As workplaces continually shift and change, cultivating belonging on your team is more important than ever. In our recent webinar, Wendy Gates Corbett, author of The Energy of Belonging, available on Blinkist, provided research-backed insights into how HR and L&D professionals can help employees feel connected, respected, and protected. 

In a previous role, Wendy found that despite her best efforts to connect with colleagues, her coworkers seemed uninterested in building relationships. This left her feeling like she didn't belong in the organization. As a result, Wendy stopped actively participating at work and eventually left her job feeling like a failure.  

This experience led Wendy to ask the question: What is it that creates a culture of belonging in the workplace? She compiled a survey about belonging at work and has received nearly 3,000 responses, and counting. Wendy has used these responses to build the following framework, designed to help teams and leaders grow and strengthen a sense of belonging in their business. 

Belonging is an outcome, but it's also an emotion. It's about creating a space where employees feel genuinely appreciated and integral to the organizational fabric. Wendy leveraged the results from her survey to create her own definition of belonging. According to Wendy, belonging is "the sense of security and support that results from feeling welcomed, valued, accepted, and safe as a part of something meaningful that’s larger than ourselves," but explains there is always room to add another comma to build on this definition. 

From her research, Wendy has also identified three common themes essential to nurturing belonging: connection, respect, and protection. 

Connection is the lifeline of employee engagement. To feel like they belong, employees must feel connected to both their colleagues and the organization as a whole. They need to feel seen and heard, and believe that their coworkers are genuinely interested in them. 

Wendy highlighted a few practical strategies to enhance interpersonal relationships within the workplace, like remembering personal details about coworkers, engaging in meaningful conversations unrelated to work, and sharing funny moments together. These small yet impactful actions have the potential to build deeper bonds among colleagues, fostering a stronger sense of community. 

Here at Go1, we have tons of interest-based Slack channels — including channels where employees can post photos of their pets, chat about a cause they’re passionate about, and share their hobbies. These are great spaces for our remote workforce to connect over common interests, get to know colleagues outside of their team, and have conversations completely unrelated to work. 

Respect isn't just about acknowledging someone's skills but also valuing their contributions to the organization. Wendy emphasized the role of leadership in embodying and promoting respect through transparent communication and consistent actions. This not only uplifts morale but also encourages a culture of mutual appreciation and acknowledgment. 

Wendy noted that employees must be respected not only by leadership but also by their peers. Colleagues can show respect by asking each other for advice or input and expressing appreciation for their work. Getting to know your coworkers makes all the difference here — while some team members may prefer to be thanked for a job well done publicly, others may prefer a private message or email. Paying close attention to these details demonstrates a level of care and consideration that fosters a positive and respectful work environment. 

Protection, or psychological safety, is crucial for employees to express their thoughts and perspectives without fear of retribution. In psychologically safe workplaces, employees feel comfortable engaging fully, experimenting, and bringing innovative ideas to the table — which are all elements of a healthy organization. In the webinar, Wendy explored how creating a safe space for open dialogue encourages innovation and honesty, which are critical for organizational growth and development. 

For employees to feel safe at work, they need to trust that they're being treated fairly and that their colleagues are being as transparent with them as possible. It's also important for individuals to realize that they may be doing something that makes someone else uncomfortable and be open to that feedback. For example, you might copy a colleague’s manager into an email simply so they have insight into a project — but it may make that colleague feel like you don’t trust them to manage the project on their own. 

Employees can foster a sense of safety by backing each other up, aligning their actions with their words, and being careful not to interrupt colleagues, which is common, especially in remote settings. Remember to listen to understand, not listen to respond. 

Measure engagement to track your progress 

It's crucial for organizations to measure the effectiveness of their belonging strategies so they know what’s working and where they need to take a new approach. Wendy emphasized the importance of using existing metrics and tools to assess the levels of engagement and belonging among employees. 

For example, regular feedback and surveys can provide invaluable insights into whether your team feels connected, respected, and protected. You might also consider developing and implementing a leadership program that enables your leaders to be more intentional about creating a culture of inclusivity and belonging. 

Whether you're a leader working to create a culture of belonging, an employee whose team members have checked out, or if you yourself are struggling to feel a sense of belonging at work — you can do your part to create the environment you want to be a part of. By being a catalyst for belonging in your workplace, you'll drive the change towards a more inclusive and engaging environment. Choose one or two of the examples Wendy outlined, start practicing them with your team, and you'll be on your way to making a tangible difference in your organization. 

Watch the full webinar to learn from Wendy how you can make a huge impact on how included and comfortable your team feels at work, even in the smallest of ways. 

Amplify belonging: Practical strategies for HR and L&amp;D professionals

Want more strategies to create a supportive environment that boosts your team’s mental health while simultaneously increasing productivity and job satisfaction? Check out our article on building a wellness-focused workplace. 

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Want to create a thriving workplace culture? Start by prioritizing belonging! Our webinar with Wendy Gates Corbett gives you the strategies needed to make it happen.

Amplify belonging: Practical strategies for HR and L&D professionals

Let's face it — financial uncertainty, continual workforce reductions, and rapidly changing technology all mean that today's employees experience drastically less stability at work than previous generations did. As a result, workers are left feeling like they never really know what's around the corner, and this constant feeling of unease poses a significant threat to their psychological safety. 

A lack of psychological safety at work can wreak havoc on employee well-being and the success of an organization. When people feel threatened, their stress, anxiety, and dissatisfaction can be overwhelming. The ripple effects may result in decreased productivity, more frequent absences, and a struggle to adapt to change. 

Companies must create a psychologically safe environment if they wish to avoid these downfalls. In this article, we'll take a closer look at what psychological safety is, why it’s so important, and what you can do to build a foundation of psychological safety. 

Psychological safety is the collective understanding within a team that it's okay to speak candidly and take risks at work without worrying about backlash. In a psychologically safe space, employees can confidently share their thoughts, ask questions, bring up issues, and own their mistakes without the looming fear of judgment or retribution. This level of trust and respect creates a climate where employees can be their authentic selves, leading to better collaboration, trust, and a more engaged team. 

A psychologically safe space doesn't mean everyone has to agree with each other on every issue — that's not realistic. But it does mean differing viewpoints are respected and employees feel secure enough to challenge the norm.  

Cultivating psychological safety at work is a strategic investment in your workforce that benefits both organizations and their employees. By creating a setting where individuals feel comfortable challenging the status quo, businesses tap into their team's full potential. 

Have you ever had a brainstorming session where everyone’s ideas were downright boring? This may be a sign that team members feel uncomfortable bringing up outside-the-box ideas. Alternatively, when employees are in a space where they know they can get creative and freely share their ideas without repercussions, they start to problem-solve differently. With fewer boundaries in place, employees can think bigger, which ultimately results in more innovative solutions. 

Psychologically safe environments also improve performance and collaboration. If trust and respect are the norm, employees will be more likely to work together effectively, share information openly, and support each other’s efforts. This creates a sense of camaraderie and mutual accountability, which in turn leads to better team cohesion, productivity, and overall performance. 

Plus, psychological safety plays a significant role in boosting engagement and satisfaction. In fact, psychologically safe companies see 76% higher employee engagement. When employees feel secure and valued at work, they're more likely to take pride in their work and go the extra mile. This sense of security also translates to longevity, reducing the costs and disruptions of high turnover. 

Fostering psychological safety in the workplace is a team effort, one that leaders and employees must take on together. Here are some practical strategies to create a psychologically safe environment. 

Create open lines of communication: When everyone feels their voice is heard, they're more likely to speak up and share. Creating a space for open, honest dialogue between team members, managers, and leaders is key. Consider scheduling team meetings and one-on-one check-ins designated specifically for feedback at least once per quarter. It's also important to create anonymous feedback channels, like company or team surveys. However, if you’re only receiving anonymous feedback, it’s likely a sign that your team’s psychological safety is low, and prioritizing these efforts is crucial. 

Empower team members to try new things: A 2023 survey by Wiley found that only about half of individual contributors say they feel safe taking risks at work, which means nearly half of the workforce doesn’t feel this sense of safety. Managers should recognize and celebrate when team members try new things — even if they fail — and call out those efforts directly during one-on-one meetings and annual reviews. And when employees try something new and succeed, it’s a great opportunity for their managers to shout it from the rooftops and share their success more broadly across the business. 

Reframe mistakes as stepping stones to growth: Managers should encourage their teams to discuss their mistakes and the lessons they learned from those mistakes. They shouldn’t expect employees to automatically admit to their mistakes, though. Instead, it may be helpful to occasionally ask team members about a mistake they’ve made recently and what they’ve learned from it. Eventually, employees will recognize that it’s okay to say, "I messed up," and to ask for help when needed. 

Despite the many benefits of psychological safety, organizations may encounter various challenges when attempting to implement it.  

One common pitfall is overlooking the critical role of leadership in establishing and maintaining a psychologically safe environment. The reality is, if you want to show employees you care about their wellbeing, leadership has to set the tone for the rest of the business. Leaders must actively demonstrate a commitment to psychological safety by modeling transparent communication, valuing diverse perspectives, and celebrating risk-taking. Without strong leadership support, efforts to create a psychologically safe workplace may falter. 

Another common misstep is focusing solely on individual behavior without recognizing the influence of the larger systems and processes at play. While personal actions are vital, an environment that supports psychological safety must be the foundation. This means establishing clear-cut guidelines for respectful communication, avenues for employees to voice their concerns, and a system that values contributions over conformity. 

And then, there's the myth that psychological safety means letting go of accountability. That's simply not true! Yes, we want to create a space where sharing ideas and owning up to mistakes is encouraged, but that doesn't mean we're not responsible for our actions. In a truly psychologically safe environment, all rules and boundaries can’t be dropped, or else the organization will be back to square one — a chaotic workplace where employees don’t feel secure. 

It’s important to note that accountability must start with leadership. By admitting when they’ve made a mistake, leaders can model ownership of flaws and show their teams that everyone is human and it’s normal to mess up from time to time.   

Measuring your investment in psychological safety 

To measure the success of your investment in psychological safety, you’ll need to take a data-driven approach. This means regularly measuring key metrics and indicators. One of the most important ways to do this is through surveys and feedback, like we touched on earlier. These tools can help you understand how employees perceive psychological safety in the organization and whether they feel they can trust organizational leadership. By analyzing survey data and feedback, you can identify areas where you might need to improve and track progress over time. 

Tracking innovation outcomes is another way to measure the impact of psychological safety. While this will look different for every business, you might keep an eye on the number of patents being filed or successful product launches, or new mediums being used for creative projects. By connecting the dots between these innovation metrics and a culture of psychological safety, we can see the tangible results of an environment that encourages risk-taking and idea-sharing. 

Keeping an eye on how your teams are doing is, of course, the number one metric. Are they collaborating well? Solving problems effectively? Meeting deadlines? Are they speaking up when they have a problem, or throwing out even the most wild ideas for discussion? By looking at these performance and social indicators, we can tell if psychological safety is really boosting team spirit, communication, and productivity. 

It's easy to fall into the trap of expecting quick fixes and feeling disheartened if change isn't immediate, but building a culture of trust and security is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time, commitment, and a whole lot of patience from leaders and team members alike. We have to be in it for the long haul, continually measuring our success and making adjustments along the way. By continually trying new approaches and measuring each one’s success or failure, you can make informed decisions and implement targeted strategies to ensure your organization is psychologically safe. 

For more insights, subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, book a demo today to find out how Go1 can help with your team’s learning needs.

Learn what psychological safety is and how cultivating it in your team can unlock creativity, encourage risk-taking, and ignite breakthrough innovation.

Investing in psychological safety leads to creativity and innovation

We’re living in an age where always-on culture is glorified, employees are expected to pull long hours into the night or early morning, and qualities like grit and tenacity are valued over empathy and collaboration. It’s no shock that the relationship between productivity and mental wellness have become particularly strained. 

While companies may view productive employees as their key to success, the reality is that the modern work culture's push to continuously increase productivity comes at a high price. Many employees want to perform well at work and continue growing their skills, but an individual can only do so much. As an employee’s list of responsibilities continues to grow, it's inevitable that they'll eventually hit a breaking point, leading to burnout, decreased productivity, and higher attrition rates. Plus, let's face it—a burnt-out employee isn’t likely to spend their time and energy on learning and development. 

Forward-thinking organizations are pivoting their focus to championing mental wellness, not only for ethical reasons but also as a strategic driver for sustainable growth and a competitive edge. This focus on mental health isn't simply a fad or a phase—it's the result of a workplace culture that has gone too far and must now self-correct to regain balance. 

In this article, we'll unpack the relationship between mental health and productivity, and provide strategies to help your organization foster a supportive environment that values the whole person, leading to a more motivated, engaged, and ultimately productive workforce. 

The link between productivity and mental health is complex. When people are stressed and overworked, they're not at their best, and burnout becomes a real risk—but this doesn’t mean you should stop working toward a more productive workforce altogether. Instead, it's important to prioritize your workforce’s mental well-being so you can form realistic expectations of your employees. 

Often, companies treat employee well-being more as a nice-to-have than a need-to-have for their business success. However, there's plenty of evidence showing that happy, mentally healthy employees perform better. In fact, research shows that happy workers are 13% more productive than unhappy workers. Fast Company even concludes that because of this, happiness should be a KPI for all businesses.  

So, how can you create a work environment that's good for mental health and simultaneously keeps productivity high? If you're truly committed to making mental wellness a part of company culture, then it can't be an afterthought. It's important to build a structured approach that is both thorough and inclusive. Here are three strategies you can implement within your mental health framework: 
 

Leadership is the backbone of organizational culture. If your organization's leaders don't prioritize a healthy work-life balance for themselves, then it's likely their direct reports won't either, and this attitude will continue to travel throughout the company. It's vital that leadership embodies the values they want their teams to practice. When leaders actively promote and model healthy boundaries, it sets the tone for the rest of the organization, making it easier for employees to prioritize self-care without fear of being stigmatized or penalized. 

Buy-in from leadership is a necessary step for any mental wellness program to succeed. Instituting a well-thought-out mental health policy that leadership promotes and advocates for signals to employees that their mental well-being is a priority. This should be backed by clear communication that encourages the use of mental health resources and destigmatizes seeking help. 

When we consider leadership’s role in mental well-being, we don’t just mean your organization’s C-suite. A recent study by UKG found that managers have a higher impact on employees’ mental health than doctors or therapists—and that they have the same impact as a spouse or partner! As key role models with significant impact, it’s important that managers are trained to cultivate a supportive relationship with their team by celebrating employee accomplishments and creating a space to openly discuss work challenges and stressors. This shift can help employees feel like their relationship with their manager is an ongoing opportunity for growth, not a constant critique. 

Integrating mindfulness techniques into daily work can have a profound positive impact on stress levels. Mindfulness helps individuals to be fully present and engaged in the task at hand, ultimately leading to better performance. But what does mindfulness look like at work? 

Building mental health policies may not be the most exciting task, but implementing mindfulness practices is a great place to get creative and have fun! Consider offering all-company workshops or team sessions to introduce your workforce to various mindfulness techniques, building their resilience to stress and enhancing their ability to focus. You might host a yoga class or breathwork session, or add weekly guided meditations to the calendar. 

At Go1, our co-founder Vu Tran, who is also a medical doctor and a fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, recently hosted a fireside chat on mental health, and all team members were invited to join. During the session, Vu shared his thoughts on resilience, his frameworks around understanding the basics of mental health, and answered questions about mental wellness. Not only was this an opportunity for employees to learn more about mental health from an expert, but it was also a chance for Go1 leadership to show employees that mental health is a priority for us—and we want our team to prioritize it, too. 

Mental health isn't just the individual's responsibility, so make sure you're going beyond individual practices and facilitating a supportive environment that allows mental wellness to thrive. 

In a post-pandemic world, remote and hybrid work has become the norm for many employees, and the blurring of work-life boundaries is real. Providing guidelines for remote work that encourage time management, regular breaks, and the cultivation of a dedicated workspace can help prevent burnout. 

Flexibility is also key, as flexible working hours and locations can empower employees to structure their workday in a way that best supports their personal responsibilities and mental health needs. A survey from Gartner found that 43% of respondents said flexible working hours helped them achieve greater productivity. Providing flexibility and access to mental health resources such as counseling services or employee assistance programs can help employees feel supported and cared for. 

Our collective knowledge about mental health is constantly evolving, and just like we expect employees to adapt to change, organizations should also adapt to meet the changing needs of their workforce. By adopting a holistic approach that looks at both individual and organizational factors, companies can create a work environment that nurtures the well-being and success of their most valuable asset—their employees. 

Strategically investing in mental wellness pays off in employee satisfaction, commitment, and performance. It's time to shift the paradigm from a productivity-at-all-costs mentality to a sustainable, wellness-focused approach that benefits everyone. 

Move beyond hustle culture and try these strategies to support your workforce’s mental health and well-being.

Building a wellness-focused workplace

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In collaboration with AP Psychology we have prepared the Humans at Work eBook. This guide will help you audit the needs of your workforce. Based on three psychological pillars, you'll be guided in putting these into practice with suggested learning courses.  

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