Working in silos, remotely and even hybrid work can impact an associates’ job satisfaction and sense of belonging. After all, it’s fundamental human nature to want to connect and belong. Who doesn’t enjoy feeling appreciated and serving a purpose? Unfortunately, when that’s not being met by an employer, loneliness can creep in and impact both employee performance and the bottom line.
A recent Deloitte report found that a whopping 93% of surveyed HR executives agreed that a sense of belonging at work drives overall engagement and productivity, increases job performance and reduces turnover risk.
Additionally, research in Harvard Business Review shows that when employees feel like they belong, they’re 3.5 times more likely to contribute to their fullest potential.
So how do you foster that sense of belonging? Training can play a big role.
Training should never be isolating so how you are delivering it is a key component. We know that instructor-led training can be time consuming, costly and limited in reach. And while computer-based training meets the needs of accessibility and flexibility, it can lack interaction and engagement. Only blended-learning can fuse a flexible training experience with a human-centered, collaborative coaching approach.
This is particularly impactful when it’s continuous and a facet of a performance coaching plan. Most often in this case, an associate’s manager will be their coach. However, a colleague or an instructor might also support an associate’s performance with on-the-job or instructor-led training.
Success in affecting belonging requires a coach who can:
- Serve as a thought-partner – coaching is a collaborative journey and the goal is to help an associate reach new heights in their development. A coach nurtures growth, recognizes skills and opportunities and fosters a culture of continuous improvement. They have to be in it to win it.
- Be less evaluative and more collaborative – a successful coach can meet associates where they are, ask for their input, and be present, respectful and patient during their learning journey. It’s about building a culture of solidarity to help them learn - not scaring them into submission.
- Value proximity to people – this isn’t necessarily about physical presence but rather being in tune with the needs and aspirations of those being lead. When a coach can work for the company’s needs and the associate’s needs, this fosters trust, empowers individuals to contribute their insights and cultivates a culture of learning and growth. Personal aspirations should be a routine component of coaching conversations.
- Model vulnerability – coaches should always keep a positive game face but they should also show that it’s okay to ask for help or talk through how to deal with challenges. Everyone struggles at times but pride shouldn’t get in the way of progress.
- Check-in Regularly – consistency accentuates importance, so don’t skip check-ins in favor of other work or you demonstrate to the associate that they don’t matter. And remember, coaching isn’t always about day-to-day updates and demonstrating training knowledge. Conversations should also include what’s going on with the individual and brainstorming ways to overcome any hurdles.
- Connect to the purpose and mission of the company – when a coach helps an associate emotionally connect to the company, to the coach and to other associates, this is a powerful unifier. And once they have that pride and sense of belonging, it fosters loyalty to the company.
Coaches who embody these attributes and contribute to a blended learning approach, positively impact associate growth and their sense of belonging. Success isn’t immediate but small steps add up to progress – both in reaffirming their learning and creating connections.
If you are looking to introduce goal setting and performance planning into your company culture, our Cognition Performance Management platform can help. Let’s talk!
