At a time of such intense separation, a healthy workplace is one of the best chances we have for connection. In Imagining Belonging, Rhodes Perry has provided us an excellent resource for creating cultures in which people feel a deep sense of connection. Most people are inclined to focus on individual behavior, and certainly we all have a responsibility to manage our personal behavior. And yet, as Perry so clearly shows us, the power of culture often transcends our individual inclination and can call us to serve something larger than ourselves or drive us to behavior that violates our own values. Perry draws from his own personal story and his significant professional experience to give us a handbook for how to consciously create cultures of belonging. He helps us understand our need for inclusion and the pain of exclusion in a powerful way. This book is a treasure trove of valuable insights, tools, and practices. It should be read, but even more importantly, it should be used to inspire transformation!

So many advocates are experts at identifying broken systems in the workplace but struggle to break free from our institutional limitations. Our workplace cultures and our own experiences of banging our head against a wall can dampen our expectations and our dreaming. Imagine Belonging re-energizes us to dream bigger and bolder beyond the limits of today. And in true Rhodes Perry style, it also offers us practical strategies to help us get where we truly want to go. In clear language and down to earth style, Rhodes walks us through the steps to rebuilding our own confidence in building that just world, breaking through our old workplace cultures, and growing vibrant teams to share the work and the joys of what we do! Thank you Rhodes Perry for taking us on this journey with you!

As a big fan of Rhodes Perry’s first book, Belonging at Work, I was excited to see his second, Imagine Belonging: Your Leadership Guide to Building an Equitable Workplace. Wow! Rhodes has done it again. From examining your own power to change things, to unpacking systems, to common roles in culture change, building team culture, and reimagining belonging to create organizational environments that support it, Rhodes has gone deep into belonging and equity. And I enjoy the way he summarizes the takeaways, and then provides reflection questions to go deeper. Kudos!

Rhodes Perry perfectly weds the technical and transformational in Imagine Belonging. Whether you’re a career-long advocate for Inclusion & Equity, or completely new to the work of culture change, Rhodes provides an abundance of wisdom and encouragement for anyone willing to receive it. This is a must-read for anyone poised for leadership in 2021 and beyond.

We cannot build what we cannot envision, and Imagine Belonging is a critical tool for leaders who are invested in moving beyond the status quo, but are unsure of how to get there. This book is a thoughtful, intentional and much needed guide to growing workplaces and companies that are truly anti-oppressive.

In these unprecedented times, we need direction and bold persons that are willing to give us guidance on how to create inclusive environments for people at work. Rhodes Perry’s Imagine Belonging is one of those guides that can be the foundation in transforming workplace culture to ensure that all persons work in inclusive environments able to bring their full creative selves to the workplace, allowing individuals to self-actualize and ultimately self-transcend giving their talents back to the greater community.

If you want to advance your organization’s DEI goals and transform your culture, Imagine Belonging is a must-read. It will empower you to make change and get others on board by helping them see the leadership benefits to fully embracing building a more equitable organization today.

Imagine Belonging is a must-read for anyone who wants to advance their organization’s DEI goals and steer their organizations towards a better culture that can be named and fully experienced through all of our senses. It will also inspire even the most recalcitrant leaders to imagine what kind of leadership legacy they want to be known for by helping them see the leadership benefits to fully embracing building a more equitable organization today.

It’s very simple: What kind of leader do you want to be? Rhodes Perry artfully breaks down complicated layers of workplace dynamics and expectations to help you understand core DEI concepts and uncover old patterns. Here’s your mirror to see where you are, and guide to lead with your values to where you want to be.

Rhodes Perry adeptly translates frustrating workplace scenes into actionable changed behaviors that have the power to transform the experience of workers at all levels. Just as his first book, Belonging at Work: Everyday Actions You Can Take to Cultivate an Inclusive Organization, gave tools to the reader to make immediate change in their workplace that benefits all, Imagine Belonging gives power to readers to ensure they and others belong. Through a workshop-ready format that shares a narrative, new knowledge, action steps, and insightful quotations, readers will understand and unlearn workplace behaviors that hinder organizational progress. A perfect book for employee professional development.

As leaders how do we begin to see and recognize the inequities our folks experience; how can we begin to feel the disconnect and isolation that so many people feel in the workplace? Non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment laws are legal strategies, but they do not create a sense of belonging. Rhodes takes belonging out of the closet and gives us a road map to dismantle the status quo and begin to create environments where employees truly feel they belong. There is no equity if you do not feel you belong.

Imagine Belonging provides employers with the language, strategies and motivation to initiate and honestly engage in dialogue that will ensure that all members of the workplace are valued. DEI goals are meaningless without a clear vision of where you want your organization’s culture to be in the future. With an elucidated vision, leaders, teams, and systems can work towards this destination, leading to the kind of workplace transformation many employees deserve and desire today. This book succinctly offers a clear path of how to do just that.

To imagine belonging is to take the spark of discontent with your organization’s current culture and fan these flames into powerful personal and social transformation in the workplace. Rhodes Perry offers a unique framework to imagine what a belonging workplace culture could be, and he offers practical case studies and strategies to begin steering your organization toward more equitable and inclusive practices.

Imagine Belonging should come with a highlighter… It doesn’t matter what your role is within an organization, this book provides resources to be better self-aware and do your part to create a culture of belonging. In Imagine Belonging, readers will quickly realize that they’re learning important lessons not only for the workplace, but for life!

We can no longer endure the legacy of this country founded on white male supremacy, prioritizing the accumulation of wealth achieved through slavery. The legacy of our origins continues with low wages, oppression, and poverty. In Imagining Belonging, Rhodes Perry provides a tool to improve organizational cultures that serve to perpetuate this legacy. It comes at a time in our nation when young people can no longer tolerate nor survive in these systems. Belonging is a neutral term perhaps useful for the work needed to end the trauma of oppression. We can no longer wait!