“You don’t ask people to bring their authentic selves to work. You create a safe space for that to transpire.”
~Arthur Chan
Welcome to the first edition of our new newsletter: The Belonging Brief, Vol. 1! This newsletter offers tools, case studies, and actionable insights to build cultures of belonging in the workplace.
AmazeWorks became a nonprofit in 1996, using picture books to guide conversations with children about identity, difference, and bias. Along the way, we learned that what’s good for children is also good for adults.
AmazeWorks Enterprise began to help organizations establish equitable workplace cultures of belonging. We believe our competitive edge is in the strength of our partnerships, empowering close collaboration and responsiveness to evolving needs and goals. We created the AmazeWorks Conditions for Belonging framework to guide transformation and create thriving organizational cultures.
This newsletter dives in to the first of these conditions: identity affirmation. Identity affirmation ensures that every person sees positive representation of themselves at work, in society, and in broader community. In this edition, we:
Before we can fully actualize identity affirmation, we need to get clear about what makes up our identities to begin with.
Use this AmazeWorks Identity Wheel to reflect on how your identities shape your workplace experience—alone or as a team activity.
Race plays a crucial role in identity and equity work. And it should! Intentional conversations about race are incredibly valuable and can counter historic and systemic factors that continue racial inequity today.
However, we cannot look at race alone to evaluate belonging in our workplace cultures. Many identities—like neurodiversity, faith, and socioeconomic status—aren’t always visible, but they deeply shape our experiences.
When we acknowledge all parts of ourselves and others, we can create spaces of belonging for all, empowering each other to show up fully and authentically.
Watch this video to expand the way you think about identity and diversity.
Employee Resource Groups offer opportunities for colleagues with mutual lived experiences or identities to come together for socialization, support, and career development. ERGs have been found in 90% of Fortune 500 companies because they help employees and organizations thrive. Create space for ERGs to weigh in on broader issues within an organization, but do not place the full burden of response, education, and action on them.
How do your social identities affect your relationships with colleagues or the people you work with? What assumptions might you be making about the social and personal identities of your colleagues or those you work with?
Resources:
We’ve got another exciting launch announcement 🎉: AmazeWorks is offering a free quarterly webinar called Bringing Belonging to Work!
Register today to join our first session—The Case for Belonging—on March 26th from 12-1pm CT. You won’t want to miss this discussion on DEIB myths and the Head, Hands, and Heart case for belonging. 🌟
Save the date for all four lunchtime sessions from 12-1pm CT:
Participants will learn strategies, tools, and concepts for the complex (but worthwhile!) journey of transforming workplace cultures towards belonging for all teams, leaders, and clients.
Thank you for standing with us. Here’s to a world where everyone belongs!
What role does religion play in your organization’s approach to identity affirmation? Only a small percentage of Fortune 500 companies include religious identity in their DEIB strategies. Read what Interfaith America says about why and how that needs to change. This resource recommends floating holidays, interfaith ERGs, skill-building opportunities, and more.