Belonging Isn't an Accident: What My Daughter's College Orientation Reminded Me About Organizational Culture

A few years ago, I attended college orientation with my daughter. Although it wasn't my alma mater, I couldn't help but be swept up in the experience. The excitement was palpable. Student leaders greeted incoming freshmen with enthusiasm, and administrators shared stories about the institution's history and values. There was pride. Purpose. A clear sense of identity.

Every interaction seemed designed to answer a simple question:

What does it mean to belong here?

As I sat listening, I sent myself a note:

"Remember this day and ask why our organizations often don't create the same experience."

The thought has stayed with me.

While colleges and universities invest enormous time and energy to help people feel connected from the moment they arrive, many professional services organizations approach onboarding very differently. The typical experience often consists of presentations from HR, IT, accounting, risk management, and facilities. Important information? Absolutely.

Inspirational? Not usually.

And while new employees may leave understanding how to submit an expense report or access the network, they often leave with a much less certain understanding of who they have joined, what the organization stands for, and how they fit into the bigger picture.

For law firms and legal department leaders, onboarding is not merely an administrative process. It is one of the first opportunities to teach people what the organization values, how it works, and why their role matters.

We Confuse Information with Integration

Organizations are generally very good at providing information. Universities are very good at creating integration.

Those are not the same thing.

The orientation experience wasn't really about housing assignments, meal plans, or parking permits. Those topics were covered, but they weren't the point. The point was helping thousands of individuals from different backgrounds, belief systems, geographic regions, and life experiences begin to see themselves as part of a shared community.

Universities understand something that organizations sometimes forget: Belonging doesn't happen accidentally. It must be created intentionally.

Every speech, tradition, story, campus tour, and welcome event reinforced a common message: You belong here. You are now part of something larger than yourself.

Imagine if every professional entering a law firm or legal department felt that same message as clearly during their first week, and if that feeling continued to grow throughout their tenure at the organization.

The Myth That Culture Happens on Its Own

Some firms and companies assume culture exists because the organization has existed for decades. Others believe culture will be sustained through reputation, history, or leadership alone. Still others assume that culture develops organically over time and takes care of itself, or it will happen within practices or teams.

The problem is that every new employee joins with a completely different perspective and experience.

Just as universities welcome students from varied backgrounds and immediately begin teaching them what it means to be part of the community, organizations must continuously help people understand who they are, what they value, and how they operate.

Culture is not inherited automatically. It is taught, reinforced, and, most importantly, demonstrated.

Belonging Matters Everywhere Humans Gather

The importance of belonging in higher education has been studied extensively. Researchers have found that students who feel a stronger sense of belonging tend to demonstrate higher levels of engagement, persistence, and overall well-being. Stanford researchers have similarly emphasized the importance of creating environments where students believe they belong and can succeed.

While the settings may be different, the principle is remarkably similar in the workplace.

Gallup's global workplace research continues to show that employee engagement remains alarmingly low, with only approximately one in five employees reporting being engaged at work. Gallup also notes that engagement is strongly influenced by managers and workplace culture.

Perhaps we should not be surprised.

Humans have always wanted to feel connected to something meaningful. We want to know that our contributions matter. We want to understand the mission and to feel seen, valued, and included.

The desire for belonging doesn't disappear after graduation from any institution.

We trade dormitories for offices, classrooms for conference rooms, and student organizations for practice groups and departments.

Hybrid Work Is Not an Excuse

I frequently hear leaders point to hybrid work as the reason culture feels more difficult to build today. And those leaders aren’t wrong. Distance creates challenges because relationships take longer to develop and shared experiences become harder to create.

But difficulty does not eliminate responsibility. In fact, the less physical proximity we have, the more intentional we must become.

Organizations that successfully build culture in hybrid environments don't leave connection to chance. They communicate their values consistently. They create opportunities for interaction. They celebrate wins publicly. They tell stories repeatedly. They reinforce what matters.

They recognize that culture is not a shared location; it is a shared experience.

Everyone Owns the Culture

One of the most powerful observations from orientation was that culture building wasn't limited to university leadership. The professors, current students, alumni, and staff participated. Everyone seemed to understand that they played a role in helping new students feel welcome and connected.

The same principle applies in professional services firms and legal departments. Firm culture is not the responsibility of HR, marketing, or leadership alone. Every partner, associate, and professional staff member contributes to culture. Every interaction teaches someone what the organization values, and we are all sending signals every day about what it means to belong.

The question is whether those signals are intentional.

More Than a Welcome Session

And perhaps the biggest lesson from college orientation is that no university believes culture can be built in a single afternoon. Orientation is merely the beginning.

The messages are repeated throughout the year. Traditions are reinforced. Stories are shared. Connections are strengthened. The institution continuously reminds people who they are and what they stand for.

Organizations should approach culture the same way. A mission statement posted on a website, an annual retreat, and a single onboarding session are not enough.

Culture requires repetition and consistency. It requires belief.

People do not buy into an organization's values after hearing them one time. They buy in because they see them demonstrated repeatedly over time.

As professional services leaders, perhaps we should spend less time assuming our culture exists and more time asking whether we are actively building it.

After all, universities understand something we would do well to remember:

Belonging isn't an accident.

And while I am not necessarily suggesting law firms adopt mascots, team colors, or a firm-wide chant, I have to admit that after attending orientation, I can see the appeal. At the very least, there is something to be said for creating a shared sense of pride and connection.

The best organizations don't leave that to chance. They build it on purpose.