Are Political Divides and Poor Communication Silencing Innovation at Your Company?

January might be ending, but there’s still time to assess your professional goals. Did your accomplishments in 2024 match your ambitions? What will you learn this year? If better communication isn’t on your list, it should be. Inclusive communication allows leaders to bridge cultural gaps, build strong relationships, set clear business priorities, and express complex ideas through storytelling. Here are a few resources to help you begin your learning journey.?

What’s New?

As Polarization Rises, Leaders Must Champion Diversity of Thought and Collaboration??

The rise of social media startup bluesky is one more sign of increasing social media polarization. More and more, people are only interacting with folks just like themselves and hearing opinions they already agree with. As someone who strongly believes that diverse points of view drive innovation, I’m concerned that business leaders don’t have the skills to overcome the deep divisions in our society.??

The workplace is one of the last places where people with diverse points of view gather and interact. However, it’s not easy for folks to get along if they’re making assumptions based on a person’s political views or where they get their news. Increasingly, people are predisposed not to trust or listen to each other. C-suite executives must become more adept?at?cross-functional, cross-cultural and cross-generational communication. Their future success depends on their ability to bridge ideological divides and bring teams together for common business goals.??

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What’s Trending??

High-performing teams need clear communication and trust: Strong manager-employee connections are the cornerstone of a thriving workplace. However, too many leaders are allowing poor communication and unresolved conflict to undermine trust and weaken relationships. In a global survey on psychological safety, Workplace Options identified manager-employee conflict as a top contributor to workplace stress, compromising well-being and performance across roles, industries, and regions. Five practical strategies can help leaders build trust and minimize manager-employee conflict.?

Build stronger, more connected teams: Multinational and multicultural teams are increasingly common, as technology makes it easy to connect with colleagues around the world. Even when individuals speak the same language, communication gaps can still exist. Accent bias and cultural disconnects can hinder collaboration and compromise organizational success. Our new white paper, Bridging Communication Gaps: How Inclusive Communication Can Transform Multinational, Multicultural Teams, explores how inclusive communication can unlock the potential of a diverse workforce.?

Don’t Miss This!?

Learn to Use Data to Fix Your Employee Engagement Strategy?

How are you tracking employee engagement? Research shows that engaged teams generate 18% more in sales and are 14% more productive. Despite these benefits, many organizations aren’t measuring employee engagement accurately. Join Kurt Merriweather, CDE? on Thursday, February 20, at 2 p.m. EST, for “How to Measure Employee Engagement: Metrics You Can Act On,” a free webinar exploring how to use data to create a motivated and productive workforce, no matter the size of your team.?

Quick Hits??

• Aspiring entrepreneurs know it's tricky to navigate the business world, but winners don’t waste time thinking about the obstacles. Instead, they concentrate on their strengths and draw confidence from what only they can contribute.?

• Organizations that promote a culture of trust have a significant competitive advantage. Trust feeds psychological safety and team performance, leading to better collaboration, problem-solving, and creativity. Leaders can drive trust in the workplace.??

• Finally, the ripple effects of the California wildfires extend far beyond the state’s borders. As leaders, it is our responsibility to support our employees’ mental health as they and their loved ones navigate the disaster.?