Connecting and Belonging: Crucial element of organizational health, employee engagement, and performance. Discover how building true belonging fuels engagement, trust, and organizational health.
Connection and belonging are not “soft skills” — they are foundational to engagement, performance, and well-being. In this one-hour interactive training, participants will explore why connection matters, how it impacts engagement and outcomes, and practical, low-burden strategies leaders and HR professionals can implement immediately.
Grounded in research and real-world application, this session focuses on how people feel seen, heard, and valued at work, and how intentional leadership behaviors directly influence engagement, accountability, and retention. Participants will learn simple, transferable strategies that can be applied across teams, departments, and organizational cultures.
Participants will walk away with:
- A clear understanding of the difference between connection and belonging — and why both matter
- Insight into how leadership behaviors shape engagement and workplace climate
- Practical strategies to increase connection using everyday interactions
- Tools that support engagement, trust, and performance without adding administrative burden
This training is ideal for HR professionals, supervisors, managers, and leaders who want actionable ways to strengthen workplace culture, improve engagement, and support employee well-being.
Presented by Britt Olean - LICSW, MSW, District School Social Worker
Britt Olean is the District Social Worker for the Anoka-Hennepin School District in Minnesota. She has over 15 years of experience in social services and has spent the last 10 in education. Britt's work focuses on universal support strategies and implementation to promote connection, wellbeing, and belonging across the district. She has presented multiple times at the Minnesota Association for Children's Mental Health Conference, the Minnesota Department of Education, and for many staff and student groups in Minnesota. In 2022, Britt was nominated for School Social Worker of the Year and the Anoka-Hennepin Above and Beyond Award. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Social Work through the University of St. Thomas.
Britt Olean, LICSW, MSW
District School Social Worker
Anoka Hennepin School District
Office: 763-506-1152
britt.olean@ahschools.us
