Why belonging matters – to all of us
A sense of belonging is at the heart of every strong team. With over 53,000 people working together to achieve the objectives of our company, all of them create value by bringing in different skills, experiences, and perspectives. But what does ‘belonging’ really mean? Why does it matter? And what can all employees do to continue to nurture and better achieve this?
While Boehringer Ingelheim's commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is anchored in our company culture, we do recognize that members from the LGBTIQ+ community experience stigmatization and even exclusion in their lives. That is why, this year, we'll share their voices on belonging, take a deeper dive into today's challenges and highlight the importance of allyship.
The value of belonging
We all want to belong: A sense of belonging has a significant impact on our ability to learn, grow and succeed – in our personal life as well as in our work environment. When we feel like we are part of a community, we are more likely to participate, contribute, and collaborate with others as we feel safe to do so. This can lead to greater creativity, innovation, and productivity and has in turn a positive influence on the performance of Boehringer Ingelheim as a family-owned company.
"Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity", emphasizes Adrian Figurski, Senior Internal Investigator·(GBS Center Network) from Poland and member of the LGBTIQ+ community. "Proper education can bring this visibility to help especially young people to feel more comfortable with who they are, reduce the risk of bullying and discrimination at school or at work."
A lack of a sense of belonging, on the other hand, leads to feeling excluded, which is painful and can result in isolation, loneliness, and disconnection. Negative outcomes such as decreased motivation, lower self-esteem and mental health issues are possible. To avoid this, all employees have an important role to play in creating a sense of belonging at the workplace.
Increase visibility for an inclusive culture
At Boehringer Ingelheim, we want to nurture a culture where people can be their true selves without having to feel like they need to change crucial aspects of themselves to fit in, but rather where they are accepted and appreciated for who they are.
To bring this thought to life, it needs initiatives and individuals, which increase a sense of belonging, day for day. One of them is Karolina Niedobecka, Senior Sales Consultant (ILD Division) from the United States: “I continue to share the message of those who are not quite ready to come out themselves and hopefully paving the way for them just the same way that someone else paved the way for me."
Allyship in the workplace
Dr. Nedim Pipic, Head of TA CNS, Retinopathies & EA, is a member of the Culture and DEI Council and based in Ingelheim, Germany. He emphasizes: “Don’t wait for others to make a difference to drive diversity, but step up and do it yourself, because it’s everyone’s accountability – being a leader, being a manager, being an employee, being a team member of any team around the world. Everyone counts for bringing diversity to the next level."
Also leaders have an important role in creating a sense of belonging: Inclusive leadership is about recognizing and addressing barriers that may prevent people from fully participating, such as discrimination, prejudice, and inequality.
Karren Dela Cruz, District Sales Manager from the Philippines member of the LGBTIQ+ community, shares her hopes: "In ten years, for me, the term LGBTIQ+ will be abandoned or obsolete, because it will no longer matter. No more labels and no more biases."
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