The October pulse surveys highlighted two important strengths in our culture of belonging: respect and support for well-being. How we interact with and experience one another helps shape a healthy organizational culture. Across DEM, 88% of respondents agreed that colleagues treat them with respect, and 85% agreed that their unit lead and Director take visible steps to support their well-being. Both reflect important organizational strengths as we continue to collectively cultivate a culture of belonging. At the same time, we also know that belonging is strengthened when people not only feel respected and supported, but also know that their perspectives, contributions, and identities matter. These results provide an encouraging foundation for continued growth.

One pulse survey theme we are monitoring closely is mattering at work, which reflects experiences related to recognition, voice, participation, and authentic identity. As shared during our All-Team meeting, results have declined throughout our first three months of surveys:

Month	Score
August	4.2
September	4.0
October	3.3

October’s results offer additional insight into this opportunity. When asked whether leadership seeks team input before making changes that affect their teams, responses were nearly evenly divided: 51 respondents agreed or strongly agreed, 49 disagreed or strongly disagreed, and 22 were neutral. While this represents one snapshot in time that we will continue to monitor, it does highlight an opportunity to build on our strengths in respect and well-being by considering how we can foster a greater sense of voice, contribution, and mattering. With that in mind, some questions we can continue exploring together include:

• How do we create meaningful opportunities for all of us to be able to contribute our perspectives?
• How can we broaden opportunities for people to contribute their strengths and expertise within their roles and across DEM?
• How do we create spaces and practices that demonstrate that both our ideas and our individual experiences are valued?

Ultimately, a culture of belonging is strengthened when people experience not only “I am respected here” and “I am supported here,” but also “My voice and contributions matter here.” Each of us has a role to play in creating those experiences within our own spheres of influence.