It’s Your Business

• Author: Terry Greenhut, Business Editor
• Subject Matter: Management
• Issue: The need to belong

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Almost everyone wants to be a part of something. They like to be able to say, “I’m a member of ‘such and such’ church or club,” or “I work for ‘this or that’ company.” Most humans don’t care much for the idea of going it alone. They are tribal by nature.

When employees feel as if they belong, they tend to give a lot more. They’re part of the cause, not separate from it. They’ll usually work to the limit of their capabilities. When they don’t feel like a member of the tribe they don’t get comfortable enough with their surroundings to be willing to give it their all. Employees who are treated like outsiders quickly get the idea that they won’t be welcome at the company very long so they work with one foot out the door and their bags always half packed.

How powerful is this need to belong? Consider what people will do to belong or “fit in.” Adolescents will change their speech, dress and behavior to “fit in” with their peer groups. Inner-city teens will commit crimes – including murder – for the privilege of wearing gang colors. Adults, too, gain much of their identity from the neighborhoods they live in, the churches they attend and the political parties with which they align. Yes, belonging to “the tribe” is a human need we never outgrow, yet far too many leaders who are responsible for the morale of the workforce neglect it.

There may not be anyone in the company who is purposely making others feel unwanted, but they may also not be making them feel welcome or part of the team, and that’s a big mistake. Belonging, along with safety and mattering, is a basic human drive. After food, water and shelter needs have been met, we must feel that we’re safe, that we mean something to the world and that we belong. If not, we can’t ever get comfortable with our surroundings. When it happens in the workplace we tend to seek out other workplaces where we will be accepted.

Employees who are not accepted by the tribe feel as though they don’t matter and therefore are not safe, so they hide out, procrastinate or say what the boss wants to hear instead of what he needs to hear. Such behaviors can be devastating for the shop. No matter who initiates this treatment of some or all of the employees it is the business owner who is always at fault for allowing it to continue. It’s up to the leader to diagnose the problem and take steps to fix it.

Here are several red flags that indicate you may have this type of situation going on in your business:

• Certain people get preferential treatment. Maybe there are different sets of rules for different employees: “exempt” people and “non-exempt” people. (Many companies harbor “untouchables” – people who were hired and most likely over-promoted because they are related to [or friends with] someone in power.) Or maybe they have a special skill set that makes the owner believe they are so important to the company that the normal rules don’t need to apply to them.

Preferential treatment is a leadership behavior that’s extremely damaging. It’s a major culprit in making people feel like outsiders. Owners and managers need to learn to treat every employee with an equal measure of fairness. It should never be obvious that one is considered to be more important than any others.

• Cliques and inside jokes abound. Sure, we all “click” with certain people more readily than we do with others. That’s only natural, but if you notice some employees seem to be regularly excluding others – maybe a group of employees socialize after work but one or two people are not invited; take it seriously. Those who are left out know it, and it doesn’t feel good.

It’s amazing how little difference there can be between high-school and workplace dynamics. And although leaders can’t (and shouldn’t) interfere with friendships between employees, they can set an example of inclusion. They can have frank discussions on the hurtfulness of making someone feel exiled. They can hold workplace events and celebrations to strengthen bonds between all coworkers.

The point is, it’s worth making an effort to help everyone feel they belong. Generally leaders do set the tone, so when you focus on belonging, it’s hoped that everyone will.

• There are obvious and visible signs of division between management and the productive workforce. At some companies, automotive and otherwise, there’s a stark division between the so-called executive suite and the hourly workers. The white-shirt service advisers, managers and the owner are on a higher plane with nicer working conditions, while the blue-collar guys are lucky if the bathroom is maintained. Many believe this is the natural order of things, but it shouldn’t be. It creates a line the hourly thinks he or she can’t cross, keeping them isolated and often afraid to speak up for fear all the bosses will line up against them.

It is never really a good idea for the layout of the physical workplace to say, “We’re in the gated community while you’re in the trailer park.” Leaders may not think of it that way but, believe me, those under them do. It creates a lot of tension between white-shirt workers and productive employees. There’s this pervasive attitude that because hourlies don’t have the same level of education or title and pay grade, they can’t be part of the tribe.

Often, it’s members of the productive workforce who have the best ideas for streamlining production and boosting quality. It’s just that management has never looped them in on initiatives before and, therefore, they don’t feel like part of the decision-making process.

How far do we take this concept of equality in the workplace? Don’t there have to be bosses and workers? Yes, but what if we call them supervisors and productive employees instead? The supervisor trains, assigns and checks the work, and the productive employee gets the job done to the best of his or her ability. Would that help foster more of a sense of belonging? It would if belonging really meant that everyone’s opinion was equal and therefore they could move forward together. We really need to do all we can to work toward this goal so everyone believes that their opinion matters.

• A division of departments. Of course, departments are, by definition, different from each other. Your rebuilding department and your installation group may be separate but they don’t need to be alienated from each other. Owners and managers must stress the equal importance of all toward achieving the common goal. It’s OK for groups to have their own identity, yet they must still be able to link arms and help each other toward the end result. When all departments and their members have that reassuring sense that they belong to the company overall, they don’t have to close ranks and play power games. They can share and help each other because now it’s safe to do so.

• There is no path for personal development or advancement. When employees are made to believe that they are just another cog in the machine and that there is no clear-cut path to advancement, they tend to lose hope of ever becoming any more than they are right now. That, in itself, stunts their possible growth within the company, leading to a lack of caring. Owners need to provide a path toward advancement that includes training to keep employees motivated and give them the feeling that they really matter. Making employees feel that strong sense of belonging can send performance through the roof. When people feel they truly belong they will open up their minds and do everything in their power to make sure the entire company is successful.

Here are a few tips to make all employees feel as if they are integral members of the tribe:

• When a new employee comes on board take that person around to every workstation and department and introduce him or her to everyone, explaining that person’s job so the new hire knows whom to go to when in need of help, a solution or a decision. It wouldn’t hurt to heap a little praise on the veteran employees as these introductions are made.
• Treat all employees fairly, respectfully and equally. Strive to avoid preferential treatment, reward on merit and hold everyone (including ourselves) accountable to the same set of standards. Treat others with the respect we expect to be afforded us.
• Deal with issues directly with the person in question. No complaining about others behind their backs, no passive-aggressive behavior or backstabbing of any type should be accepted or tolerated.
• Have weekly meetings in which everyone has a voice and no one’s ideas are belittled. If there are debatable decisions, they must be handled in the meeting so that once they are put into practice everyone is ready to follow the same path.

Everyone emulates actions of good leaders. If we provide the example of accountability and leadership that everyone can follow, if we make every employee feel as though they are members in good standing of the tribe, it will lead to a much-more-pleasant and productive workplace experience for all.

Terry Greenhut, Business Editor. Visit www.TerryGreenhut.com