How do you succeed at work and remain true to yourself?
“What does authenticity mean at work? And how do we cultivate an environment that supports it?” said Erika MacGregor, Manager of Employee Engagement at TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®.
TD is committed to fostering a culture of care and belonging, because we help bring out the best in our colleagues when we have psychological safety at work. Fostered by community connection and support, safe spaces can help colleagues feel comfortable and empowered to bring their whole selves to work, so they can thrive both professionally and personally.
“A safe space is an environment where colleagues feel respected, accepted, and free to express themselves authentically,” said Pam Gori, Senior Human Resources Manager at TD. “It promotes mental health. Colleagues are more likely to speak up and seek help when they feel safe, physically and psychologically, leading to better overall well-being. It encourages open communication and opportunities to share innovative ideas while contributing to problem solving."
The research agrees. According to an Ipsos survey exploring workplace culture among employed professionals across the country, feeling a sense of belonging leads to higher productivity at work. Ultimately, businesses benefit from more engaged colleagues who stay longer, as well as reduced financial costs in areas such as recruiting, onboarding and training replacement hires. Feeling psychologically safe is not only good moral policy, but it is also a good business practice.
How to start?
Leadership support helps us open the door, while initiatives can be created by leaders and colleagues alike.
One example of this is Circles. With TD Bank's support, Sennette Krug, Data & Analytics Talent Strategy & Engagement Professional at TD, created Circles, a Women at TD (TD's Women Business Resource Group) initiative where groups of colleagues meet regularly to discuss a common topic, such as networking. Participants create relationships and expand their networks with people they may not have otherwise met.
“Circles encourages you to mix it up and meet other people from different businesses, roles, and locations,” said Sennette. “The topics change from month to month and year to year, but everyone is at the same level. The guided questions allow a safe way for people to lead a meeting who have never hosted. We treat the groups like their own personal Vegas. Nobody will let you fail.”
Safe spaces can also help people in a similar situation find community support. Christine Rumpf, Brand Insights Manager at TD, who lives with two non-apparent disabilities, co-created Lean In, a program within the Disability Inclusion Network (TD's People with Disabilities Business Resource Group) where colleagues with apparent or non-apparent disabilities and caregivers find a common time to meet up and share experiences in an understanding and supportive environment.
“Everyone's listening to everyone. Some people like to share a lot and others prefer to just listen, but it's definitely a positive vibe. It’s a place where we can get advice from colleagues or just check-in with each other on a personal level," said Christine.
Why is it important?
Sharing with people who can relate lets us know that we are not alone. Through the seemingly simple practice of authentic conversation, we learn from others who have traveled similar paths, which makes our own journeys easier, empowers us to share our stories, and helps others along the way.
Erika created Come Together, an internal online space where colleagues on the US Risk team submit personal stories which then are published on the team's internal site. Those articles and videos – sometimes vulnerable and always authentic – give colleagues the chance to share and find community through peer comments and support.
“How can we bring the human side to work?” asked Erika. “We are primarily virtual or in a hybrid environment and we don’t get the face-to-face interaction. We want to celebrate who we are, not just what we do.”
Like Come Together, creating safe spaces at work has proven to be enormously helpful for many TD colleagues. It fosters a greater sense of belonging, which also leads to higher engagement and productivity at work.
Pam sees those positive impacts at TD. “When colleagues feel valued and supported, their overall engagement and motivation increases,” said Pam. “Meetings and events that promote a safe and inclusive environment improve communication, collaboration, and stronger team cohesion, which can improve overall morale and job satisfaction.”
Finding a cultural fit
Winson Wang, a Commercial Credit Manager at TD, co-leads Forever Proud's (TD's LGBTQ2+ Business Resource Group) Safe Spaces, a quarterly conversation series where more than 100 people in the LGBTQ2+ community and allies share experiences and foster connections.
“Post COVID, people are looking for a cultural fit more than ever before,” said Winson. “A lot of companies don’t have offices and want to know, how do I fit in here as a person? Through the company's longstanding support for the LGBTQ2+ community, TD makes the message clear: we stand with you.”
Participants can speak on the call if they are comfortable opening up. Those who want to participate, but don’t want their identity known, are welcome to submit comments anonymously. Others prefer to just listen. Winson is looking ahead to expand the quarterly call series to create more opportunities, so everyone who is interested has the chance to get involved.
In his typical day-to-day, Winson doesn’t work with other LGBTQ2+ colleagues. But through Safe Spaces and Forever Proud, “I feel more connected in the community and at TD.”
Meeting colleagues you can relate to, learn from, or even mentor brings the community closer together.
“When we work better as a team, the company benefits as well,” said Erika. “We’re all experiencing something under the surface. We’re more creative, innovative and engaged when we feel like we belong.”