Inclusion vs belonging: what's the difference?

Why the distinction matters

Many organisations genuinely believe they've cracked inclusion. They have policies, ERGs, diversity targets and a well-meaning values statement on the wall. Yet people still walk in each day feeling like they're wearing a jacket that doesn't quite fit. That's the inclusion–belonging gap in practice.

As Joanne puts it, "inclusion and belonging are feelings" — they're not boxes you tick, they're experiences people carry with them. And if people don't feel them, no amount of policy will close the gap.

The alone vs lonely metaphor

One of the clearest ways to grasp the difference is through the distinction between being alone and being lonely. You can be alone — physically by yourself — and feel perfectly content, connected, at peace. You can also be lonely in a room full of people: surrounded by colleagues, invited to every meeting, yet somehow on the outside of something you can't quite name.

Joanne uses exactly this image when talking about inclusion and belonging: "I can be lonely in a room full of people." Inclusion gets you into the room. Belonging is what determines whether you feel at home once you're there.

Belonging is the level above inclusion

Think of it as a progression. At the bottom, you might be excluded outright — invisible, unwelcome, actively pushed out. A step up and you're tolerated: you're present, but only just. Then comes inclusion: you're part of things, your voice is heard, the processes work for you. But belonging sits above all of that.

Belonging, in Joanne's words, is when "I feel aligned, I feel valued, I'm celebrated — not just allowed." It's the difference between an organisation that makes space for you and one that actively wants you exactly as you are.

• Excluded: not in the room at all.
• Tolerated: present, but invisible or unwelcome.
• Included: part of the team; processes and policies work for you.
• Belonging: aligned, valued, celebrated — you can bring your whole self.

The role of vision and values

Belonging doesn't happen in a vacuum. It's grounded in an organisation's culture — and culture flows from clarity of purpose and values. Joanne is direct about this: when talking about inclusion and belonging in organisations, she often returns to the idea of "having clearly defined vision and values for the organisation so that you can then align your own self with those visions and values, or not."

That "or not" is important. Belonging isn't something you can mandate. Some people will find deep alignment with an organisation's culture; others won't — and that's honest. What matters is that the culture is real and clearly communicated, so people can genuinely connect with it rather than performing compliance. Explore building a culture of belonging for more on putting this into practice.

Inclusion without belonging — the hidden cost

When people are included on paper but don't feel they belong, the costs are real but hard to see. Engagement quietly drops. Talent that was hard to attract starts to drift away. People stay, but they hold back — code-switching, second-guessing, wearing a mask. None of that shows up in a headcount figure.

This is why inclusive recruitment alone is never enough. Bringing people in through an equitable door is a start, but if the culture they step into doesn't foster belonging, the work has only just begun. See also equity, not equality for the related question of what fairness actually looks like in practice.

Making it personal

The mantra Smile · Engage · Educate is at the heart of how Joanne approaches this work. Belonging is built — or broken — in ordinary moments: a greeting in the corridor, whether someone's idea gets credit, whether a meeting ends before the quiet person has had a chance to speak. Each of those moments is a chance to create a #PositivePeopleExperience, or to miss one.

The Inclusive Leader's Journey keynote explores how leaders can deliberately build the conditions for belonging — not as a side project, but as the way they work. You can also explore more of these ideas on the Inclusion Bites podcast, where Joanne has unpacked the belonging question in conversations with guests across many different industries and backgrounds.

Take it further

Read the companion guide What is inclusive leadership?, browse all guides, or explore the topic of diversity and inclusion to see how these ideas connect.