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The CUInsight Experience

The CUInsight Experience podcast: Belonging (#218)

“People feel like they belong when they know their contribution matters.” – Jill Nowacki

Jill and Randy

Welcome to episode 218 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com, and Jill Nowacki, President and CEO of Humanidei.

This episode is sponsored by The Sheeter Group - a leading executive benefits firm that meets your retention and succession needs. This includes non-qualified benefit plans, short and long-term incentive plans, compensation studies, scorecard design, performance evaluation, and more. Learn more at sheetergroup.com.

In this season, Jill and I will have conversations centered around leadership, credit unions, and living our best lives. We will have some of the most respected leaders from around credit unions who we are grateful to call friends join us in the discussion from time to time too.

In this episode, we are talking about belonging! Belonging is more than just inclusion; it's the culture that allows people to show up fully, share ideas without hesitation, and thrive as themselves, and in this conversation, we discuss why belonging is so important for teams and organizations and the barriers that can get in the way.

We look at how leaders can spot the signs that someone on their team isn't feeling a sense of belonging, and how subtle things can inadvertently make people feel excluded. We also highlight the value of listening to understand, not just to respond, and revisiting ideas that may have been overlooked in the moment. Admitting mistakes and making efforts to make things right can strengthen a sense of belonging!

We suggest that belonging is essential for unlocking the full potential of teams and driving better business results! We hope you enjoy our conversation!

Shout-out: GAC
Shout-out: Herb Wegner Memorial Awards
Shout-out: David Miller

[0:40] – Belonging requires intention, as employees can’t thrive or contribute fully without feeling included.
[3:27] – What signals might reveal when a teammate doesn’t feel they belong?
[6:03] – Belonging grows with encouragement, while biases or “we’ve always done it” attitudes undermine it.
[8:29] – Randy discusses the importance of tone.
[10:43] – Leaders can overcome blind spots with self-reflection, feedback, and avoiding unintentional exclusion.
[13:31] – Jill argues that true listening involves noticing cues, adapting your responses, and ensuring that people feel genuinely heard.
[16:14] – Correcting missteps and revisiting missed moments can actually deepen belonging through vulnerability.
[18:55] – Jill describes how belonging flourishes when leaders model safety.
[20:46] – Randy recalls transforming from outsider to insider after others welcomed and validated his work.
[22:55] – True belonging isn’t perks; it’s knowing that your contributions are seen, valued, and appreciated.
[25:21] – Leaders build belonging by listening carefully and acting on employees’ expressed needs.
[28:28] – Jill and Randy bring their thoughts to a close and propose an ask of their listeners.