On Employee Relations

Do you feel you fit in? Do you feel you belong? These are two very important questions that organizations should ask their employees. But what does it mean to fit in? How is it different from belonging and why is it important for organizations to ask their employees these questions?

Fitting in means a person modifying his/her behavior to satisfy the perceived norms or culture in a certain organization. Belonging means a person is accepted for who he/she is by the organization and does not have to do any major modifications to his/her behavior. Clearly, it is safe to assume that if employees are asked which option they would prefer in their relationship with their organization, the choice would be to feel a strong sense of belonging.

Employees who have a strong sense of belonging to their organization develop a feeling of ownership of their organization. They view it as their own and want to ensure its continued success. This creates a drive within themselves to do everything in their power to achieve its goals and objectives. On the other hand, employees who have to modify their behaviors in order to fit in may feel that they are changing who they are to be accepted by their organization. Hence, their efforts will be focused on portraying an image of themselves that suits the organization and its expectation of who they should be. This tends to be exhausting for employees and it is an effort that usually goes unnoticed and unappreciated. As such, employees feel drained, depressed and ultimately disengaged.

So what can organizations and their management teams do to help employees gain a strong sense of belonging to the organization? The answer to this question lies in the definition of belonging that was mentioned above. Organizations must create professional and social activities that actually make the employee feel accepted for who they are. Here are some suggestions:

1. Managers should visit employees regularly, ask them how they feel, offer help (within reason) to make them more comfortable, and follow through on their offer.
2. Social events must be created where employees get to talk about themselves, their likes, their dislikes, hobbies, family, etc.….
3. Organizations should also design serious programs that involve employees in developing organizational strategies.
4. Finally, organizations must give employees some autonomy in doing their work. Even a small amount of autonomy goes a long way.

What a vision it is to see a happy environment where all employees feel they belong to their organization? What a vision it is to witness the success they will bring to the organization?

Written by: Ibrahim Al Yafi – Meirc Training & Consulting