Belonging. You need to feel it in all aspects of your life, including the workplace. Many business leaders recognize this truth and embrace the significant benefits that result from workplace belonging. These benefits include increased psychological safety, trust, and innovation. Yet, most of these leaders struggle with how to build belonging at work. Some even believe the idea of belonging at work – let alone feeling it – is too elusive to achieve.
In Imagine Belonging, Rhodes Perry equips inclusive leaders with a powerful framework to overcome these challenges. The book invites you to participate in this critical conversation, and motivates you to eradicate the pain of exclusion that far too many of us experience on the job.
Perry draws upon his distinguished career as a nationally recognized DEI thought leader to help you understand complex issues like power, privilege, targeted universalism, and belonging at a deeper level. He offers practical case studies, proven strategies, and rich stories empowering you to overcome the common barriers that often stymie your organization’s DEI goals. His writing encourages you to positively influence your workplace culture by embracing inclusive leadership practices, cooperative team building methods, and fresh approaches on how to equitably structure your organization.
Imagine Belonging helps you recognize the relative power and privilege you hold to transform yourself, your team, and your workplace. Whether your organization is just beginning its diversity, equity and inclusion journey, or is further along in the process, Imagine Belonging will inspire you to transform your vision of belonging at work into a reality….and reap the rewards that result from establishing an equitable organization.
“It’s virtually impossible to be successful in one’s work in any kind of group – be it a corporation, a deep-sea fishing crew, or a rock and roll band – without feeling a sense of belonging. Most of us have had the experience of working where we didn’t really fit in, and sure, we can pull in that paycheck for a while, make do, hang in there, but how long do those jobs ever last, especially if we want to be honest with ourselves or have a healthy work-life balance? It’s easy to say, ‘No job is ever perfect. You’re not supposed to like it; that’s why they call it work!’ But why settle for barely adequate productivity, creativity, or new hire return on investment when you can harness the synergy of belonging? Leaders and aspiring leaders who want to succeed should look to Rhodes Perry for inspiration and guidance. Belonging at Work really does matter” – Jamison Green, Ph.D., Author, Educator, Community Leader, and Corporate Executive Belonging at Work empowers business leaders, change agents, visionaries, and those on their way to joining them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to build inclusive organizations. The personal stories, case studies, and practical strategies featured in the book offer everything you need to cultivate workplace cultures where all of your stakeholders can show up authentically and feel valued and respected for their contributions.
Rhodes Perry’s visionary book serves as a blueprint for the future of work. His message inspires leaders at all levels within the organization to join the #BelongingMovement focused on positively impacting workplace cultures around the globe.
It’s virtually impossible to be successful in one’s work in any kind of group – be it a corporation, a deep-sea fishing crew, or a rock and roll band – without feeling a sense of belonging. Most of us have had the experience of working where we didn’t really fit in, and sure, we can pull in that paycheck for a while, make do, hang in there, but how long do those jobs ever last, especially if we want to be honest with ourselves or have a healthy work-life balance? It’s easy to say, 'No job is ever perfect. You’re not supposed to like it; that’s why they call it work!' But why settle for barely adequate productivity, creativity, or new hire return on investment when you can harness the synergy of belonging? Leaders and aspiring leaders who want to succeed should look to Rhodes Perry for inspiration and guidance. Belonging at Work really does matter.
Belonging at Work is long overdue. Rhodes Perry’s work is a testament to the power of living with authenticity at all hours of the day, at home and at work. Wherever you are in your journey of living an authentic, purposeful life, this book is a powerful tool that should be required reading in all workplaces that value diversity and full inclusion.
Rhodes Perry is an invaluable and important voice on our emerging understanding of what makes truly great workplace cultures: the ability for all of us to bring our full selves to work. He clearly lays out what gets in the way of this, particularly for those who are underrepresented, and historically undervalued, both from a personal lens of his LGBTQ experience, and on behalf of so many other lost and marginalized voices. Make no mistake, organizations and their bottom lines suffer from unexplored exclusionary practices. The book is full of practical examples of how we all have a role to play in redirecting the dynamics of exclusion, so that all in the workplace can thrive. A must read!
At a time of such intense separation, a healthy workplace is one of the best chances we have for connection. In Imagining Belonging, Rhodes Perry clearly shows us, the power of culture often transcends our individual inclination and can call us to serve something larger than ourselves. This book is a treasure trove of valuable insights, tools, and practices. It should be read, but even more importantly, it should be used to inspire transformation!
It's very simple: What kind of leader do you want to be? Rhodes Perry artfully breaks down complicated layers of workplace dynamics and expectations to help you understand core DEI concepts and uncover old patterns. Here's your mirror to see where you are, and guide to lead with your values to where you want to be.
If you want to advance your organization's DEI goals and transform your culture, Imagine Belonging is a must-read. It will empower you to make change and get others on board by helping them see the leadership benefits to fully embracing building a more equitable organization today.