LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS

Have you ever felt like an outsider? For example, I had a year-long weekly class in eighth grade, and I was the only one who came from the neighboring – rival - town. The other kids sat on the opposite side of the room from me and, for twelve months, only the teacher acknowledged my presence.

I’ve been hearing more and more about Belonging and its impact on employee well-being, engagement, and retention. It got me curious. Is it really as big of a deal as it seems? In a word, yes. The more I learn, the more convinced I am that it’s a golden ticket that we might not have yet completely unwrapped.

At the beginning of the pandemic, healthcare workers were hailed as heroes. It was a far fall to be toppled off that pedestal when the collective fatigue and discouragement left some of the public looking for a place to lay blame for the woes of the world.

Did you have that experience as a freshman in high school where it seemed like the upper classes didn’t even know you existed? I’m guessing that feeling invisible to the cool kids is one thing that hasn’t changed over time. This memory floated up following a response to my January post, The Like Button. A manager wrote: “I think I’m on the right track in establishing a sense of belonging in my department, but I occasionally hear comments from employees about not feeling appreciated by the...

As we muddle our way through this challenging world, knowing we are not alone can make all the difference. Love it or hate it, social media is part of how we connect now. Rare is the person who will admit it, but probably rarer yet is one who has never done it: checked your “likes.” I think what we are seeking in the like button is the human need to be seen, the need to belong.

I love Marcus Buckingham’s statement, “If you don’t care about people, get out of management.” But is building “friendship” the same as building a caring “relationship”? Like many things, there are plusses and minuses when it comes to friendships at work. For a manager, the downside of being friends with the people who report to you means you might get accused of playing favorites (which may or may not be true).

The season for family gatherings is not without its stress. I have eight siblings, and while it’s evident to the eyes that we are from the same gene pool, we, and our various partners, all have our own strongly-held views on a variety of topics. I am fortunate that my family loves me, because I’m sure I am not always easy to like. At a recent gathering, I agreed to play my sister’s (dreaded) bingo game for gag gifts if she would play my game first (playground negotiation skills 101).

The American Hospital Association (AHA) has put out an extensive report on addressing the healthcare workforce crisis. One nugget in it, the Healthcare Rescue Package: “The Wellbeing Five” suggests refreshingly accessible actions:

The community I work in has yard signs posted everywhere that say “Be Kind.” That’s it. Just be kind. An out-of-town friend came to visit and said the signs made her a little cranky. “Why should we have to tell people to be kind?” she asked. I don’t know the answer to that, but I do know that one of the people we are often least kind to is ourselves.

The concept is based on the model of doctors’ rounds with their hospital patients. In focused discussions during patient rounding, doctors assess what is helping and what is not. They make a connection, look for clues to understand a problem, identify solutions, and make the best use of the team. Patient rounding is not meant to replace an annual physical or tests for other unrelated medical issues any more than your leadership rounding is meant to replace your other performance management inte...