As we enter the holiday season and bring 2021 to a close, my heart is full as I embrace parental leave with a special focus on my growing family. My brain, however, is fixed on the importance of belonging.
These days, “belonging” immediately brings DEIB to mind.
It’s sometimes hard to clearly articulate the meanings and relationships between those letters. The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties suggests the following:
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Diversity focuses on who is in the room and the variety of social and cultural identity groups represented. (Editor’s note: But really, this often just boils down to numbers, check boxes, percentages, and quotas.)
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Equity understands how individuals are faced with societal challenges based on their social identity groups at the cultural and industry levels. It focuses on ensuring that all individuals have the same access to opportunities, despite an inequitable world, based on the processes and practices in place.
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Inclusion is a choice to include and welcome others.
Belonging is the flip-side of the inclusion coin. It is a personal reflection of the success—or lack thereof—of an organization’s inclusive efforts. Belonging is rooted in individual feelings and whether one feels leveraged, valued, and celebrated for who they are and what they bring to a given situation.
We can all cite examples of seemingly well-intentioned attempts at being “inclusive” that went horribly wrong, alienating and wounding instead of welcoming and including. Clearly, belonging belongs alongside D, E, and I.
But just how important is belonging?
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A 2020 study by Deloitte Insights addressed the broader value of belonging, identifying it as one of the most important human capital issues of 2020. Their findings indicated that 79% of workplaces identified belonging in the workforce as important or very important for their success, but only 13% say they are very ready to address this trend.
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A 2019 study by BetterUp found that workplace belonging can lead to an estimated 56% increase in job performance, a 50% reduction in turnover risk, and a 75% decrease in employee sick days. The study found that a single incidence of “micro-exclusion” can lead to an immediate 25% decline in an individual’s performance on a team project.
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According to EY, belonging is one of the pivotal factors that differentiates retention and attrition and a key ingredient leaders need to consider in the “antidote to the Great Resignation.”
Belonging isn’t just a trendy new letter, and it’s not limited to the workplace. It’s a fundamental, make-or-break building block of any group of people. Without the B, our best DEI efforts fall flat.
The CASE Center for Community College Advancement Advisory Committee understands the importance of belonging and its relationship to diversity, equity and inclusion. At a recent meeting, we explored three DEIB-focused themes:
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In what specific ways should the college or the foundation/advancement office lead in regard to DEIB (and vice versa)?
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How can the foundation/advancement office encourage and/or support the development and success of college-led DEIB initiatives?
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Who “owns” DEIB when an institution doesn’t have a chief diversity officer or equivalent position?
I’m still processing that discussion. Join me in pondering some of the keen insights and probing reflections prompted by those senior community college advancement leaders:
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When is the last time you performed an audit of your scholarship application process or platform? Are the questions you’re asking appropriate and necessary to that scholarship? Are the questions inadvertently disadvantaging or discouraging specific groups? When is the last time you performed an audit of scholarship recipients to ascertain if—despite a blind selection process—there may be a hidden bias?
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How have you approached succession planning for future DEIB sustainability, and what structures have you set in place to ensure that your committees, boards, and alumni leadership councils stay that way? Are you identifying and cultivating diverse future leaders or recruiting on the fly to fill specific check boxes as people cycle on and off?
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Consider the boards and committees on which you serve either in your personal life or in conjunction with your professional responsibilities. How can you leverage your position and influence to serve as a change agent and advocate for DEIB in those groups?
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How would you rate your college campus in successfully cultivating a sense of belonging among your diverse populations across various constituency groups (e.g., students, alumni, faculty, staff, committee members, boards, trustees)? How would you rate your advancement office or foundation? How would you rate yourself?
However you celebrate this holiday season, I hope you find yourself surrounded by loved ones who value you, celebrate you for who you are and what you bring to the table, and encourage you to be your authentic self.