Earlier this year, Wharton Business School published an article called “Beyond Diversity: How Firms Are Cultivating a Sense of Belonging.” It’s a rich discussion, from the importance of tone emanating from the top, being an ally, and how ‘belonging’ translates outside of the U.S.
Two points are worth more discussion:
1) “Business outcomes associated with having diverse teams can’t be achieved without a sense of belonging.”
2) Diversity gets mired in numerical details, with the potential to overshadow inclusion.
There’s been a resurgence of research on Belonging, Inclusion, exclusion or ostracism. The basic human need – of belonging – is part of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, that of food and shelter.
Purdue’s Kipling Williams describes the three stages of being excluded as corresponding to a neurological impact.
