Many workplaces feel more tense lately. Political divides and heated world events aren’t staying outside office doors. Instead, they’re showing up in meeting rooms and Slack threads, and it can stress out even the most composed professionals. If you lead a team a promo pros, you may be unsure how (or when) to step in.
Dana Theus, the president and CEO of InPower Coaching, gets it. She says many of us find ourselves working with teams where deeply held and sometimes conflicting political and cultural values create friction. And many leaders are finding that their go-to conflict management style doesn’t work in today’s environment. How do you go about leading in a divided world? Theus has some ideas, which we share in this issue of PromoPro Daily.
Let go of the need to be right. Theus points out that it’s normal to want to engage in conversions on things you feel strongly about and influence others’ opinions. However, if you do that at work, you can create issues for your business and impede your business goals. The best outcome isn’t to “be right,” she says, but to build stronger professional ties.
Establish and uphold ground rules. Make sure everyone knows that personal attacks and disrespectful behavior won’t be tolerated. She recommends constantly steering conversations back to business goals and data. If discussions get heated, try asking, “Based on our agreed-upon goals, what data do we need to make this decision?”
Listen to understand, not to agree. You can acknowledge someone’s perspective without agreeing with them. It helps build bridges when you say, “I hear your concern is about XYZ.” If different perspectives get in the way of productive discussion, Theus encourages leaders to sort out the topics and then limit the conversation to what specifically affects the business.
Model what you want to see. Stay calm, be respectful and remain focused on the process. You don’t have to pretend things are perfect, but you can set the tone with your steadiness and professionalism.
Know when and how to intervene. If conversations veer into unproductive personal debates, redirect them back to work. Theus suggests facilitating structured dialogue methods that separate ideas from identities. Sometimes, she says, the most effective leadership is recognizing which conversations are simply not appropriate or productive for the workplace.
Your team may feel disjointed at times but try to focus on shared goals. When you model respect for everyone — even those you don’t necessarily agree with — you can show it’s possible to keep moving forward together.
Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Dana Theus is the president and CEO of InPower Coaching. She’s a leadership consultant, facilitator and coach who helps clients achieve professional success through personal development.
