Black History Month: Representation and Belonging Matter

As we come to the end of Black History Month here in the UK, it has been good to see the celebrations that have taken place. It was only just a few short years ago that some local authorities had stopped their Black History Month celebrations. However, the murder of George Floyd last year, and subsequent other events, highlight the fact that racism and racial inequality still very much exist today.

This year we have seen many organisations (including the media) go all out for Black History Month. It is great that the occasion gets this recognition, and it feels like more people understand why it is needed. But when it comes to unpicking deep rooted systemic racism, there is still a lot that needs to be done.

It is not just about creating workplaces that are diverse and inclusive. Creating workplace environments where people feel like they belong is equally as important. There is no point having a diverse workforce if people don’t feel like they belong. Part of helping people to feel like they belong is for there to be representation of people like them.

Representation matters

I remember a few years ago and the TV was on Sky News one morning as I was getting ready to go to work. Out of the corner of my eye I glimpsed that the news presenter, the sports presenter, and the weather presenter were all sat round a table, and all of them were Black. I was amazed because this was the first time I had ever seen something like this (Sky News has been my preferred news channel ever since).

You see, I had grown up seeing very few people who looked like me on prime time, morning TV. I wondered to myself, what a difference it would have made to me (and others like me) if this had been something I had seen as a girl growing up.

For marginalised and underrepresented groups, it is important to see others like them, in order to feel like they belong and that they matter. A debate this week in the House of Lords about ethnicity pay gap reporting reported that:

Only 140 of the UK’s 21,000 university professors are black. Only six of 800 partners at UK Magic Circle law firms are black. FTSE 100 companies have zero senior black executives at board level. Last year, there were only 17 black partners among the top eight accountancy firms. Only 11 of the Big Four accounting firms’ 3,000 UK partners are black. Deloitte has one black partner, Ernst & Young and KPMG have two each and PricewaterhouseCoopers has only six. A July 2021 report by the Financial Reporting Council showed that disabled and LGBTQ+ citizens have virtually no chance of reaching a senior position in major accounting firms.

There is a saying that goes ‘You cannot be what you cannot see’ and with the lack of representation shown by these figures, what encouragement does it give to Black people? How does this make Black people feel like they belong?

Belonging

We have an inherent need to belong. When we don’t feel like we belong, it can impact us mentally, emotionally, and physically in a negative way. It can make us feel demotivated, worthless, sad, and isolated. It can cause us to doubt ourselves. People who don’t feel like they belong at work are more likely to be disengaged and dissatisfied. Feeling like we belong is good for our overall well-being.

Feeling like you belong comes as a result of being included, accepted, and made to feel welcome. Organisations that fail to look at belonging when addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion, are missing the mark.

Belonging and contribution

When people feel like they belong they are more likely to want to make a contribution for the overall collective good. One study found that high belonging was linked to a 56% increase in job performance, a 50% drop in turnover risk, and a 75% reduction in sick days. This equates to an annual saving of over $52M for a company with 10,000 people.

The study also found that employees who scored high in workplace belonging also showed a 167% increase in their willingness to recommend their company to others. They also received double the raises, and 18 times more promotions.

Whilst the focus of this article is on Black people, representation and belonging applies to all underrepresented groups, and for me, this includes introversion. It is particularly relevant to the Black experience because of the systemic issues that exist. When people feel like they belong in the workplace, not only does the individual feel the benefits, the organisation benefits as well.

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On the Quietly Visible podcast this week I spoke to Kim Smith, a breast cancer survivor who shares her experience of diagnosis, the impact to her work, and how she now supports other women going through it. As someone who has lost 2 close friends to breast cancer in the past 3 years, it is a topic that is very close to my heart.

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About Me

I am an Executive, Career and Leadership Coach specialising in introverted women who are senior leaders. I've been the featured expert in Women and Home Magazine, Good Housekeeping Magazine, the Telegraph, on BBC Radio 5 Live, named a LinkedIn Top Voice UK 4 years running, and received awards for my work developing women leaders.

Through my work I have helped 1000s of women across the globe to increase their confidence, influence and impact as leaders, and overcome imposter syndrome, increase their executive presence, improve speaking performance in meetings, get a promotion, and much more.

My vision is that ALL women achieve their full potential and become influencers of positive change in their respective fields.

If you are an introverted woman and a senior leader and want to increase your confidence, influence and impact, take my free assessment and get a report identifying areas to develop. You can take the assessment here. 

My book Quietly Visible: Leading with Influence and Impact as an Introverted Woman addresses many of the challenges that introverted women face as leaders and shows you how to overcome them. It was listed as one of the 10 best self-development books written by women to read during lockdown by BeYourOwn. You can get your copy here along with a FREE recording of my How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome workshop.