NextGen Know-How: Creating a culture of belonging
Feeling appreciated and accepted in the workplace is important for employee engagement and retention.
About 10 days ago, I dropped my oldest daughter Olivia off for three weeks of sleep-away camp. I’m sure this will be a wonderful experience for her, but the week leading up to camp, I started having anxiety about her potential experience. Some of the kids are there all summer and had four weeks to forge friendships before the new kids arrived at camp for only the last three weeks. Thoughts raced through my head: Will she be welcomed? Will the kids be kind and accepting? Will she make a good friend?
Throughout the past week and a half, I’ve been impatiently waiting for the notification each day that new camp photos have been posted. I scour the photos looking for Olivia and any signs that she is having fun. There have been a few where she has been smiling and one where she was laughing (!), but there have also been a couple where I can see her in the background standing alone. No friend next to her. No one smiling with her or chatting in her ear. My worry kicks in, and I start having thoughts about her being lonely or feeling out of place. My husband tries to talk me off the ledge by telling me I am drawing conclusions that are most likely not accurate, since I don’t know the context of the photos. But as a mom, I want to ease her fears, give her a hug and tell her she belongs.
Perhaps my fear comes from reflecting on moments as a child when I felt out of place, or new, or different, and the nervousness and anxiety of wanting to fit in. Humans have a need to belong. We have a need to feel accepted for who we are. Whether it’s with a group of friends, in a new neighborhood, or at work, we want to feel a sense of belonging and feel accepted and acknowledged.
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