3 Values for Companies To Stand By In Polarizing Times
We all want the same thing regardless of which side of the political aisle you’re on.
Despite the escalating polarization, the truth is that our commonalities are greater than our differences. We all want the same thing regardless of which side of the political aisle you’re on. That is to say, we all want to be productive members of society, to be acknowledged for our contributions, and to be given a shot based purely on our ability—no matter what we look like or where we came from.
This applies to the workplace: Companies know that a diverse workforce is good for business, and a strong retention culture gives you higher return on investment on your employees. (It can cost up to two times an employee’s annual salary to replace them).
Strong corporate culture requires maintaining values such as inclusion, curiosity, community, and a steadfast commitment to your core values— regardless of the political climate. It’s easy to promote these values when times are easy; it’s not easy to live out these values when times are hard.
Anytime a movement catches fire, in people’s excitement to join, they tend to hijack and muddle the original message. The problem is that we got so focused on quotas that it sent a signal that DEI meant not hiring the best talent. That couldn’t be further from the truth; the real code word for DEI was supposed to be:
open to hiring the best talent
open to listening to new ideas
open to making the business thrive
I think Mellody Hobson, President and Co-CEO of Ariel Investments hit the point home in a recent CNBC Television interview. She said, “Talent and genius do not discriminate; they show up in equal proportions by gender, by race, by socio-economic condition…yet in many parts of our society, we see a homogenous group of people represented, which means there are some barriers to entry…I do believe companies understand if they want to reach consumers from all walks of life, of all races, sexual orientations, etc. they will need people inside their companies who can speak to those preferences and orientations. Companies understand that, and will not walk away from good business.”
If we want to be honest with ourselves and get serious about bringing the best talent into our organizations, then maybe we should take a hard look at nepotism (‘nepo babies’). We must also hold referrals to the same standards of evaluation as we do the person we don’t know who is interviewing for the role instead of going with ‘who we know.’ We need to be more diligent.
The point is that it will be the companies that stick to humanity-first values that will be successful in the long run. What matters is that your policies, employee training programs, and leadership messaging stays true to their core values. Here are some of the top values companies can practice to build employee retention from the bottom up.
The Value: Inclusion
I wrote in a previous Forbes article that focusing on the “D” in DEI is deepening divides rather than building bridges, so I believe the key is for corporations to put the emphasis on the “I,” aka inclusion. This approach shouldn’t discount systemic inequities some people face, but it is a way to help employees find commonalities.
Although our individual circumstances might be different, the commonality is that we all experience personal challenges. That is part of being human. This is at the heart of what inclusion actually is. We need to get back to a place where—at least in the work environment—we stop focusing only on our differences and start focusing more on where we have common ground and what we need to achieve, together. Staying polarized and divided will hold us back from making meaningful progress, being innovative, and finding the best solutions.
Always remember, I don’t have to agree with everything you think for me to be able to be productive at work with you. I just have to agree on the ideas we come together on in order to overcome business challenges at our work, which often results in better profits.
Building inclusion into your culture’s DNA means recruiting from all sources of talent and hiring and rewarding people based on their abilities.
Otherwise, by failing to put guidelines in place that allow the best product or person to rise to the top, we’re keeping some of the most talented people from the market.
The Value: Curiosity
I have always said that inclusion applies to everyone, including the white male. The truth of the matter is that both sides got so entrenched in our own viewpoints that we stopped being open to listening to someone from the ‘other’ side, curious enough to ask questions about why others feel the way they do, and vulnerable enough to step back and reflect upon how we can adjust our own approaches.
Shame and blame will never make anyone want to change their viewpoints, it will just make them defensive and dig in their heels. And the very tactic of using shame and blame is motivated by control: Trying to manipulate another person’s emotions or self image so they feel bad enough about themselves or their viewpoints that you essentially bully them into thinking or acting differently.
This tactic only backfires, of course, because shame doesn’t motivate people to change. It will only make them want to defend themselves, or hide their real feelings and go deeper underground. And we all know what happens when we bury our emotions: Those emotions come out in unhelpful—or destructive—ways later on. It also pushes one to leave the organization and thus the investment you put into the talent when the person walks out the door.
Don’t make assumptions. Instead of pushing your viewpoint on someone who disagrees, the antidote is to ask questions. I wrote in another Forbes article, there’s an internal struggle between curiosity and fear of the unknown. If you let curiosity win and expose yourself to things or people you think are a certain way, it might change your belief about them because you’ll realize they aren’t the way you thought they were.
It’s not shame but empathy that motivates us to change. Bottom line: judge less and ask more questions.
The Value: Community
Workplaces have traditionally provided people with a sense of community and belonging. A big part of polarization is that we start to put people into boxes (think: “Democrat” or “Republican”) and make judgments about everything that person is based on that one single label. Polarization erases the complexities that make up a human being, further dividing us and causing greater isolation.
It’s been a long time coming: Covid isolated us; and a lack of working in proximity further deteriorated collaboration, caring, and understanding. Six virtual calls a day does not replace the human connection you get at the proverbial water cooler.
This contributed to the world we are in today, which seems to be: I may disagree with you on two things and agree with you on 98 things, but we got to a point where those two things prevented me from interacting with you on the other 98 things. Objectively, where does that get us? Nowhere.
When we’re isolated from one another’s humanity, it’s easier to let anger or fear drive us rather than let curiosity or empathy lead. That’s why the value of community is the antidote for healing. It’s how we will create collective, positive change. It’s how we will use our differences to make us stronger rather than break us apart. It’s how we help our companies make more progress and money.
After all, businesses are in the business to generate profits, and the power of the community enables that. Continuous isolation is the destruction of value. Maybe it’s time to remember the power of community versus fueling the destruction of polarization.
The truth is that the only thing we can control is ourselves: our own thoughts and actions and how we show up. We can model values such as inclusion, curiosity, and community. Modeling these values as individuals can help others see another way forward.
We are not powerless in this era of increased polarization. If you want to build greater belonging in your workplace, community, and world, first start with yourself. When curiosity, difference of opinion and compromise collide, that is where innovation happens. Remember, companies who manage to their values and not to what is trending will be the ones who win.