As you probably know, I try to steer clear of politics. People have strong opinions, me included, and it can be hard to understand someone else’s position and passion.
At the same time, the only way to bridge differences is to be open to listen and to share. In our polarized society, inclusive and diverse conversations and connections are more important than ever. One of the great places we can hopefully get that diversity of thought is at work.
Good hiring practices recognize and hire to ensure that different types of voices and experiences are on the team. The challenge becomes when those voices are in the minority. They might not be invited or comfortable speaking out.
I remember work I did for the Department of Environmental Protection in New York City, where most of the room tended to be left brain, linear thinkers. The occasional right brain, cerebral thinker was an anomaly that the rest of the room often found annoying. What I explained is that she was one of the most important voices in the room.
When we have too much consensus, we might want to seek those alternate points of view and invite in the voices that tend to give us another perspective. That’s how we avoid the pitfalls of group think. That’s how we make better decisions. That’s how we innovate through our differences.
When Newsweek asked me to comment on Ways to Encourage Respectful Debate in the Workplace, I shared my “acknowledge and add” model.
Another key for those leaders out there is to create some psychological safety. Build some group norms around how we behave in these conversations by encouraging the differences, making people feel heard, and being additive.
We can have respectful and productive debate. It may even create a deeper connection. Check out the other 14 ideas on how to do this here.