Belonging Isn’t What You Think It Is with Rabbi Elan Babchuck

This conversation delves into the complexity of belonging, including the need for both individuals and organizations to create a sense of belonging. It also touches on the challenges of belonging in a polarized society and the importance of reweaving the social fabric and rewriting narratives. The crisis of belonging is discussed in the context of the workplace, where work has become a means of identity production. The conversation concludes with a reflection on the impact of technology on leisure time and the shaping of identities. Rabbi Babchuck discusses the importance of belonging and its connection to identity and narrative. He advises organizations to create a sense of belonging by valuing and elevating the gifts of their employees. Elan also introduces his new book, 'Picking Up the Pieces: Leadership After Empire,' which explores non-hierarchical and non-coercive models of leadership.

GUEST NOTES:

Rabbi Babchuck’s new book: pickingupthepiecesbook.org

His organization launched a project in partnership with Springtide Research Institute called The Belonging Project, which uses a measurement tool to help communities analyze the levels of belonging for various subgroups in their community, and take appropriate action to create asense of belonging for everyone.

https://www.gleannetwork.org/elan-babchuck

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Definition of Belonging

07:50 The Belonging Index: Noticing, Naming, Knowing, and Needing

09:42 The Role of Individuals and Organizations in Creating Belonging

09:57 The Complexity of Belonging in a Polarized Society

09:58 Reweaving the Social Fabric and Rewriting Narratives

17:23 The Impact of Technology on Belonging and Identity

19:31 The Importance of Belonging and its Connection to Identity and Narrative

22:18 The Impact of the Decline of Faith Communities on the Search for Belonging

24:20 Creating a Sense of Belonging in Organizations

27:11 Non-Hierarchical and Non-Coercive Models of Leadership for Belonging

Other Resources in this episode:

David Brooks How to Know a Person

Gregory Ellison Fearless Dialogues

Maya Angelou I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Anne Helen Peterson Can’t Even

Anne Streaty Wimberly Soul Stories