What do you think?
Rate this book
Belonging At Work: Everyday Actions You Can Take to Cultivate an Inclusive Organization
"It's virtually impossible to be successful in one's work in any kind of group - be it a corporation, a deep-sea fishing crew, or a rock and roll band - without feeling a sense of belonging. Most of us have had the experience of working where we didn't really fit in, and sure, we can pull in that paycheck for a while, make do, hang in there, but how long do those jobs ever last, especially if we want to be honest with ourselves or have a healthy work-life balance? It's easy to say, 'No job is ever perfect. You're not supposed to like it; that's why they call it work!' But why settle for barely adequate productivity, creativity, or new hire return on investment when you can harness the synergy of belonging? Leaders and aspiring leaders who want to succeed should look to Rhodes Perry for inspiration and guidance. Belonging at Work really does matter" - Jamison Green, Ph.D., Author, Educator, Community Leader, and Corporate Executive Belonging at Work empowers business leaders, change agents, visionaries, and those on their way to joining them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to build inclusive organizations. The personal stories, case studies, and practical strategies featured in the book offer everything you need to cultivate workplace cultures where all of your stakeholders can show up authentically and feel valued and respected for their contributions. Rhodes Perry's visionary book serves as a blueprint for the future of work. His message inspires leaders at all levels within the organization to join the #BelongingMovement focused on positively impacting workplace cultures around the globe. Belonging at Work helps you - What it means to belong.
- Why belonging matters to the future of work.
- How leaders can positively impact workplace culture.
- Where to find concrete strategies and connect with culture change thought leaders.
- Strategies to hold yourself accountable to be the change you want to see in the workplace. Praise for Belonging At "Belonging at Work is long overdue. Rhodes Perry's work is a testament to the power of living with authenticity at all hours of the day, at home and at work. Wherever you are in your journey of living an authentic, purposeful life, this book is a powerful tool that should be required reading in all workplaces that value diversity and full inclusion."- James R. Nowlin, CEO of EGP Ventures, Keynote Speaker, and Best-Selling Author of The Purposeful Millionaire "Rhodes Perry is an invaluable and important voice on our emerging understanding of what makes truly great workplace the ability for all of us to bring our full selves to work. He clearly lays out what gets in the way of this, particularly for those who are underrepresented, and historically undervalued, both from a personal lens of his LGBTQ experience, and on behalf of so many other lost and marginalized voices. Make no mistake, organizations and their bottom lines suffer from unexplored exclusionary practices. The book is full of practical examples of how we all have a role to play in redirecting the dynamics of exclusion, so that all in the workplace can thrive. A must read!" - Jennifer Brown, President & CEO, Jennifer Brown Consulting, and Best-Selling Author, Diversity, the New Workplace & the Will to Change
- Why belonging matters to the future of work.
- How leaders can positively impact workplace culture.
- Where to find concrete strategies and connect with culture change thought leaders.
- Strategies to hold yourself accountable to be the change you want to see in the workplace. Praise for Belonging At "Belonging at Work is long overdue. Rhodes Perry's work is a testament to the power of living with authenticity at all hours of the day, at home and at work. Wherever you are in your journey of living an authentic, purposeful life, this book is a powerful tool that should be required reading in all workplaces that value diversity and full inclusion."- James R. Nowlin, CEO of EGP Ventures, Keynote Speaker, and Best-Selling Author of The Purposeful Millionaire "Rhodes Perry is an invaluable and important voice on our emerging understanding of what makes truly great workplace the ability for all of us to bring our full selves to work. He clearly lays out what gets in the way of this, particularly for those who are underrepresented, and historically undervalued, both from a personal lens of his LGBTQ experience, and on behalf of so many other lost and marginalized voices. Make no mistake, organizations and their bottom lines suffer from unexplored exclusionary practices. The book is full of practical examples of how we all have a role to play in redirecting the dynamics of exclusion, so that all in the workplace can thrive. A must read!" - Jennifer Brown, President & CEO, Jennifer Brown Consulting, and Best-Selling Author, Diversity, the New Workplace & the Will to Change
194 pages, Hardcover
Published November 13, 2018
155 people are currently reading
448 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 2, 2020
Amazon recommended this one, and I was about to lose Kindle credit, so...here we are.
Reading a book on diversity and inclusion from a writer who shares my background was novel experience for me. He did a good job presenting the topic of belonging, which is a more nebulous and hard to pin-down concept. That said, I very much wish he had used the more standard EDI rather than DEI to talk about equity, diversity, and inclusion.
I liked that each chapter included a written assignment, although I only found a few of them useful.
I work for a government agency (public library), so applying A LOT of this isn't a possibility for me. This is a common failing of EDI books. How does one make the business case for diversity when working for something that isn't a business?? Somebody needs to answer that.
That said, the book is more practical than philosophical. Most readers, I believe, would get something out this, especially those looking for EDI issues that impact the queer community. That's a particular strength with this book vs others on the topic. The glossary is helpful, but has some weird omissions (AFAB, but not AMAB?).
Overall, it is a good book with a refreshing perspective and a lot of basic info on EDI (DEI) topics, but it has limitations and will not standalone as the only guide a person would need on this topic. Still, surprisingly good for something bought as an e-book on a whim.
Reading a book on diversity and inclusion from a writer who shares my background was novel experience for me. He did a good job presenting the topic of belonging, which is a more nebulous and hard to pin-down concept. That said, I very much wish he had used the more standard EDI rather than DEI to talk about equity, diversity, and inclusion.
I liked that each chapter included a written assignment, although I only found a few of them useful.
I work for a government agency (public library), so applying A LOT of this isn't a possibility for me. This is a common failing of EDI books. How does one make the business case for diversity when working for something that isn't a business?? Somebody needs to answer that.
That said, the book is more practical than philosophical. Most readers, I believe, would get something out this, especially those looking for EDI issues that impact the queer community. That's a particular strength with this book vs others on the topic. The glossary is helpful, but has some weird omissions (AFAB, but not AMAB?).
Overall, it is a good book with a refreshing perspective and a lot of basic info on EDI (DEI) topics, but it has limitations and will not standalone as the only guide a person would need on this topic. Still, surprisingly good for something bought as an e-book on a whim.
March 28, 2024
As someone who has been a DEI&B advocate and leader for many years, I found this to be a great workbook. For someone like me, who has the experience, it's a wonderful refresher and a moment of reflection. I found the end-of-chapter activities reflective and useful and a concrete way to ensure understanding of the information read. The insights from DEI&B leaders included were a great touch. Just long enough and includes concrete suggestions.
This would make an excellent workbook for people just starting in their DEI&B journies or stepping into a DEI&B leadership role or people who are just looking to help build belonging and inclusivity on their teams as individual contributors.
I would recommend anyone looking to grow in this area give this one a try!
This would make an excellent workbook for people just starting in their DEI&B journies or stepping into a DEI&B leadership role or people who are just looking to help build belonging and inclusivity on their teams as individual contributors.
I would recommend anyone looking to grow in this area give this one a try!
February 16, 2019
A core message in this book is that anyone at the workplace, regardless of their role, is in a position to exercise inclusive leadership and contribute to the creation of a more diverse, inclusive and equitable environment. People will thrive at work only when they've got a sense of belonging and purpose.
A great introduction to how DEI plays out at work, with base terminology and practical advice for creating psychological safety, surfacing unconscious bias, and championing DEI.
A great introduction to how DEI plays out at work, with base terminology and practical advice for creating psychological safety, surfacing unconscious bias, and championing DEI.
October 13, 2025
This book was fine. It is a lot of rehashing of terms and ideas if you are even fairly familiar with DEIB. But it is a great entry point if you are not. Perry is very open and easy to understand. While no one can know the future of workplace culture when they write a book, it is remarkable how much has happened to propel us forward and backward since this book was published.
March 11, 2021
Every HR leader should read this book! Rhodes does an amazing job of detailing out how a company can truly make their employees feel included and accepted.
December 24, 2021
The moment you open this “guide to belonging” the subtext embedded in the formatting has the opposite effect. As you open the cover of the book, there are pages and pages of other people telling you how good this book is, and how lucky you are to be reading it. You know what, I’ll be the judge. I don’t need 11 pages of other people’s opinions of a book I haven’t even started. That being said, this is a practical, well-articulated book on the “ideals” of fostering belong at work. Much of it is unrealistic given the limits of a 24-hour day, but the reminders are helpful. For example, in one section, Perry recommends that the reader learn what they can about underrepresented groups, then attend a conference from one of those groups and then attend a community event of those groups to broaden your world views. I’m barely making my deadlines as it is, how can I make space to participate this deeply? Also, what makes Perry think that I would be welcomed (as a gay, white man) at an underrepresented group event? It’s a head scratcher. Belonging includes all of us, but this guide is ironically written one-sidedly.
April 8, 2022
A succinct, efficient book that serves as a great introduction to belonging in the workplace. The 9 chapters are easily consumed in about a half hour each, and the additional exercises can take roughly just as much or less (depending on how much energy you're able to put into it).
Some good perspectives as well as several easy to implement actions that you can use with your colleagues or team. While the book does acknowledge that there is a challenge in implementing some of these practices on a grander scale with capitalism, it never quite tackles the how to overcome it. That's understandable, given that this is an intro book and is relatively short, and the book does mention that small actions can eventually build into large ones.
Would recommend to anyone starting off in the DEI journey.
Some good perspectives as well as several easy to implement actions that you can use with your colleagues or team. While the book does acknowledge that there is a challenge in implementing some of these practices on a grander scale with capitalism, it never quite tackles the how to overcome it. That's understandable, given that this is an intro book and is relatively short, and the book does mention that small actions can eventually build into large ones.
Would recommend to anyone starting off in the DEI journey.
February 23, 2023
This book was given to my division to read during winter 2023. In general, I found this book to be helpful and eye-opening. One of my biggest takeaways was the ability to think of DEI issues as expanding beyond race, gender, sexuality, or religion. The author makes an excellent point that EVERYONE has a diversity story because of their respective lived experiences. The layout of the book was well done; a healthy blend of data and storytelling. I did feel sometimes that it was a bit repetitive in areas, and I would have loved to have seen more examples of the points that Rhodes makes about how promoting diversity ultimately benefits a business's bottom line profits. Glad our VP assigned this book for reading!
October 8, 2020
Diversify Your Thinking
As our nation struggles through the throes of racially based violence and discussions, all of us should look to understand other points of view beyond our own. Grappling with topics like critical race theory, racism and inclusion can be uncomfortable and challenging. This book will provide insights and exercises that will challenge your assumptions and help you think about the environment we live and work in. You don’t have to agree with the author to try and understand their perspective, and I would encourage anyone responsible for a diverse workplace to read the book in an attempt to better understand these issues. An important read.
As our nation struggles through the throes of racially based violence and discussions, all of us should look to understand other points of view beyond our own. Grappling with topics like critical race theory, racism and inclusion can be uncomfortable and challenging. This book will provide insights and exercises that will challenge your assumptions and help you think about the environment we live and work in. You don’t have to agree with the author to try and understand their perspective, and I would encourage anyone responsible for a diverse workplace to read the book in an attempt to better understand these issues. An important read.
February 11, 2020
Rhodes brings humanity to the trite canon of "business case for diversity" literature. The research was digestible and really situated the inherent human need for belonging and purpose as a driver for inclusion at work. The exercises at the end are perfect for anyone new to diversity and inclusion fields as they personalize concepts like intersectionality, microaggressions, inclusion and help readers arrive at clear action steps no matter their organizational role. I do think chapter 3 and section II became a bit repetitive conceptually.
March 5, 2021
Book? Great! 5/5
Audiobook? Not so much. 2/5
There were multiple times were things "in the print version of this book" were mentioned, and it wasn't until the VERY end that it mentioned you could get the worksheets and see the figures on Rhodes' website with a password mentioned in the book. I would have appreciated at least an attempted description of the figures, to make sure I'm getting all I can out of the book.
Overall? 3.5/5, but I rounded up because I think the content is better than the downsides of the audiobook
Audiobook? Not so much. 2/5
There were multiple times were things "in the print version of this book" were mentioned, and it wasn't until the VERY end that it mentioned you could get the worksheets and see the figures on Rhodes' website with a password mentioned in the book. I would have appreciated at least an attempted description of the figures, to make sure I'm getting all I can out of the book.
Overall? 3.5/5, but I rounded up because I think the content is better than the downsides of the audiobook
June 28, 2020
Inspirational Book Discussing Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity
It is very well written and I highly recommend to anyone who is in interested in making a positive impact. Many need this leadership style to be common place in many organizations. It takes patience, empathy, perseverance and continues effort to learn and improve the understanding the most sustainable ways to instill a sense of belonging.
It is very well written and I highly recommend to anyone who is in interested in making a positive impact. Many need this leadership style to be common place in many organizations. It takes patience, empathy, perseverance and continues effort to learn and improve the understanding the most sustainable ways to instill a sense of belonging.
September 17, 2020
I found this book to be pretty surface level (DEI 101) at the beginning, but thought the action steps in the last couple of chapters were very helpful. DEI work can be tough to wrap your head around especially when it comes to the specific steps to take, and Perry breaks it down in an easy to understand way.
December 6, 2021
This book led to some great discussions with my colleagues that helped challenge me and encourage me in DEI work. Great for a book club but also anyone hoping to spark change in their organization
May 3, 2019
A lot of good information for a Diversity & Inclusion practitioner. Great resources.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews