Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
I don’t think it’s unrealistic to say that we’re seeing polarization in society. And because we are, it’s not unrealistic to think it will have an impact on our work environment.
During this year’s Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) annual conference, I had the chance to hear Bernadette Jones, SHRM-SCP, founder and CEO of Visionova HR Consulting located in San Francisco, California talk about “Peacekeeping in Polarizing Times”. I thought the session was timely.
Jones outlined four steps that human resources professionals should consider when it comes to dealing with polarizing conversations and behaviors at work. Here are my takeaways from the session.
Understand the challenge. Organizations strive to build cultures focused on respect and inclusion. When challenges occur, it’s important to understand the impact of the challenge and the consequences both in terms of what happens if the organization addresses it and what happens if they don’t.
Guide the discussion. Sometimes a polarizing comment can come from a member of the senior leadership team. Jones reminded us that as HR professionals we can be proactive and guide the discussion toward alignment with company culture. Senior leaders and frankly everyone in the organization need to align their communications with culture.
Set boundaries. Speaking of communication, Jones suggested it could be helpful to set boundaries for some conversations (i.e., town hall meetings, employee resource groups, etc.) If the organization doesn’t have a communications policy, maybe it’s time to consider one. Everything has a time and place, and a communications policy can help set those boundaries.
Take Action. The first three points really lead to this one. Organizations need to realize that challenges will happen and put measures in place to manage them. This includes:
- Taking an assessment of the organization. Be honest about the extent that the organization is facing polarizing conversations and behaviors.
- Developing policies, like the communications one mentioned above. Realistically speaking, organizations cannot develop policies for everything, but companies do have rules, and they can define what those rules will be.
- Providing training in subjects like conflict management and problem solving. Part of the reason that conflict escalates is because we haven’t been trained to deal with it. Training employees on these topics would be good for them and the business.
- Supporting employees who report concerns. Organizations need to take employee concerns seriously. Challenges that are left unaddressed can turn into big problems.
- Regularly reviewing and updating the company efforts. The business world is always changing, and organizations need to change with it. That means regularly reviewing where we are and making necessary policy adjustments.
Jones’ session was a good reminder for human resources professionals that polarizing behaviors can have a negative impact on the operation, which ultimately impacts the bottom-line. If organizations want to be successful – and we know they do – then being proactive and prepared to deal with polarizing behaviors is essential.
Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Las Vegas, NV
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