Belonging is an innate human need to be part of something larger than ourselves. In this unusual and stressful time of self-isolation and social distancing, the need for connection may be even more critical. We all understand the need to do our part to help mitigate the spread of this virus, but there are some things we can do to cultivate that sense of belonging while keeping our distance.

A quick, fun and engaging way to test your multicultural knowledge, learn a few fun facts about other countries, cultures and religions and prompt discussion around cultural awareness.  You can use these questions as part of your daily trivia contest as a way to keep employees connected and engaged in a fun and interactive way.

During this time of social distance and remote working it is critical that we maintain a culture of belonging to reduce feelings of isolation in our workplaces.  Here you can find a list of ice-breaker questions that you can use at the start of your meetings to engage employees and provide them the opportunity to dialogue with colleagues.

As a way to contribute to your own positive work environment, make these tips part of your regular practice.

Working for an organization that supports workplace wellbeing can be the difference between just coming to work and loving to come to work.  And, creating a positive work culture involves diversity, inclusion and belonging, learn how.

In this discussion guide, participants will reflect on personal experiences to explore the characteristics and behaviors that define a Culture of Belonging and identify opportunities to address micro inequities that occur in our workplaces.

A culture of belonging happens when every individual can come to work and feel safe and welcomed for exactly who they are. Use these tips to contribute to your own culture of belonging.

Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice — and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

Looking to get ahead in your career? Start by being respectful to your coworkers, says leadership researcher Christine Porath. In this science-backed talk, she shares surprising insights about the costs of rudeness and shows how little acts of respect can boost your professional success — and your company’s bottom line.

Tracing the contours of her career, America Ferrera calls for more authentic representation of different cultures — and a shift in how we tell our stories. “Presence creates possibility,” she says. “Who we see thriving in the world teaches us how to see ourselves, how to think about our own value, how to dream about our futures.”

In this short video a group of hiring managers discuss the concept of cultural fit and how focusing on criteria when assessing candidates enables them to mitigate the impact of bias on their hiring decisions. The discussion guide can be used to further explore the concepts and practice applying them to real workplace situations.

The Intent versus Impact Exercise is an interactive exercise designed to help participants explore the unintended impact of their words, actions and decisions.

The Impact of Exclusion Exercise is an interactive exercise designed to help participants explore the emotions associated with exclusion. It provides a safe and fun experience to build awareness and understanding of how exclusive behavior and conversely inclusive behavior can impact coworkers.

We believe we should work hard in order to be happy, but could we be thinking about things backwards? In this fast-moving and very funny talk, psychologist Shawn Achor argues that, actually, happiness inspires us to be more productive.

Employee engagement scores are down. As leaders, we grapple with the “why” and the “what to do.” Companies invest millions in employee engagement surveys and consulting services yet still struggle to make significant strides in those engagement scores. Read more below.

The subject of race can be very touchy. As finance executive Mellody Hobson says, it’s a “conversational third rail.” But, she says, that’s exactly why we need to start talking about it. In this engaging, persuasive talk, Hobson makes the case that speaking openly about race — and particularly about diversity in hiring — makes for better businesses and a better society.

The What Would You Do exercise is a 45-minute experiential activity designed to help participants recognize and address non-inclusive behavior, deal with conflict, and work together to problem-solve. Through discussion participants will more deeply understand the impact of exclusion, how to be an ally, and how to leverage their influence and privilege as managers to drive culture change.

In this interview, Susan Stith, Vice President, Diversity, Inclusion and Corporate Giving at Express Scripts discusses why the I Am Diversity Campaign was launched at Express Scripts, the key success factors and the organizational impact of the campaign.

Tips for Valuing All Employees

Organizations are often run according to “the superchicken model,” where the value is placed on star employees who outperform others. And yet, this isn’t what drives the most high-achieving teams. Business leader Margaret Heffernan observes that it is social cohesion — built over every coffee break, every time one team member asks another for help — that leads over time to great results. It’s a radical rethink of what drives us to do our best work, and what it means to be a leader. Because as Heffernan points out: “Companies don’t have ideas. Only people do.”

This cultural competence conversation starter is designed to deepen our understanding of how our actions and decisions effect colleagues on an individual level and impact overall organizational culture.