Belonging Culture Frames

Belonging Culture for Performance and Wellness

Frame Number 1: Fear, Belonging, and Aspiration

We’re always in a mix of Fear, Belonging, and Aspiration. Organizational design that misses this reality, misses out on good culture.

https://www.heartbasedleading.com/blog/life-between-the-carrot-and-stick-and-our-need-for-belonging

Tripart-Emotional State & the F.O.C. n’ Belonging Shift

This graphic titled "Tripart-Emotional State & Belonging Shift" presents a matrix that explores different emotional states and their impact on belonging. It is divided into six sections, highlighting the good and bad sides of fear and aspiration depending on our state of belonging.

Top Row: Positive Contexts (Good Side of…)

Fear (for):

  1. Illustration: Represents a positive form of fear where individuals are motivated to avoid letting others down.

  2. Key Points: Sustained levels of oxytocin and serotonin belonging move us here even in fear.

    1. "I won't let them down."

    2. "I'll learn/practice more."

  3. Explanation: Fear in this context of Feel, Own, Care Belonging motivates positive actions. It drives a person to support others and improve themselves.

Belonging (in):

  1. Illustration: Indicates a state where individuals belong and are supported within a group.

  2. Key Points: Our neurochemical cocktail, TeamOS (sustained oxytocin and serotonin levels) naturally responds this way.

    1. "Fear less & aspire more."

    2. "Fight/Flight shifts to Unite & Fight."

  3. Explanation: Feel, Own, Care Belonging reduces fear and increases aspirations. People are more likely to Unite & Fight rather than against each other.

Aspiration (with):

  1. Illustration: Reflects the positive side of aspiring together, where collective efforts lead to greater achievements.

  2. Key Points:

    1. "More than I could do alone!"

    2. "We've got each other's back."

  3. Explanation: Aspiration in this context means working together towards a common goal, achieving more collectively than individually.

Bottom Row: Negative Contexts (Bad Side of…)

Fear (of):

  1. Illustration: Represents a negative form of fear where individuals are hindered by anxiety or uncertainty.

  2. Key Points:

    1. "This could hurt."

    2. "I don't know how."

  3. Explanation: Fear in this context is paralyzing and prevents action. It is focused on potential harm and lack of knowledge.

Belonging (out):

  1. Illustration: Indicates a state where individuals feel unbelonged and then isolate themselves further from the group.

  2. Key Points:

    1. "Fear more & aspire less."

    2. "Fight/Flight leading to Isolating."

  3. Explanation: Feeling excluded increases fear and reduces aspirations. People are more likely to isolate themselves and engage in fight/flight behaviors.

Aspiration (at expense of):

  1. Illustration: Reflects the negative side of aspiration where individuals prioritize their goals at the expense of others.

  2. Key Points:

    1. "A coworker is in my way."

    2. "So what, if my teammate fails."

  3. Explanation: Aspiration in this context gets competitively destructive. It focuses on personal success at the expense of others, leading to conflict and disregard for teammates.

Summary

  • Fear (for) and Fear (of): Differentiates between fear that motivates positive action in the care for each other (top left) and fear that leads to hesitation and avoidance in fear of (bottom left).

  • Belonging (in) and Belonging (out): Contrasts baseline neurobiological shift of fight/flight to Unite & Fight (top middle) with being out of belonging with higher levels of fear lower levels of aspiration and fight/flight is a default state leading to isolation (bottom middle).

  • Aspiration (with) and Aspiration (at expense of): Highlights the difference between aspiring together for mutual benefit (top right) and striving at the cost of others (bottom right).

The graphic emphasizes the importance of belongings impact that puts us either on the good or bad side of fear and aspiration.

Frame Number 2: Real Belonging as Feel, Own, and Care for…

We’re wired for real belonging, where we: Feel, Own, and Care for… in Successes, Dreams, and Failures. Feel, Own, Care, Belonging.

This graphic illustrates the concept of "Real F.O.C.'n Belonging," a framework that emphasizes the elements of Feel, Own, and Care in relationships. These elements are crucial for creating a sense of belonging and are depicted as follows:

Core Elements:

  1. Feel (Empathy):

    • Description: Without feeling empathy, we question whether we are truly valued by others, such as friends or colleagues. We doubt the sincerity of their care for us.

    • Importance: Empathy ensures that we feel genuinely cared for and connected.

  2. Own (Accountability):

    • Description: Without owning accountability, we doubt the authenticity of others' expressed feelings. We question if their care is genuine.

    • Importance: Accountability affirms that others' feelings and actions are true and reliable.

  3. Care (Compassion):

    • Description: Without compassion, we disbelieve the sincerity of others' feelings and their claims of caring for us.

    • Importance: Compassion verifies the genuineness of relationships and reinforces our sense of belonging.

Application Areas:

  1. Successes:

    • Description: If Feel, Own, and Care are limited to successes only, we live in fear and become overly driven by the need to succeed.

    • Impact: This can lead to burnout and a diminished sense of authentic connection.

  2. Dreams:

    • Description: Dreams are essential for growth. When our dreams are not cared for, we feel personally neglected and may seek fulfillment elsewhere.

    • Impact: Dream support fosters personal development and deeper connections.

  3. Failures:

    • Description: Providing Feel, Own, and Care during failures relieves us from fear and encourages us to keep moving forward.

    • Impact: Support during failures builds resilience and trust in relationships.

Central Concept:

  • 2-Way Power:

    • Explanation: Belonging is a two-way relationship where power and care are mutually exchanged.

    • Phrase: "for each other in" suggests that mutual support and interdependence are key to real belonging.

This framework highlights that true belonging involves empathy, accountability, and compassion across all situations—not just successes but also dreams and failures. By fostering these elements, we create meaningful and supportive relationships.

Examples of this framework played out at work and life.

https://www.heartbasedleading.com/blog/your-little-voice-in-the-way-of-your-performance

https://www.heartbasedleading.com/blog/butts-follow-hearts

Frame Number 3: Six Areas of Your Belonging Culture

We’re deeply tribal across these six areas in our belonging:

https://www.heartbasedleading.com/blog/6-affirmations-for-your-belonging-at-a-crossroad

https://www.heartbasedleading.com/blog/onboarding-for-a-belonging-culture

Frame Number 4:

thinking

Key understandings

  • Team OS

  • Belongings Magic Quadrant

  • Unite & Fight vs Fight/Flight redefining leadership

  • Belonging’s Paradox

  • Real Belonging vs a Sense of Belonging

  • Belonging or Psychological Safety

  • Belonging, Self-belonging, Self-talk, Performance

  • People, Purpose, and Pay: motivation in that order




Paul HauryComment