5 ways managers can navigate polarization at work

Increasing polarization in Canadian culture is making its way into workplaces, and this “my-side-versus-your-side” view can make things tricky when navigating conflicting opinions between employees.

The divisiveness, often beginning online and spilling over to office watercoolers has been brewing for decades, said Mohammed Hashim, CEO of Canadian Race Relations Foundation and Shakil Chowdhury, CEO of Anima Leadership.

During a recent roundtable event at Future of Good’s Changemaker Wellbeing Summit, the pair said the phenomenon can’t be solely blamed on the current U.S. government rhetoric.

“It’s stormy, it’s big. It’s typhoon season right now and it might not let up for some time,” said Chowdhury. 

“How are we supporting each other even when there’s so much uncertainty that’s coming at us.”

Here are five ways they shared how leaders and managers can navigate polarization in the workplace.

1. Become informed

Leaders should first invest time in understanding the larger context of what’s happening in the world to gain a clear perspective. 

“It’s more than one person. It’s social media. It’s technology,” said Chowdhury. “If you don’t know what’s going on, then all you’re going to be doing is saying, ‘Why is this happening?’” 

When political tensions rise in the workplace, Chowdhury suggested managers consider how a situation affects their employees.

“Maybe there’s stories of incredible hardship and adversity that was overcome inside your organisation,” he said. 

“Maybe it’s the people you serve because you’re in the not-for-profit sector.”

The workplace is ultimately a place to get work done, but that can only happen if employees feel understood and supported, he said.

2. Practice ambiguity tolerance

This concept boils down to answering the question: How skillful are you at managing uncertainty? Chowdhury poses this question to workplace leaders to help them consider their capacity to navigate and tolerate unclear situations without experiencing stress and discomfort. 

“Ambiguity tolerance is really one of those skills that research shows is strongly correlated with self-esteem, self-efficiency, creativity and problem solving,” said Chowdhury. 

Managers often react to polarization by jumping into fight, flight or freeze mode. He added that leaders should learn to manage uncertainty through emotional and social intelligence by adapting to changes and staying open-minded.

3. Set boundaries

Establishing clear guidelines about what your organization stands for is vital to preventing polarization strain. 

Ensure there’s clarity about what is appropriate within the workplace environment and what is not, which is vital to communicate, said Hashim. 

“The person who is most disappointed is a person who has an expectation that was unmet. And that’s where you get the angst from,” he said.  

Oftentimes, companies are measured by how they react to major political issues. 

“There was a series of advancements that happened because of [the murder of] George Floyd. And now it seems like there’s a reverse or revision away from that,” said Hashim. 

A middle ground can be created with boundaries that respect both the workplace and its people by creating an environment of psychological safety, without publicly engaging in every topic, he added.

4. Preventive action

Leaders should be proactive about preventing polarization in the workplace. Chowdhury recommended organizations create a “feedback-rich environment.”

“Are you in an environment where people can actually talk to each other, where people say things like, ‘Hey, I thought that went really well.’”

He said many issues arise long before a conflict occurs. Open communication is an important preventive strategy. 

“What did leadership do and what steps were taken before the conflict got to that point? What I mean, in general, how do we even deal with conflict? Do we talk about it at all?”

5. Focus on the things you can control

“I can’t stop democracy from falling apart over there, so what’s concrete that our organization can do?” Chowdhury posed. 

“We’re going to focus on serving our clients or our members better than we’ve ever done before, or we’re going to focus on team performance and how good we work together,” he suggested, highlighting areas in your control to help build team culture. 

Chowdhury said he believes society is moving into “constant crisis leadership,” and following these suggestions will help people be their best selves in the workplace.

Tell us this made you smarter | Contact us | Report error