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I remember meeting a young woman named Kayla a few years ago. She was 22, fresh out of high school, and working two part-time jobs while trying to figure out her next step. When she walked into the room, I could see her hesitation. She didn’t think she belonged at the training session we were holding, and honestly, she almost left before it started.
When I think about what makes a team truly high-performing, I don’t just think about the results they deliver. I think about the way they work together, the trust they build, and the systems that support their success. In my experience managing teams across industries—from politics to nonprofits to for-profit organizations—one thing has always been clear: high-functioning teams don’t just happen. They’re intentionally built.
The old saying, "What if we train them and they leave," speaks to the fear that many managers have about investing in their employees. The response, "What if you don't and they stay," is a powerful reminder that investing in employees is essential for organizational success. This is especially true in the current business environment, where competition for talent is fierce.
The Belonging Blueprint is a framework that helps organizations create a culture of belonging by focusing on five key areas: awareness, commitment, communication, training, and evaluation. By addressing each of these areas, organizations can establish a foundation for belonging that supports the growth and development of all team members.
The challenge is that multiple levels of my existence are controversial. Today I am met with the surfacing of two - being a woman and being black. The combination and separation of these two often cause intersectional warfare that is weaponized yet capitalized daily.
Not only is relying on your Black employees to be your DEI teachers, trainers, and facilitators incredibly tokenizing and emblematic of the systemic racism your company claims to want to fight, but it’s just plain poor strategy.
It's been five days since I've worn anything but my pajamas, and I'm not even sure what time it is anymore. I feel like I'm not at my best, and it's starting to worry me. As I sit here, scrolling through my phone for the hundredth time today, I realized something that made me uneasy. This could be my new reality.
The main thing to remember is that this pandemic is a new territory for many, but that doesn't mean our human patience and compassion has to be. Lean into the discomfort of the current situation and realize that digital or not, we can get through this together.
It all started with a glimmer of hope. A rare moment where all of us could be home, without the usual hustle and bustle of our lives. It was an opportunity to connect with friends and loved ones who we hadn't seen in a while, to catch up and share our experiences. It was a time to be present, to laugh, and to reminisce about the good old times. And so we did. But as the pandemic grew, so did our desire to stay connected.
On paper, it made sense. Sarah knew the ins and outs of the job better than anyone. But within six months, something became clear: Sarah was struggling. She felt overwhelmed, isolated, and unsure how to handle the dynamics of leading a team. Meanwhile, the team itself was faltering without Sarah’s stellar contributions to guide them. The problem wasn’t Sarah—it was the assumption that excellence in execution equates to excellence in leadership.