging workplace culture is a continuous process that requires deliberate efforts and strategies.

Once you've gathered qualitative data by actively gathering feedback, conducting insightful exit interviews, and ensuring diverse employee involvement, you then look within your leadership structure to see where you can enhance... or where you can improve.

You can foster a sense of belonging that benefits both employees and the organization as a whole. And the quicker you can implement a few of these actions, the greater you can increase retention and employee satisfaction.

What does this look like for you? What are ways you quickly assess if your employees feel like the belong in the workplace?

Continue to lead well,

Ray

PS. Be for you go, Reader, I have another request for you.

If you need help creating a belonging workplace culture, I have a consulting framework and a coaching program to help you design that within your leadership.

Would you like to learn more about it? Let's hop on a call and see how I can help!​

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