How to Build Belonging in a Post-Pandemic World
Strong team relationships require more than proximity
In the end, the pandemic was a blessing in disguise for teamwork.
Before COVID disrupted our lives, leaders knew that belonging mattered, but many underestimated its true value. The research was clear: Strong work relationships boost collaboration and business results. Feeling like you belong is crucial for keeping teams from falling apart. Yet, many leaders were caught off guard.
The pandemic disrupted more than just our daily routines – it tore apart our lives. People lost loved ones, and communities faced an overwhelming emotional toll. Leaders scrambled to figure out the "new normal." They spent most of the pandemic navigating remote work and fractured team dynamics. But you know what? Teams still managed to pull through.
The chaos reminded us of something vital: our need to belong. Belonging is not just a nice-to-have – it’s hardwired into our human nature.
We don’t just want to be part of a team; we crave belonging. Our need for connection, to support each other, is deeply rooted in our collective history. Social isolation can be as distressing as hunger or physical pain. In fact, we’re so wired for connection that we’d rather bond with strangers than be alone. This became evident during the pandemic, when being cut off from colleagues led to anxiety, sadness, grief, and a sense of alienation.
It’s been over a year since the pandemic officially ended, yet the disconnection persists. The pandemic has left lasting scars on teams. Nearly 25% of employees still report significant loneliness, underscoring the vital role belonging plays. Fostering strong social connections improves well-being and has a profound impact on long-term health and performance.
What Is Belonging – And Why You Should Care
“We are unbreakable. Together, immortal.” – Owen Eastwood
When was the last time you felt like an outsider – unsure if you belonged?
Think about that moment. Perhaps it was a social event, in a meeting where your ideas were ignored, or when you were excluded from a crucial decision.
We often take belonging for granted – it’s invisible, unnoticed until it’s gone. Only when we feel excluded do we realize how much we need to belong. This disconnection is powerful because belonging is a core human need, as vital as food or shelter.
Belonging isn’t just an emotional need – it’s the glue that holds teams together. Belonging is that deep, instinctive feeling of being accepted, valued, and seen. When people feel like they belong, they don’t need to second-guess their worth or contributions. They bring their full selves to work, share their best ideas, and collaborate freely.
A true sense of belonging turns a group of individuals into a unified team with a shared purpose.
Without belonging, teams can quickly fall apart. Gallup research shows that close team relationships increase job satisfaction by 50%. Another study found that a strong sense of belonging boosts job performance by 56% and cuts turnover by half. Employees who feel connected to their team are more engaged, aligned, and committed.
This need for belonging isn’t new. Our ancestors depended on their tribe for survival – being part of a group meant the difference between life and death. While the physical threats of isolation have lessened, the emotional tool of feeling excluded remains deeply ingrained. We are wired to connect.
The Māori concept of Whakapapa beautifully embodies this idea. It teaches that we’re all part of an unbroken chain of people, bound by a shared history and identity. Belonging means playing a role in something bigger than yourself.
Whakapapa is central to elite teams. Owen Eastwood’s work with the England football squad, NATO’s command group, and the Royal Ballet School revealed that building connections creates a shared identity. When team members see themselves as contributors to a larger purpose, they become more loyal, collaborative, and resilient.
The pandemic tested our sense of belonging like never before. Newly-remote teams lost their spontaneous, informal interactions. Suddenly, people felt cut off from their colleagues. Isolation, loneliness, and disconnection became part of the new normal.
But being remote doesn’t mean feeling distant. As I wrote in Remote Not Distant, Physical proximity doesn’t guarantee belonging. Whether a team is fully remote, hybrid, or in-office, building connections requires intentionality.
The scars left by disconnection still run deep. Nearly 25% of employees report significant loneliness, and many feel less connected to their work than before. Thankfully, this presents an opportunity – a chance to rebuild stronger, more connected teams. By focusing on belonging, leaders can create an environment where people feel truly seen, heard, and valued – a place where everyone can confidently say, “I belong here.”
How to Build Belonging: A Framework
At this point, you understand that belonging is essential. But the real question is, belonging how? How do you create an environment where people genuinely feel they belong?
This is where my Belonging Framework comes in, resulting from years of research and hands-on experience with clients. I’ll be introducing this framework in detail at my upcoming keynote at the BrightSide conference. Here’s a sneak peek into what it’s all about.
Belonging doesn’t happen by chance. It requires intentional effort, and at the heart of it exists the idea of having a shared identity. My framework focuses on four essential aspects: feeling welcomed, being trusted, caring for one another, and feeling valued.
These elements are the building blocks for creating a team where belonging isn’t an academic concept but a lived experience. This roadmap shifts the dynamic from “me” to “we.”
1. Feeling Welcomed
Am I connected?
Consciously or not, we ask ourselves this question whenever we join or participate in a team.
Feeling truly welcomed is the first step toward belonging. This goes beyond formal onboarding programs. It’s about ensuring people feel genuinely welcomed. You don’t need to pretend to be someone you’re not: The team welcomes you for who you are.
Welcoming a new team member is a rite of passage. It requires more than a checklist or onboarding experience. The team must intentionally integrate the person into the team – and vice versa. Welcoming isn’t about forcing new members to conform to the existing culture, but allowing them to enrich it.
Feeling welcomed isn’t a one-off event reserved for new hires. Rather, it’s an ongoing experience that results from small gestures. Every team member should feel, “You belong here, and your presence makes a difference.”
Try this:
Team rituals are powerful at intentionally fostering belonging. Rituals can be used to welcome employees, celebrate the team, and overcome roadblocks.
For example, Zappos offers a pay-to-quit bonus to test if new employees have what it takes to be a Zapponian. Black n Bianco takes a different approach: Every time the kids’ clothes retailer closes a large purchase order, employees get a thank-you note – and a bonus.
Explore the Team Ritual Design Canvas
2. Being Trusted
Unbreakable teams rely on both trust and psychological safety.
Trust happens between individuals, while psychological safety is the collective expression of that trust. Trust arises from being competent, caring, and consistent. Psychological safety, on the other hand, results from being direct, dependable, and daring.
Is trust earned or assumed?
In high-performing teams, trust isn’t earned over time – it’s granted from the start. The concept of “swift trust” involves acting as if trust is already present. Most teams don’t have the luxury to build over time, and our tendency to trust is even more critical when under pressure. That’s when trust is put to the test.
When people are trusted from day one, they’re more likely to fully engage and contribute. Trust enables deeper collaboration and speaking up without fear.
Being trusted is the feeling that everyone has each other’s backs.
Try this:
The Trust Battery is a metaphor for how we approach our relationships. Some people start with a fully charged battery, thinking trust should be granted. Others begin with an empty battery, expecting others to demonstrate they’re trustworthy.
To succeed, your team needs to have a shared approach to trust. Start by assessing each member’s trust battery, discuss how they approach trust, and find common ground. Bonus points for teams that can assess trust among individual team members and discuss what would make them trust each other more.
Facilitate the Trust Battery Exercise
3. Caring About Each Other
Belonging cannot exist without care.
Most teams struggle to collaborate because they have a flawed relationship with asking for help. The most critical barrier to collaboration is not recognizing that we need help because we lack self-awareness and intellectual humility. Conversely, asking for help is an exercise in vulnerability and courage. Lastly, building on what I wrote above, we can’t ask for help if we don’t trust those with the power to help us.
Building a helping culture is essential to fostering belonging.
Leaders should model this by asking, “How can I help you?” This isn’t about promoting a heroic mentality but to make it okay – and reward – those who ask for help.
A helping culture is a caring culture. When everyone gives and receives help without judgment, it strengthens the sense of belonging.
Try this:
Instead of treating colleagues how you want to be treated, treat them according to their ‘washing instructions.’ The Washing Instructions Canvas helps us understand each team member's communication and collaboration styles as well as what makes them tick.
Find common ground by using the Team Washing Instructions Canvas to integrate personal preferences with what the team needs.
Download the Washing Instructions Canvas template
4. Feeling Valued
For people to feel like they belong, they need to feel valued – not just for who they are, but for their contributions.
Recognition shouldn’t be limited to annual reviews or formal awards. It should be an ongoing, authentic practice. When people feel appreciated, they’re more motivated, engaged, and loyal. Regular, genuine appreciation reinforces that success is the sum of all individual contributions.
Feeling valued also means celebrating behaviors that support team values. Acts of kindness, support, and collaboration should be recognized as much as individual achievements. Seeing that everyone’s efforts are valued helps promote a shared identity.
Try this:
Practice genuine appreciation by openly appreciating individual contributions. Doug Conant, former CEO of Campbell Soup, wrote over 30,000 personalized thank-you notes during his tenure.
Don’t be shy. Amplify the impact of appreciation by sharing accomplishments with other teams and leaders.
Encourage peer-to-peer recognition and celebrate both individual and collective accomplishments. Don’t be afraid to flip the script on your apologies – thank those who help you improve. For instance, instead of saying, "I'm so sorry for messing up," say, "Thanks for catching that error.”
Promote gratitude to make people feel valued
Belonging: The Glue That Holds Teams Together
In a post-pandemic world, fostering belonging is more crucial than ever. Teams that prioritize human connection, trust, and mutual support not only excel in performance but also enjoy a more fulfilling culture.
Leaders must intentionally create environments where team members feel connected and that they truly belong. By leveraging the four pillars of belonging – being welcomed, trusted, cared for, and valued – teams can cultivate a shared identity.
The result? A workplace where everyone can confidently declare, “I’m connected. I belong here.”
Do you want to create a culture of belonging? Schedule a free consultation call to discuss how I can support you and your team.
i am a little bit irritated: yes belonging is important, like psychological safety, but like there here could be an overstretch, like safetyism. what if people do seperate them, claiming their individuality and then don't want to pay the price that comes with that decision and complain about beeing separate, not welcomed, a lack of belonging?
In my organisation we have a Great People Tapestry to have "Flourishing People" and the first our three outcomes to achieve this is Belonging. So I fully support and relate to your article and thank you for sharing so many good practice ideas. This will really help to sharpen our tools.