Belonging—to a team, a division, a company—is what helps people feel engaged in their work, allowing them to bring all their energy and dedication and talents to their jobs
getty
By Kathleen O’Connor, Clinical Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Director of Executive Education, London Business School
Should business be inclusive? It is a provocative question, to be sure, but one whose answer is surprising uncontroversial, at least if you consider the data. Before we get to that answer, though, it is helpful to be concrete about what we are talking about. In the academic literature, inclusion refers to the practices that managers, leaders, and companies implement to help employees feel a sense of belonging. That feeling of belonging—to a team, a division, a company—is what helps people feel engaged in their work, allowing them to bring all their energy and dedication and talents to their jobs; all good things.
Now close your eyes and consider a time when you felt left out – excluded. These are painful memories for most of us. In fact, neuroscientific studies show why we experience those situations as ‘painful.’ Research relying on fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) techniques indicates that social exclusion activates the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and the anterior insula, the regions of the brain linked to the experience of physical pain. Think about that – feeling left out gives us the same painful feeling as, say, being punched in the arm. We could speculate about why our species may have evolved to experience exclusion this way, but what we know for sure is that it hurts. In light of that evidence, one could make a good argument that businesses – that are stocked with human beings who can feel pain – would do well by their employees by adopting practices to help their people feel included rather than excluded.
Need another reason? Psychologists Ed Deci and Robert Ryan identified a need for connectedness – what we are calling belonging – as part of the psychological makeup of all people. Satisfying that need, they have found in their research, is essential for human thriving. People whose needs for belonging go unmet exhibit impaired immune responses, experience higher rates of cardiovascular disease, and are more likely to suffer from depression. Alternatively, when the need is satisfied, people experience greater life satisfaction and vitality. With that in mind, we can revisit the question – should business be inclusive? If inclusive practices help people satisfy their need for belonging, helping them lead healthier and more satisfying lives, and that is important to you, then the answer is yes.
If you are focused more on what people bring to the financial bottom line, then the answer is still yes. Employees who have their need to belong met at work through the inclusive practices of their manager and company will report feeling more engaged. Why is that important? According to a 2020 Gallup meta-analytic study of more than 110,000 business units across 276 organizations, work units in the top quartile of engagement showed higher profitability (21%), higher productivity (17%), and lower turnover (59%). Other studies report similar findings, making a strong case for the argument that engaged employees deliver results for their businesses. Inclusion delivers in more ways than one.
Convinced by the arguments in favour of inclusive businesses? I’ve got good news. You do not need to make a pitch to your company’s board for shiny new programmes or go out and hire expensive consultants or overhaul all your processes. Start small. Start with the people around you. Treat people with respect, value their inputs, thank them for effort, publicly give people credit for their contributions, ask for their opinions, explain decisions, notice when they seem as though they are on the outside. As a colleague once said, you can’t go wrong by treating people as though they are guests in your home. That seems a good place to start.
Kathleen M. O’Connor Ph.D. is Clinical Professor of Organizational Behavior and Director of Executive Education at London Business School. She is an authority on negotiation, conflict management and collaboration. Dr. O’Connor is an award-winning teacher and co-founder of LBS’s Women in Leadership executive education course. She also teaches on programs relating to Leading People and Organizations and High Performance People Skills. Kathleen recently spoke on a London Business School Think Ahead event about whether business should be inclusive.
