Acceptance and Belonging

Are you a high-expectations leader, who gets frustrated by people around you turning up but not switching on?

Belonging is the second B, in the 4Bs of high-performance. As a leader you set the tone for your team. Obviously, the higher you go in the organization the greater the impact your tone will have.

Because we are innately social animals, acceptance and belonging are core needs for us. If you want to create a team who are capable of giving their best then you need to take care of people's sense of Belonging.

Individuals who feel like they belong, gain security. This sense of security nurtures self-esteem. Maslow, when writing about the Hierarchy of Needs, believed that most of society's social problems stemmed from this basic need (for belonging) not being met.

Everyone needs to belong to a group that accepts them. This group can take the form of the family, peers, school work, sporting team, church etc.

The more you feel accepted and your contribution matters, the higher your confidence. This elevates your capacity for delivering remarkable results

Help Your People to Feel They Belong by:

Not accepting put downs in any form - especially negative self-talk
Modeling, and expecting, only respect all the time
No competing for rewards - tangible (money, gifts) and intangible (status, privileges)
Valuing diversity - differences are what make a community stronger
Providing opportunities to discover the interests, capabilities and backgrounds of each individual
Promoting inclusion and acceptance - not allowing cliques and sub-cultures to develop
Encouraging inter-relationships and interdependence that promote co-operation
Knowing your people's professional hopes and dreams through regular one-on-ones and support them to achieve them
Avoiding comparisons between people
Providing opportunities for people to come together socially
Allowing people freedom to control their destiny and be involved in contributing to the success of the organization i.e. no command and control

In this video Brene Brown speaks about Vulnerability. As she so eloquently explains - we all want to be accepted and feel we belong and we are unwilling to show to the world how vulnerable we feel. Be warned ... Life-enhancing information within :)