All of us want to belong. In an individualistic society that worships independence, we often underestimate how much our connection to others impacts our professional life. Coming together through a common purpose, feeling that we exist in an environment where we are welcome to show up as our authentic selves, and knowing we provide value to our world and communities - these aren't just key ingredients for happiness; they are essential factors influencing our professional trajectories. From an organizational perspective, belonging has major implications for employee engagement, employee retention and productivity.

 

At OutGrowth, we are dedicated to building programming that fosters belonging, connection and purpose through community/industry intersections. All of our work, and even our reason for existence, stem from this idea that purpose is imperative, and the key element to ensuring immersive experiences lead to transformational growth. In order to build environments rooted in purpose, we have to begin with belonging. Belonging builds powerful teams, who together can produce impressive results and make tremendous impact.

 

As we reflect back on our seasons of growth here at OutGrowth, we thank you for belonging to our community over the years. Looking ahead to the month of April, we have some great content for you to check out, including Jillian Moser's inspiring story of belonging, and our tools and strategies for fostering belonging in your community.

 

-Anna

The Sun Beam

“Unbelizeable” Belonging

by Jillian Moser

 

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As I spent New Year’s Eve celebrating with friends and family, they asked how my upcoming trip to Belize had anything to do with building leadership. I sipped my first drink in four months and let my husband answer. I felt so numb and disconnected.

 

I wasn’t exactly sure how to answer, but I couldn’t care less what the trip entailed.

 

It was an escape.

On Building a Culture of Belonging

Building a culture of belonging requires work and practice. Whether you are looking to build your own sense of belonging, or create a culture that fosters that belonging, here are three key considerations as you carve your path forward. Our considerations are based on data collected from the Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends survey, 2020:
 

  1. Comfort: Create a space where others feel comfortable to show up as their full, authentic selves. This means modeling and encouraging vulnerability from the top down.

  1. Connection: Foster connection within your teams and organization. This can mean finding ways for teams to meaningfully collaborate, connecting team work to a common goal or purpose, or capitalizing on opportunities to grow collectively.

     

  2. Contribution: People want to feel that they have value, so make sure that individual contributions are recognized, and that employees are invited to participate in the organization in a way that connects them to the company's greater mission.

Be With 'The Wanting'

by Cindy Pearson

 

"Acknowledging our deepest wants requires honesty and courage. We often diminish, scale down, morph, or get rid of those desires because it can hurt not to have what we want, especially if we don’t yet see a possibility in having or achieving it. But if we can clarify and be with the wanting, we can also make more authentic and aligned decisions to move us toward the juiciest life we can imagine."

Read More

This month, Aaron Urbanski is teaching a virtual workshop on professional interviewing that is open to anyone, costing only $20 for four, 45-minute sessions. Workshop participants will join a community of individuals seeking to elevate their communication strengths while exploring approaches to advocacy hurdles. Participants will warm up for professional interviews in a safe and supportive learning environment.

 
Join Workshop
Baltimore, MD, USA
410.858.7257

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