Strategies From A Surprising Source

Social wellbeing has declined, loneliness is wreaking havoc on wellbeing and feelings of isolation are becoming the norm. People are suffering because they lack a sense of connectedness and belonging. All of this has negative effects on physical health and mental health for individuals, but it also has detrimental effects on families, work relationships and communities.

But in the midst of so much separation, it is possible to lead for belonging and to nurture community and connections at work. New science on belonging comes from an unlikely source: the experience of watching sports.

Belonging

Interestingly, people don’t get a sense of belonging from simply being with other others. Actually, they feel greater belonging when they have a shared sense of social identity. This kind of camaraderie can come from doing volunteer activities together for a shared cause, working together for a team goal or uniting around a common cause.

Just in time for March Madness, sports are a novel lens for an understanding of belonging, camaraderie and connectedness. In fact, when people participate in sports actively, they have better mental health, and when they watch sports with others through media outlets, they report greater happiness.

And a brand new study of over 7,000 people finds when they attend live sporting events with others, people experience significant positive effects—as published in Frontiers in Public Health. In particular, they report reduced loneliness. They also say they have a greater sense that life is worthwhile and increased life satisfaction—both of which are part of a broader metric called social wellbeing which is in turn correlated with physical and mental health.

So even if your bracket was destroyed by recent upsets, you can still get some terrific benefits from enjoying the experience of sports—and from the lessons about belonging which arise from it.

Creating Greater Belonging

Based on lessons from sports, there are three main ways to nurture a sense of belonging.

Sharing Experiences

One of the primary ways to lead in a way that fosters belonging is to give people the opportunity for shared experiences. The bandwagon effect describes how people tend to pick up energy from each others,and experience emotional contagion.

It’s a myth that the most powerful team building occurs as a result of social events. There are some benefits to social time—of course—so if you have ax throwing or mixology classes on your calendar, enjoy them. But a more powerful way to link people and give them a sense of belonging is through giving them a shared goal and meaningful tasks on which they have the opportunity to collaborate.

When people come together to do work together, they get to know each others’ skills, they have the opportunity to unite around a common goal and they have shared time and experiences. This is especially true if the project is challenging, requires problem solving or working through ambiguity. One of the primary ways people bond is through going through challenges together. So when people are stretching, learning or experiencing new demands on their skills, they also tend to forge connections with others.

Shared experiences also create memories which give relationships continuity. Sporting events are a perfect lens: the team struggled in the first half and the crowd experienced shared worry or the team saved the close game, and the crowd shared the victory.

At work, the team will remember the huge problem they solved together at the eleventh hour, the customer demands they struggled through or the amazing success of their high-priority product launch. Shared experiences help reinforce energy and memories, but they also reinforce values—the hard work of the team, the acceptance of diverse viewpoints or the willingness to go the extra mile for others.

Give teams meaningful work and clear, compelling shared goals.

Sharing Identity

Another way to lead for belonging is to reinforce shared identity. When people feel connected with others, they release a brain chemical called oxytocin which not only helps them feel happy and rewarded, but also reinforces their bonds with each other.

People want to be part of something bigger than themselves and be part of a group. People demonstrate significant allegiances to their sports teams—wearing the colors, defending the team against naysayers and investing time and energy in being present for games (virtually or in person).

At work, people want to know they’re part of the HR team which creates great experiences for employes or the finance team that helps ensure the organization’s fiscal health. They want to know their work in purchasing matters because they’re enhancing the diversity of the supplier base or working through supply chain volatility.

Shared identity also gives people common language and even inside jokes. When people understand each other’s work, it contributes to a sense of belonging. When they can laugh together, complete each other’s sentences or tune into what colleagues are going through, it is often because team members share a sense of identity.

Reinforce the team’s vision, mission, purpose and goals regularly. Let people know how the team matters and how their unique contribution is important to the team’s success overall. Remind people of the importance of the team and how much the organization relies on their collective effort—no matter what it is.

Also give people time together to talk about what’s working on the team and how they can improve. Ask people how they want the team to function and how they want to interact. All of this will engage people in not only what the team does, but how it operates as well.

Sharing Outcomes

With sporting events, sharing outcomes is always part of the experience. With a defeat, fans slump their shoulders, gather their things and walk slowly to their cars or trains. Or with a win, they extend the celebration much past game-time.

Leaders can enhance a sense of belonging at work by making time for discussions if projects fail—asking people what could have gone better and creating space for after-action reviews, learning and considering how to improve. Or when efforts succeed, leaders can ensure the team reflects on what worked, and ensure people feel appreciated and recognized for their achievements—both individually and collectively.

Winning Together

Belonging is good for people—their physical, cognitive and emotional health and wellbeing. But it’s also good for companies, because when people feel connected they are better able to contribute their best to their team.

Leadership requires many skills—from demonstrating empathy and helping people feel seen to delivering results and contributing to organizational outcomes—but creating belonging is also a powerful aspect of leading effectively—which enhances employees’ experiences, and leaders own experiences as well.