Keep Clinton and Trump Out
Craig Ross
The prediction is clear: The U.S. presidential campaign is one of the nastiest and divisive in history. Both political parties are working overtime to convince us the opposition is not only bad for the country, but they are immoral people, too.
While most workplaces are safe havens from political discussions, the effect of the high-volume bombardment of toxic “we-them” and “us-they” rhetoric can ooze into daily work. The mind-numbing result: If people don’t think like me they must be stupid. (Or at a minimum, I shouldn’t trust them.)
It’s easy for employees to bring the “I don’t respect my neighbor” approach to work. Leaders are wise to be proactive, otherwise they risk losing the “one team” approach they covet. Here are 3 proven steps that keep Clinton and Trump out of your business (their divisive energy, anyway).
1. Be overt in modeling acceptance and appreciation of diverse thinking and approaches. Example: “Mike, we don’t always see eye-to-eye . . . and that’s precisely why we make such a great team.”
2. Consistently communicate how important a one-team approach is to the success of the business and why. Example: “It’s critical that we take every step necessary to align our operations so the customer has a consistent brand experience.”
3. When we see effective one-team efforts, put a spot-light on the actions with words of celebration – and be certain to emphasize the effect of the behaviors.
We live in a world that can seem like it’s being pulled apart by different factions. Our places of work should never suffer the same fate. Effective leaders make the one-team cultural approach a priority.