Don’t just do something – sit there!
Leaders are conditioned to leap into action to meet challenges. But what if remaining calm and simply listening is what the people around you need in such moments?...
Human Resources
A healthy debate: CHROs can use geopolitical opinion to unite, rather than divide the workforce
IMD’s Katharina Lange explains how CHROs can strike a balance between respecting employee opinions and preserving organizational performance and integrity.
We live in an era of polarization. There is much in the news and across social media and the internet to be both angry and fearful about, with fighting in several geographic regions ratcheting up geopolitical tensions.
These tensions can directly affect employees, operations, and supply chains. A less evident but insidiously potent secondary effect is the internal conflict that can arise when such events provoke strongly-held opposing opinions. Such views may arise from a personal connection with one of the regions involved, whether cultural, religious, or because someone has family living there. Differing views may also stem from deeply-held moral or political convictions.
While leaders may wish to encourage healthy debate, particularly if it relates to business strategies to cope with geopolitical disruption, there are risks involved. When employees air strong views, there is the potential to damage personal relationships and overall psychological safety in the work environment. In turn, this can weaken team cohesion and undermine performance.
CHROs will recognize that people have a range of perspectives and that they cannot mandate corporate-approved opinions on social or political matters. Personal views cannot be entirely checked out at the door. What CHROs can do is set boundaries and rules so that conversations can be held with tact, empathy, and sensitivity to safeguard long-term relationships, psychological safety, and organizational performance.
1. Create structured forums for discussion
CHROs should consider creating structured forums for discussion when geopolitical crises flare. Providing boundaries – a given time, a given (virtual) space – creates a dedicated environment in which employees can express their views. This can control the risk of controversial views becoming infectious and potentially damaging. Combative arguments may still flare up in an uncontrolled way, but are less likely.
In this type of forum, people leaders should clarify the rules. Consideration and tolerance must work both ways. Under bounded conditions, individuals can express their views safely, while understanding that they are accountable.
Such forums could include discussion groups, facilitated roundtables, or panel discussions. CHROs should direct debate toward finding future solutions rather than encouraging recrimination over past decisions. When discussing the Middle East conflict, for example, a constructive conversation could focus on strategies for post-conflict rebuilding and, if relevant, the role the company might play in those efforts.
Geopolitical views may not be relevant in a purely technical discussion but in meetings that touch on cross-cultural issues, or geographic business expansion, they are critical.
2. Separate the person from the opinion
HR’s priority must be to ensure psychological safety for the organization. Adopting the conflict-resolution strategy of separating the person from the “problem”– in this case, a controversial opinion – has proven helpful.
Employees should be able to freely discuss different opinions and strategic approaches to geopolitical tensions without damaging their reputation and standing in the organization and regardless of what is said during the discussion.
CHROs should communicate a clear message: employees represent different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Discussion on controversial topics involving strong views informed by these differences is perfectly acceptable – but not to the point of jeopardizing psychological safety.
While some leaders may question whether such debate is appropriate in the workplace, context is key. Geopolitical views may not be relevant in a purely technical discussion but in meetings that touch on cross-cultural issues, or geographic business expansion, they are critical.
CHROs must establish clear principles and communicate them consistently. One international food company uses posters in its meeting rooms to remind users of the importance of retaining perspective and respect for the individual speakers. Leaders can reinforce such cues via brief reminders at the start of meetings.
3. Place as much emphasis on what unites as on what divides the organization
The third – and arguably most important – strand for CHROs to manage in geopolitical disagreements is reasserting the purpose, mission, and values that unite people across the organization.
CHROs must ensure that individuals understand these values at a practical level. IMD recently ran a workshop for a large company around its new leadership model, which defined certain qualities and linked those qualities to specific behaviors that are desirable in a workplace setting, such as collaboration and communicating effectively during meetings. Leaders should reinforce these values by demonstrating them in their own behaviors and being held openly accountable for doing so.
Embracing differences
The above three principles apply to how CHROs manage disagreements on a range of topics, not just geopolitics. Leaders could equally approach climate change or matters of personal identity using the same structure.
CHROs do not need to win or even engage in arguments about geopolitics. But they do need to monitor discussions and ensure that they do not cross a line that could cause harm to the individual and the organization as a whole.
Authors
Related
A trust test for leaders
Trust is foundational in leadership, yet is more of a science than an art. Answer the questions below to assess whether an absence of trust is affecting your leadership. ...
Cultural Calibration in a multi-layered world
Master Cultural Calibration: open mind, explicit norms, and regular alignment to keep cross-border collaboration clear and productive....
The human change challenge: How Sanofi gets workforce buy-in for AI
As transformation accelerates, HR leaders should keep their people up to speed, explains Sanofi’s Raj Verma....
Learn Brain Circuits
Join us for daily exercises focusing on issues from team building to developing an actionable sustainability plan to personal development. Go on - they only take five minutes.
Â
Explore Leadership
What makes a great leader? Do you need charisma? How do you inspire your team? Our experts offer actionable insights through first-person narratives, behind-the-scenes interviews and The Help Desk.
Â
Join Membership
Log in here to join in the conversation with the I by IMD community. Your subscription grants you access to the quarterly magazine plus daily articles, videos, podcasts and learning exercises.
Â