Experts generally agree that thriving organizational cultures prioritize the wellbeing of their workforce. When they do that, they get better performance and financial outcomes. For example, in its 2022 State of the Workforce Report, Gallup surveyed more than 100,000 business units in 96 countries and found a strong link between employee engagement and performance outcomes, including retention, productivity, safety and profitability.
“Our lives in and outside the workplace are inextricably linked. Experiences at work spill over into our personal lives. In fact, long-term health and wellness correlate to how satisfied or stressed people are at work,” wrote Maria Morukian, president of MSM Global Consulting and author of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for Trainers: Fostering DEI in the Workplace. She addressed this topic in an article that recently appeared on www.talentmgt.com.
Cultural and ideological polarization has been on the rise, as noted by Morukian. She wrote, “Political scientists have identified a rise in what they call ‘pernicious polarization,’ which they define as ‘the division of society into two mutually antagonistic political camps.’”
Polarization has led to an ‘us vs. them’ mentality that can impact the cohesion and openness of team members in a workplace. Why is this polarization a natural outflow of political, cultural and social differences? Morukian recognized, “We are neurologically predisposed to engage in ‘us/them’ thinking. Our brains instinctively react based on whether we interpret a situation as safe or a threat. In our everyday lives, a perceived threat could be any experience that makes us feel discomfort, instability, unfamiliarity or exclusion.”
When these perceived threats arrive in the workplace, no matter how innocent, people can draw back, disconnect or raise barriers with others. Disagreement can lead to judging and labeling the actual intelligence or character of others, including those we previously liked. For those with whom we find affinity, the opposite occurs; we engage in more prosocial behaviors. Morukian explained, “Something as simple as learning a colleague does not share our political views can cause our opinion of them to drop dramatically.”
So, how can companies keep the political and social discord from affecting workplace harmony and team dynamics?
Effective managers can use a method known as ‘expansion’ to encourage co-workers to learn the personal story and perspective of others. Instead of seeking agreement or validation of a deeply held belief, the co-workers seek to understand one another in hopes of developing a more nuanced understanding of their divergent backgrounds. While it can be uncomfortable at times or even challenge our own worldview, this skill is becoming more crucial in a more diverse workforce.
Morukian advised, “This is not a one-and-done solution. Expansive practices should become embedded in the fabric of organizational life.”
The process begins with mutual respect and good listening skills. Some issues are important to some workers, while others are not important at all. Also, some issues don’t really belong in the workplace anyway. But it is important to learn how to give space and ask the right questions.
Morukian suggested the following strategies to improve workplace cross-cultural communication:
Ask for clarification. Help me understand what that means to you.
Seek out the other person’s ‘why.’ What makes this important for you?
Identify what perspectives are missing when surrounded by your ‘us’ group. Whose voices are not present that we may need to consider?
Quiet the ‘internal judge.’
