Sharon D Clark

Building a sense of belonging is an act of leadership. It creates the conditions for people around us to feel supported & valued & to thrive. Even small moments of connection or reflection can have a big impact on people's sense of belonging. @GeoffCohen, author of "Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides", suggests seven ways to build belonging for ourselves & others: 1) Reach out: small actions matter. 2) Don’t underestimate the benefits of connection: even little connections energise us. 3) Don’t be so quick to judge others: we tend to over-blame people (personality/ability/virtues) & under-blame situations & context. 4) Be welcoming at the beginning: we can improve retention by helping new people evoke their best self during the induction process, rather than trying to “break them in.” 5) Give wise criticism: give feedback in a way that helps people learn but isn’t threatening or undermining to their sense of belonging. 6) Share stories of adversity: stories of people who have gone before us help us to see our shared humanity. 7) Listen to other people’s perspectives: ask them questions about what’s standing in the way of their belonging & how we can help. greatergood.berkeley.edu/art…. I've paired this with my favourite graphic about (not) belonging that came via @mme_hopkins