Belonging: The Antidote to the Great Detachment

Throughout the last few years, we’ve experienced the Great Resignation, quiet-quitting, and the Perk-cession, just to name a few of the buzzy terms assigned to workplace culture shifts. But for the last year or two, we’ve been wading through the Great Detachment. Employees are struggling to find contentedness in their roles, resulting in low levels of engagement and job satisfaction. And with economic fluctuations and increasing technological advancements, it makes sense that prolonged uncertainty and rapidly changing market needs could discourage employees from fully embracing their work. 

So, what can be done about it? How do leaders help employees attach to their roles in a healthy way?

In this article, we cover the importance of belonging, how it can increase employee engagement, foster a dynamic organizational culture, and create an environment where people want to be.

Key Takeaways

• Belonging in the workplace is a critical driver of employee engagement. When employees feel known, valued, and connected to a greater purpose, they are more likely to stay engaged, contribute fully, and find meaning in their work.
  

• Employee detachment often grows when people lack purpose, community, and clear direction. In seasons of change and uncertainty, leaders must intentionally reinforce how each person’s work connects to the organization’s vision and goals.
  

• A healthy workplace culture helps people feel seen, heard, and supported. Creating opportunities for connection, collaboration, and honest dialogue strengthens team trust and improves organizational health.
  

• Leadership plays a direct role in creating belonging at work. Leaders who listen well, communicate vision clearly, and encourage employee voice help build cultures where people feel empowered to grow and contribute.
  

• A compelling vision gives employees something meaningful to belong to, become, and build. When leaders cast a shared vision around purpose, values, and future direction, they create a workplace where people want to stay, engage, and thrive.

Why Our 3B Vision Tool Can Help

A sense of belonging is essential to employee engagement. And that’s why it’s the first component of our 3B Vision framework (we give this tool away for free). We believe that to cast a successful vision, you must help your people belong to something bigger than themselves, see what they could become together in the future, and then build together toward that future. This is how you create a compelling vision that people want to achieve.

What People Need for Workplace Engagement

• People need purpose. They want to believe their work matters; and that the eight (or more) hours they trade in for a paycheck mean something. Do your employees know how their work connects to the organization’s overall vision? Are you, as the leader, clear on the purpose of the company and how your team’s work intersects with that purpose?

  We all leave a legacy—whether intentionally or unintentionally. So why not choose to show up fully and work toward something that matters? How can you help your teammates see the value that they bring? How can you encourage them in the (sometimes monotonous) tasks that need to get done? As a leader, you have a unique and immense privilege to speak into the lives of those you lead. Are you helping them find purpose in their work? Have you created a vision that’s exciting to work toward?

• People need community. It can be easy to think that community isn’t the responsibility of the employer, but that thinking will only foster an environment of disconnection and disengagement. When people feel known, understood, and seen as a whole person, they’re more likely to show up engaged, ready to contribute, and happy to help their teammates when needed. And that’s organizational health.

  In a world of remote or hybrid workforces, it can require extra steps or creative thinking to find opportunities for connection. This could look like team lunches, virtual coffee connects across departments, or in-person team events. Sometimes a big investment is needed, so ask yourself, is the ROI worth it? When it comes to people and organizational health, the answer is most often: Yes.

• People need to know their voice matters. Even if you disagree with someone, it’s important to have a dialogue; hear their opinion and voice yours—because when you feel heard and acknowledged in a healthy conversation, your willingness to engage increases. As a leader, you get to set the tone for these dialogues within your team meetings and your one-on-ones. You get to listen, validate, coach, encourage, and speak truth with grace. And by encouraging your people to speak up, they’ll have the courage to stretch, learn, and grow with new opportunities, helping your organization to stretch, learn, and grow too.
  

How To Build a Healthy Workplace Culture

A healthy workplace environment gives people a place to belong, attaching themselves to work that matters so that they can take ownership of their part in a greater vision. If you’re looking for a way to develop that sort of culture within your team, we’d love to help. We offer individual coaching, team coaching, team workshops, and executive retreats—and you can schedule a free discovery call to learn more!

Also, this year, we’re bringing back the Building Champions Experience, a transformational leadership experience for leaders who believe better humans make better leaders. You can bring your team or come alone, as this event creates intentional space to reflect, realign, and move forward in your life and leadership with clarity and confidence. Join us in September at Sunriver Resort in Oregon for this curated, four-day leadership experience. Learn more here.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is belonging in the workplace?
  Belonging in the workplace is the experience of feeling known, valued, and connected to something meaningful at work. Employees who feel a sense of belonging are more likely to be engaged, contribute openly, and stay committed to the organization’s mission and culture.
  

• Why is belonging important for employee engagement?
  Belonging is important for employee engagement because people are more motivated when they feel their work matters, their voice is heard, and they are part of a supportive team. A strong sense of belonging helps reduce disengagement and strengthens connection to the organization’s vision.
  

• How can leaders create a sense of belonging at work?
  Leaders can create a sense of belonging by helping employees connect their work to a larger purpose, fostering genuine community, and creating a culture where people feel heard and valued. Clear vision, healthy communication, and intentional leadership all play a key role.
  

• What causes employee detachment at work?
  Employee detachment can be caused by uncertainty, lack of purpose, poor communication, weak team connection, and environments where employees do not feel seen or heard. Over time, these factors can lower engagement, job satisfaction, and organizational health.
  

• How does vision help improve workplace culture?
  A compelling vision helps improve workplace culture by giving employees something meaningful to belong to, grow toward, and build together. When leaders clearly communicate purpose, convictions, and future direction, teams are more likely to stay aligned and engaged.
  

• What do employees need to feel engaged at work?
  Employees need purpose, community, and a sense that their voice matters. When people understand why their work matters, feel connected to others, and know they can contribute honestly, engagement grows.
  

• How does the 3B Vision tool support belonging and engagement?
  The 3B Vision tool supports belonging and engagement by helping leaders create a vision people want to be part of. It focuses on helping teams belong to something meaningful, become what they are capable of together, and build toward a shared future.
  

• How can coaching help improve organizational culture?
  Coaching can help improve organizational culture by strengthening leadership self-awareness, communication, and intentionality. When leaders grow in clarity and confidence, they are better equipped to build healthy teams and create workplaces where people want to belong.