Belonging matters

What if you were unapologetically you? What impact would that have on your work, life and relationships? Unfortunately, too many of us aren’t prepared to bring our whole selves to work… or even life. We either create a mask or hold back on what’s really wanting to be seen. When we’re not prepared to show our full selves, it means we may not allow others to show their full selves too. This disconnection doesn’t help in work or life. It limits what’s possible in what we do and how we act. Vanessa Belleau is an inclusion and belonging consultant, as well as executive coach. She works with individuals and organisations to create more inclusion and belonging at work. She’s both unapologetic and humble as well as serious and joyful in her approach. How can we create belonging in a world that feels more and more polarised? What does it mean to find belonging for ourselves while celebrating our differences? When Carlos first started out in business, he wasn’t sure if he belonged in the business world. He didn’t feel able to conform to the norms, so questioned whether this was the space for him. He had similar feelings growing up when I’d get teased for how he looked. Being different felt bad. However, fundamentally we are unified by our basic human needs and experiences. If we tap into these, we can let go of the idea of being separate and feel more permission to take space, which then frees us up to be more us and do the work we’re supposed to do. We’re all called to contribute in our own unique way. Let’s embrace this uniqueness so that we can impactfully collaborate and contribute by being ourselves. Links Connect with Vanessa via LinkedIn Join the conversation live Become a member of the Happy Startup School Join the next Vision 20/20 cohort