The highly consequential U.S. election spotlighted wrenchingly divisive social and cultural issues that charge emotions, and it’s spilling into the workplace as a dangerous form of workplace toxicity. As leaders, we need to model, expect, and even demand civility.
Just before the 2020 election, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reported that 44% of human resource professionals saw intensified political volatility at work. Now, two years later, the situation may be worse as political acts and speech are ever-more overt and divisions more clearly defined. This is a workplace column, not a political one; I don’t need to list the issues to assert that people feel scared, angry, and anxious.
Psychologists know a lot about heightened emotions and how they lead to negative behavior. Most of us, however, have not benefited from those insights. It’s time for that to change.
A disrupted society creates the potential for distraction and anxiety no matter what the workplace ... [+]
For example, psychology has shown that what feels visceral and inevitable, like anxiety or anger, starts with common thought patterns that can wildly exaggerate the response. Research demonstrates that each emotion has an identifiable underlying type of thought. People who learn basic psychological skills regularly have Aha! moments in which they suddenly gain a new perspective on—and ability to manage—their own emotions and behaviors. The first insight? We are less unique than we think. The second? Separating our feelings and emotions from our process of evaluating situations, and dispassionately developing a way forward leads to more effective behaviors.
Why? This week, and in the time ahead, those skills can be the difference between calm and catastrophe in the workplace. According to Qualtrics, which regularly studies and reports on workplace climate, a toxic workplace environment manifests in a number of impairments like high turnover, increased irritability and burnout, and a general feeling of dread about going to work; and is estimated to cost nearly $250B over the last 5 years. Toxicity is characterized by negativity and a lack of trust and manifests in behaviors such as bullying, harassment, inequity in the workplace.
McKinsey’s new report on workplace mental health shows that workplace toxicity makes workers 35 times more likely to burn out, leave, lose engagement than the baseline of feeling they lack resources such as access to mental health support. You cannot have a productive, engaged workforce if employees do not feel safe and respected.
But there’s a larger need, too. A disrupted society creates the potential for distraction and anxiety no matter what the workplace culture. In a nutshell—bad for business. As business leaders, we need to recognize the inherent stress and do what we can to make work positive and rewarding. Trust in business today is significantly higher than trust in our government, our press and our religious institutions. This presents both a responsibility and an opportunity for business leaders to step up now and create a positive, inclusive environment—especially in the coming weeks, post-election. I think of it as a win-win: it's good for our business and it makes business a force for good. It certainly helps the workforce stay positive—and may just help reinforce clear calm thought and much needed unity that derives from a shared sense of purpose.
Creating and maintaining positive, civil workplaces is part of our work now. Here’s where to focus:
- Create an environment of psychological safety. Preventing or punishing harassment is just a starting point. Other toxic behaviors can be much more subtle but just as harmful.
- Listen actively and don't assume you know how people feel—or what they are thinking.
- Promote an atmosphere of impartiality, trying to see both sides of issues. That kind of mental flexibility is one of the hallmarks of innovation, problem solving—and resilience.
- Actively communicate with people in a positive way and encourage them to do the same with others.
- Acknowledge that these are stressful and volatile times and to encourage/prioritize well-being as part of your culture. That needs to start at the top and be reinforced by your managers and internal leaders.
Civility is the core of civilization. By paying attention to stress and cohesion in the workplace, you’re helping your employees, your business—and the greater good. That’s being a force for growth.
