How to Reunite a Divided Workplace

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Paddle harder, paddle faster maybe you’ll get to the desired destination. The wind kicks up and the waves swirl around you. The boat doesn’t seem to move through the water very quickly. Even the sea turtles are moving faster than you. Your arms grow weary at the constant paddling. Stamina and breathing are strained. You look back at your team to see how they are doing. Only you find they are all paddling in opposite directions.

There are many ways we can be divided. The reasons why we could despise each other are endless. Vaccinated or not vaccinated. Onsite or remote. Too woke or non-woke. Red or blue. Tall or short. Round or flat earth. Up or down, and around we go at a dizzying pace. Pulling teams and people together mean we must first rise above the labels and see each other as human beings.

The truth is the more people are divided the harder it is to achieve anything. The Biblical story of the tower of Babel found in Genesis 11: 1-9 sheds light on this age-old wisdom -- that together we can accomplish great things. Unless of course God decides otherwise. In which case good luck with that.

Today is as good a time as any to get out of the boat and rise to a higher vantage point. Step away from the noise and look how the workplace is shaping up today regardless of your leadership paddling efforts.

Here are 3 bold themes that I see emerging from the rubble of our reality:

Workplace practices that predate the pandemic are now quickly becoming obsolete or ineffective.
Personal values reign supreme in a talent demand market. Life is short. People want to spend more time with what matters the most to them…spoiler alert: it’s not the job.
There is a new talent competition shark in the waters, and it’s called “remote work.” People have the option to leave your organization and never look back.

To compete for talent in this market reality its critical to first ensure your team is paddling in the same direction. That alone will influence your culture and ability to attract and retain talent.

Here are four ways to get started:

1. Assess if it’s time for a “do over.”

The pandemic has revealed some essential truths about whether people in leadership positions lead with their head and heart, if at all. The days of “command and control”, “leading by lip service”, and foisting alienating mandates, is over. Employees see through empty PR statements and clearly observe leader actions as a center of truth. The adage, “your actions speak louder than your words” is at the very core of building or losing trust, even in this modern age.

If leaders have lost ground with authentic employee engagement, it’s never too late to reassess and re-energize your workplace. But leaders must be willing to see their part in the solution. Arrest the finger pointing and blame mentality. Leaders must envision a better day and commit to a better way to see the light at the end of the talent shortage tunnel.

2. Find your “people first” leaders

The great resignation is a sure sign that recalibration of overall direction and structure is on tap. Now is a good time to understand just who is paddling your boat and in what direction.

There are leaders who are good at bringing people together. They are known among staff to be filled with integrity, approachable, and willing to roll up their sleeves and work among their team members. It is those leaders who are needed to be also retained and at the forefront of inspiring and pulling back together divided teams.

There are those in leadership positions or workforce members who sow divisive seeds, unfairly judge others, and put politics over people. It is those individuals who are paddling in different directions preventing your organization from realizing its mission and vision.

3. Dust off and breathe life into the mission and vision

These days, I am finding myself wondering what various businesses were founded to do to begin with. Their mission and vision seem muddled -- up against the contradictory actions they take and the “tunnel vision” narratives they repeat.

We hire smart people. They see past the branding and PR statements. Get real with people and dust off the mission, vision and ultimately why you are in business.

4. Define and re-define clear goals, roles, and responsibilities. Redefine repeatedly if necessary.

A lack of clarity creates space for boat paddling confusion. In fact, where there are little to no clear goals, people tend to make them up. This is a scenario that can lead to conflict and confusion. The truth is as leaders we may have to do this many times as we hire new people, or the paddlers get confused as to the desired direction.

If you find that your boat is going nowhere, look for opportunities to re-unite a divided team. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll sail through the waters faster and get to your destination.

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Tresha Moreland

Tresha Moreland is a 30-year organizational effectiveness and strategic workforce planning expert. She partners with business leaders to develop workplace strategies that achieve best-in-class results. She has held key organizational leadership roles in multiple industries such as manufacturing, distribution, retail, hospitality, and healthcare. Tresha is the founder and principal consultant of HR C-Suite, LLC (www.hrcsuite.com). HR C-Suite is a results-based HR strategy resource dedicated to connecting HR with business results. She has received a master’s degree in human resource management (MS) and a master’s degree in business administration (MBA). She has also earned a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Six Sigma Black Belt Professional (SSBBP) Certification. She is also recognized as a Fellow with the American College Healthcare Executives with a FACHE designation.