How will you break the cycle of us. vs. them?
"I'm right. I'm mean, really, really right. The people in my social circle agree that I'm right. The websites I visit have the same opinion. The news channels I watch also agree that I'm right. So, if everyone around me agrees that I'm right, it must be true. Right?"
Wrong.
Let's be honest. Most of our social circles are more segregated than integrated. The folks in our personal circles typically look and think like us. We're often surrounded by like-minded people with similar opinions. That is until we go to work.
Businesses are typically more diverse than our homes and neighborhoods. These integrated workplaces provide an environment in which we're required to interact with people different from ourselves. As a result, we build social and collaboration skills with diverse groups of people we otherwise wouldn't develop.
Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, social isolation has distanced us from meaningful interactions with diverse groups of people.
And we're out of practice.
We're deeper in echo chambers than ever before. For most of 2020, we've been surrounded by people who echo our own opinions back to us, resulting in firm convictions that we are extremely right. Anyone who disagrees with us must be extremely wrong.
This mentality often misleads us to believe, "they're either with me or against me."
We're in a perfect storm, and the conditions are ideal for even more division.
So, what happens when the pandemic is over? What happens when things normalize, and we have to work alongside people who vote, think, and look different than us? How do we collaborate with people we see as "them" and not "us"?
The "Us vs. Them" mentality is an unfortunate cycle that carries negative consequences for all. Workplace leaders have a unique opportunity to bridge the divide between diverse groups of people.
Organizations won't thrive without leaders who know how to rebuild healthy collaboration and transform conflicting ideas into innovative outcomes. ?
Coach and Trainer for Individuals and Teams
4 年Nicely done Melissa. In my view social media is fueling these divisions, and worse yet, making big dollars off of doing so. Tech companies such as Twitter, FB, IG algorithmically serve up information based upon division, keeping people both isolated and more mistrusting than in our history. We barely can breathe in context with what we are being fed in these platforms. I personally would like to propose a new model--that we take the profit out of division and only support true collaboration. We do this with our time, our attention, and our wallets. When friends say to me "it's the only way I can stay in touch with people" it causes me to ask "really?" It feels as though we've been trained like research animals to respond to a flashing light, or a dollop of peanut butter. Honestly I see it as the biggest issue. Just my dos centavos. ??
Senior Banner Consultant at Ferrilli
4 年Keeping the channels of communication open being mindful that these are discussions not arguments. Will always help an open minded individual to learn and grow. Thank you for your insight Melissa it is always appreciated
Senior Consultant at Ferrilli
4 年Well said Melissa Majors!