Originally published by Knowledge@Wharton – online research and business analysis journal of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
In January, senior executives at Citigroup shared personal stories with the entire global organization, livestreamed in 96 countries. One told how, earlier in her career, she had routinely avoided revealing that she never went to college. She said that any time a group conversation turned to ‘what school did you go to,’ she dodged answering or changed the subject.
“You would not believe how much of a [positive] impact that [story] had on the people in the audience,” said Sam Lalanne, a senior vice president of Global Diversity and Talent Management at Citi. He noted that anecdotes — especially from high-level people — about the struggle to fit in, or to be their authentic selves at work, can be a powerful tool to nurture a sense of belonging among an entire workforce.
Another story Lalanne re-told came from a senior executive who was of Southeast Asian descent. In an earlier job, that individual felt that he stuck out like a sore thumb among his white colleagues. His decision was to “own it,” said Lalanne: he grew a very large beard, rendering him even more noticeable. “That was reaffirmation for him that he belongs.”
Increasingly, companies are adopting the stance that diversity and inclusion isn’t enough: there must also be a sense of belonging for all employees. Lalanne referred to belonging as “the evolution of the journey.” But what is it exactly, and how can companies achieve it? At the recent “Fostering Belonging at Work” event at Wharton, which was part of the Leading Diversity lecture series, he and other panelists from prominent firms discussed their ongoing efforts.
Moderating the panel was Wharton management professor Stephanie Creary, an identity and diversity researcher. “What is this ‘belonging’ thing all about? Do we really need a new word?” she asked the speakers.
It’s not enough to simply include people at the table, Bastian said, but to “amplify everyone’s voices, clear barriers … and appreciate each other for our unique backgrounds.”
Rebekah Bastian – a vice president of culture and community at Zillow Group
Rebekah Bastian, a vice president of culture and community at Zillow Group, said that the superior business outcomes often associated with having diverse teams can’t be achieved without a sense of belonging. It’s not enough to simply include people at the table, she said, but to “amplify everyone’s voices, clear barriers … and appreciate each other for our unique backgrounds.” Both she and Lalanne said that a sense of belonging means that people can bring their full selves to work, and not feel like they’re a different person there than at home.
To Lalanne’s point about storytelling, Bastian said Zillow uses the technique as well. “We do a lot of internal story sharing of different employees and what their experiences have been … and about different cultures, traditions and backgrounds.”