Training Industry Magazine - Summer 2024 - 27

as a dynamic and situated experience
influenced by social interactions,
materiality, emotions and aesthetics.
* How can you make your spaces
more inclusive?
According to Dr. Britt Andreatta, humans
are wired for three things: to survive,
to belong and to become. These occur
chronologically, as without survival
individuals can't move into belonging,
and so forth. Since learning is part of
becoming - becoming our best selves
- individuals must first feel they belong.
To feel a sense of belonging, individuals
need psychological safety. Amy
Edmondson popularized the concept
of psychological safety as a " belief that
one will not be punished or humiliated
for speaking up with ideas, questions,
concerns, or mistakes, and the team is
safe for interpersonal risk taking. "
What is learning, if not exploring
innovative ideas, asking questions,
relaying concerns and making a lot of
mistakes? Psychological safety and
belonging reinforce each other, and an
absence of either can negatively impact
the other.
To feel a sense
of belonging,
individuals need
psychological safety.
With many individuals working remotely,
virtual spaces also influence belonging.
The workplace has crept into their
personal space and vice versa, so it may
be important to consider how people
show up for video meetings.
HOW TO CREATE
BELONGING, AND WHY
IT'S THE KEY TO A
CULTURE OF LEARNING
There are things organizations can
do to create belonging and foster a
culture of learning. These include the
spaces where work is done, the people
engaging in the work and how those
people interact day to day.
SPACES
3 Elements of
Creating Belonging
1. Space: The décor, layout,
symbols, imagery and more
that make up the physical
and virtual spaces where
work occurs.
2. Representation: Diversity
among employees and
leaders that allows individuals
to see similarities with their
colleagues and feel a sense
of belonging.
3. Shared Experiences:
Intentional, collaborative
learning opportunities that
ease communication and
accelerate forward movement.
The spaces team members occupy
are often overlooked. The décor, the
layout and what symbols exist (or
don't exist) can all impact feelings of
belonging. The environment should
aim to be inclusive of all rather than
catering to any one population.
For example, at one end of the spectrum
might be an all-pink space with fluffy
pillows and motivational quotes in curly
script on the walls. At the other end
might be a workplace decked out in a
sports theme, with games throughout
and the March Madness bracket all over
the break room.
When the environment caters to just one
group, the rest may feel unwelcome. To
create belonging, aim for an inclusive
space with broad appeal. Balance out
the football game by having a reality
show on a second TV.
CONSIDER:
* How inclusive are your spaces?
* How safe do your employees feel?
TRAINING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE - SUMMER 2024 I WWW.TRAININGINDUSTRY.COM/MAGAZINE
Virtual backgrounds can mask undesired
backgrounds, but they can also suppress
individuality. Although using authentic
backgrounds offers employees an
opportunity to demonstrate their
personality, the unfortunate side effect
might be visuals that create a hostile or
unwelcoming environment.
CONSIDER:
* What policies or practices do you
have for environments in video
interactions?
* How can you encourage authenticity
for others in their remote environment?
* How can you discourage exclusionary
or hostile elements in remote
environments?
REPRESENTATION
Individuals find belonging when
they see themselves represented
in the workplace. Do other team
members or leaders look like them,
have similar interests or come from
similar backgrounds? It's impossible to
represent all facets of diversity within an
organization, especially a smaller one,
but an intentional effort should be made
during recruiting, hiring and promoting.
CONSIDER:
* Can employees see themselves in
the organization?
* In leadership?
* How can you elevate underrepresented
populations?
Similarly, how well does your training
collateral
create
representation?
While content and imagery shouldn't
be inauthentic to the organization,
consideration should be given to using
27
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Training Industry Magazine - Summer 2024

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