It happened at our annual holiday party. Employees and their spouses and guests from all over the country gathered to close out one year and kick off a new one. The obligatory group picture captures the easy camaraderie of colleagues who have become friends. And he fit right in. Smiled a great big smile. Shoulders back. Confident. Comfortable showing up as himself. Among friends. Looking like he totally belonged.
We laughed until we cried the next morning when we realized that the happy fellow in the front row of our team photo was actually a total stranger who just happened to be wandering through.
I’d like to think that he joined in the photo because he picked up on what we were feeling being together that evening:
Shared purpose. Trust. Pride. Authenticity. Accomplishment. Growth. Belonging.
Seeing our photobomber friend in our team photo gave me a blinding glimpse of the obvious — belonging is the best kind of contagious.
As a CEO, my job is multi-faceted, but nothing is more important than creating the environment where people truly belong. Belonging is what creates the conditions for people to want to give their best — and where they get deep satisfaction from doing so. Belonging makes me invested in us. Belonging means I can be my authentic self — and support others to do so as well. And belonging gives us the security to set high expectations, take on new challenges, and strive for greater accomplishments — together.
The belonging at the core of our culture is our secret sauce. Because we are allowed to be fully human, we feel seen, valued, and heard, and as a result can make our best contributions. We perform better as a team — we know both when and how to lean on each other and ask for help and when to offer it when a team member is feeling challenged — and ultimately we deliver better work to our clients. Because we are all invested in us being our best, everyone has the invitation and responsibility to give feedback, coach, celebrate successes, and help each other manage through challenges. This allows everyone on the team to contribute to a thriving environment where everyone feels motivated to perform better — and help others do the same.
As we celebrate this week being named one of FORTUNE Magazine’s Best Workplaces in the Bay Area, it’s this picture of our team that I’m celebrating. The contagious energy of deep trust. The ineffable pride of meeting our own collective high expectations. The psychological safety of authentic relationships. The open generosity of a team where everyone belongs.
At Blue Beyond, building organizations where both the business and the people thrive is our day job — but it’s also the gift we give each other. You can see it in the faces of our team — and our photobomber.
Shared purpose. Trust. Pride. Authenticity. Accomplishment. Growth. Belonging.
It’s what makes us, us — including the smiling stranger on the right hand side of the front row.
Cheryl is founder and CEO of Blue Beyond Consulting. She is a firm believer in deep trust, high expectations workplaces, and a sought-after advisor and speaker on change, leadership, and culture.
