FORUM Belonging is a Growth Imperative B y C armen F ernandez T he need for connection is innately human. A sense of belonging is an essential part of our emotional well-being. Belonging is also a vital component of any successful culture— especially if you’re in a business that relies on putting ideas together, which come from putting people together. Feeling that we belong means that all of our energies can go into making a contribution, instead of trying to fit in. As a first-generation American, I know that experience well. My dad is from Spain and my mom was from the Domini-can Republic. My first language was Spanish, and in my earli-est school experiences, English was foreign to me. I wanted to contribute more of my voice to the classroom conversation and that wasn’t always possible. I was inspired at that young age to work hard to help others avoid that feeling, and the experience has shaped my approach to inclusive leadership—I want to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard. Fostering a culture of belonging begins with leadership— and the belief that one of the greatest responsibilities we have as leaders is unlocking the potential of our people. At Marsh McLennan, leadership means valuing our people and helping our colleagues feel they are a part of something, and that their contributions matter. As a people business, every member of every team needs to be able to share their best thinking and have space to experiment. An environment of inclusion and belong-ing is absolutely vital to that end. At Marsh McLennan, we treat belonging as a growth imperative and strategic objective, which requires leadership accountability, listening, learning, advocacy and trust. The center of our efforts to promote a sense of belonging is through sponsorship and mentorship. Throughout my life, I’ve benefited from individuals who have helped me grow, from my first mentors (my family) to the mentors who continue to help me navigate my career as an executive leader. A trusted mentor allows you to explore and examine your own thought processes and decision making in a supported environment—and find the wisdom, resourcefulness and courage you need to succeed. My introduction to Marsh McLennan came through Mer-cer, one of our four global businesses, and followed my time in investment banking. It was a career change and one supported by the highly regarded mentorship and coaching programs I experienced. It opened the door to my career in HR, which led me to a Chief People Officer role at Guy Carpenter, where we instituted not only a mentorship program, but also reverse-mentoring, recognizing that people at every level have the capacity to learn from each other and benefit from a diversity of experience and thinking. This system of two-way learning instills confidence and acceptance, and empowers colleagues to find the best of themselves—and proudly bring it to work every day. Every experience, every relationship is an opportunity to learn and grow. At Marsh McLennan, our I&D efforts are embedded every-where, from dedicated colleague resource groups that bolster our colleagues’ sense of community, to tailored learning and development opportunities, to affinity programs aimed at build-ing robust and diverse talent succession pipelines. We’ve made progress—and know there’s more work to be done. No one succeeds alone. We are best prepared to reach our full potential when we share a common purpose with each other, and feel that our contributions towards that purpose are valued. Healthy organizations provide clarity in purpose, and an envi-ronment where connections form, trust is built and colleagues thrive. Carmen Fernandez is the Chief People Officer at Marsh McLennan. 82 LATINO MAGAZINE