To Belong, or Not to Belong....

That’s the question, but there’s an answer, happily….

In the last Sherwood issue, we tackled some of the science of ostracism, identifying some of the stunning impacts that social isolation can have on psychology and physiology (e.g., the fact that being lonely takes roughly the same toll on the body as smoking 15 cigarettes a day).

That was all set up for this week—thinking about how leaders should be working to create a sense of belonging in their people. So I wanted to go into a deep dive of a belonging intervention—to give you ideas of what can be done and the real impact it can have.

One thing to note is that, as you’ll see, a number of researchers have found that it’s almost ridiculously easy to create a sense of belonging. Some studies have found that even a minimal connection (e.g. sharing the same birthday) can have an impact.

Why would something so trivial have an impact?

Think about this from the perspective that belonging is an innate, fundamental need—not too far away from food and water. The reality is that we want to belong. We want connection. We want to feel included and valued.

So sometimes, even a small gesture may be all the reassurance we need.

---