Belonging

IN THIS SECTION:

Our 2020 Journey →

Human beings are inherently social creatures. The inclination to connect with others and to belong is deeply embedded in our DNA. In humanity’s earliest days that instinct helped ensure our survival in a harsh and unpredictable world. That instinct still guides us in the direction of better well-being.

In 2020, connections became more complicated. The pandemic forced us to sacrifice physical proximity to our friends, colleagues and loved ones to protect them and ourselves from COVID-19. And the realities of people of color exposed how much is still needed for an inclusive, just and more harmonious community.

So we held meetings or get-togethers on screens or sitting six feet apart in the backyard. In doing so, many of us came to appreciate the emotional and physical richness of the hugs, the handshakes and the jokes whispered in our ear that we’d perhaps once taken for granted. We also found very visible ways to elevate the dream of realizing a world where everyone feels they belong.

Our ways to feel connected go beyond being in the presence of others, extending to ideas and collaboration. We may even feel connected spiritually when we’re alone through the power of being cared for.

It’s important to recognize and reframe the many ways we establish meaningful connections.

Belonging is cultivated in multiple ways, and in looking carefully, it’s evident many positive connections endure within our Humana community. For example, compared to 2019, a higher percentage of associates believe they can fully be themselves at work, meaning they’re more likely to feel seen and heard. They’re also reaffirming their bonds with one another, like being united by Humana’s common purpose.

Being optimistic about making these connections and realizing their benefits helps well-being. When our associates adopt a positive mindset, their overall sense of belonging is 36 percent higher, according to the Humana Well-being Index.

Our sense of belonging, emotional health and overall well-being are strongly connected.

Having meaningful connections with one another gives us energy for multiple aspects of our lives. A strong sense of belonging helps many at Humana experience more than three additional Healthy Days per month along with 15 percent less stress and higher well-being across all dimensions.

Feeling welcomed and bonded with colleagues adds meaning and purpose to one’s work, providing additional motivation to support and care for others, along with oneself. These experiences confirm that we’re not alone and that we feel safe in the world.

Tiffany Sprinkle quote start

I jump on that site and it just turns my day around in a blink of an eye. I see that I'm not alone.

Tiffany Sprinkle quote end

Tiffany Sprinkle
Minot, ND

Tiffany Sprinkle quote start

I jump on that site and it just turns my day around in a blink of an eye. I see that I'm not alone.

Tiffany Sprinkle quote end

Tiffany Sprinkle
Minot, ND

TIFFANY SPRINKLE

Transcript

Military life is chaotic. You never know what will happen one day, because whatever happens one day will not happen the next.

Hi, I'm Tiffany. I'm an administration coordinator for the East region, and this is my well-being story.

My husband and I have been together for six years. We have been married for three. We are high school sweethearts from Sellersburg, Indiana. After we got married, he went into the United States Air Force. When he went in, he went to Texas to train. Every day while he was in Texas, I wrote him about my day. It could have been bad, it could have been good…he heard about it. And after he was finished training, he went to tech school in a different region in Texas. So when he went to tech school, I followed, and I moved with him. We were in Texas for three months, and then we were stationed in Minot, North Dakota.

Minot is 20 hours from our hometown. So we are very far away from our family. And it's extremely hard on us. It's been hard being a first-time parent without our role models here in person. It's just been emotionally very stressful. This past year, the base has been shut down for many months because of COVID. So we've been months where we're completely alone. We can't have friends over, you can't go to the bowling alley on base, because of COVID. So it has really been a challenging year, especially for my son, and me and my husband as well. Military life is not for everyone. It is very stressful, but I am very blessed to be married to someone serving our country.

My personal team here at Humana is amazing. I am so thankful for where I am. My team members are always there. Even when our daily routine is messed up because of my military lifestyle, if I have to hurry and get the phone because my husband's calling, or because something's happening and he's going to have to be at work longer, or if I have to go do something really quick, every team member is always offering a helping hand. Or when I first started at Humana, my husband and I were separated in different states. So they would always check on me and they would give me words of encouragement to just help me through the day. And they would always ask how my son is. So they just really make me feel like I belong on that team as well. They're just some amazing team members, and I'm so grateful for each and every one of them.

I love that we have the Salute NRG. I always, when I'm having a bad day, I jump on that site and it can just turn my day around in a blink of an eye. I see that I'm not alone. There's other families who work for Humana that are missing their loved ones. And I am super blessed that I have my husband home with my son and I, every night. My husband's not deployed. And there are people on NRG that do have family members deployed and they're missing them, and they can't talk to them at all. So it really puts in perspective that we're not alone. And I can reach out to anyone on that site and ask a question or just say how I'm feeling that day. And they'll respond to me with uplifting words, or they'll help to answer my question, direct me to the right place to look. And it's just amazing that Humana has that for us. I am super blessed and it just makes me feel like I belong here.

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Jeff Strommen quote start

We are truly better together.

Jeff Strommen quote end

Jeff Strommen
Green Bay, WI

Jeff Strommen quote start

We are truly better together.

Jeff Strommen quote end

Jeff Strommen
Green Bay, WI

JEFF STROMMEN

Transcript

I think the feeling for me was just, is this really happening?

Hey, I'm Jeff Strommen and this is my well-being story.

My well-being journey began really after a week of PTO. Coming back to the office Monday morning, by midday I learned that I was going to be working from home with the virus and everything else going on. And so in March, I think there was just the initial denial like, okay, I guess we'll go work at home and we'll adjust and I'll set up a temporary office space and we'll just make it work.

I feel like a positive attitude really does determine the outcome as far as how you respond to the adversity or to changes in life. And so that's always been just my own mantra in life is to go with the changes, go with the flow of it, make the best of the situation. And we know that sometimes change is uncomfortable for people. I, myself struggle with it. We dealt with a lot of changes in 2020, but embracing it with an open mind was a big part of that.

I can tell you the first couple of weeks working at home are really a blur. Honestly, it was one of the things where I came to work at home, but then my kindergarten and second grader we're also going to be doing school at home with me and not in the same place, but under the same roof. So there was the challenge of adjusting, not just to a work-life balance because when you go to work at home, you have to figure out how to navigate and adjust that. This is really my first type of a job where I'm strictly working from home. So this is a new environment for me too, but my kids had never done remote learning. This was all new for all of us.

Early on I realized that I was feeling the weight of the change, the transition to working from home. Missing the good mornings and the connection with my colleagues, other advocates and associates across the floor, my supervisor, and our manager. And so it was the thought of, okay, I'm dealing with this, I'm feeling the weight of this and the change and the transition, but I bet a lot of my colleagues are feeling the same way.

And so it was a focus of mine to just reach out to specific individuals within my team, people that I worked with on projects or across the floor, and on an individual basis check in with them on Skype or join our Buzz Yammer group. Being active, being consistent, being someone that they can lean on, whether it's just for positive vibes, or just maybe a funny email or a funny little joke or a clip or something in our chat or in an email.

I just wanted to be available to my colleagues, not because my position said it, but because that's who I am as a person, as a colleague, as a member of our great Humana family. What grounded me was that perspective that no matter what changes happen in life, I can control my attitude, and my attitude if it's set in a way that's positive then I can embrace the change, I'm going to be successful to change. It's not going to be easy, but we're going to do it together. It's a mindset that's gotten me through in the last year.

I think it's great with Humana that we have such great support, whether the EAP programs that are available to us, or just to know that we can go to our leadership, our team lead or our supervisor and express if there's something that's going on. And I’m thankful in a lot of ways for 2020, for what it showed me about myself, what it showed me about my colleagues and also what we could be as long as we know that we are truly better together.

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Belonging Score

87.0

2019

94.0

2018

88.0

2017

100

2016

In a year when we all learned – and lived – the concept of social distancing, it’s no surprise our associates’ sense of belonging changed. Our Belonging Score moved to its lowest point in six years.

Inclusive Connections

While people were separated from one another for much of 2020, Humana’s existing avenues for connection and collaboration helped associates maintain, and in some cases expand, their relationships. Interactions on Buzz, Humana’s internal social media platform, jumped to an all-time high in 2020. More than 11 percent of associates had elevated engagement on Buzz in the last quarter of 2020, totaling almost 125,000 posts. Plus, Network Resource Group (NRG) participation remained steady, with one third of associates belonging to at least one group, meaning we’ve achieved our goal in this measure for the second straight year.

Inclusive Connections	2019	2020	Goal
Network Resource Group (NRG) Participation	33.5%	33.3%	33%
We have an environment where everyone can fully be themselves	80.3%	81.8%	84%
Making at Least 4 Posts on Buzz within Last Quarter	9.7%	11.2%	14%

Humana Well-being Index

The need to shelter and socially distance from friends, family and colleagues took a toll on everyone and the Humana Well-being Index reflects that. All three aspects of Belonging – Social, Community, and Family – experienced significant declines. But why measure what’s so evident? It’s because the innate needs are always there, and there are insights to be found in comparison. The benefit of this is that it’s clearer, perhaps more than ever, how much as human beings we matter to one another, and how much we improve each other’s well-being just by being present, active and positive influences within each other’s lives.