Overcoming Division
Despite our best intentions to establish environments where tension-free collaboration and cooperation flourish, the real world and its conditions, always seem to interfere. There is no way around it, every organization is composed of the people making it run, and each person brings with them a self-identity, a structure of beliefs, and a set of values. These internal characteristics are covered over by social identities that often conflict with one’s sense of self, the everyday commonsense of the public, and the sociocultural values that set free certain behaviors and constrain other ways of being.
In a society that is multiply diverse and hampered by a historical record of oppression and exploitation, it is actually asking a lot of an organization to be a shining example of belonging amidst a variety of social backgrounds. The challenge so many organizations are facing—for the sake of reaching and surpassing the milestones they hold so dear—is how to overcome the internal divisions weighing down employee engagement and the effectiveness of their teams.
Meeting this challenge requires building a solid understanding of the current state of your organization with respect to belonging through diversity. It requires a knowledge-building approach that is capable of dealing with the complexity that comes with how divisive social forces shape people from different backgrounds and inspire their particular versions of community building and self-presentation. The understanding needed for significant progress in forging stronger connections is made possible by cultivating the right environment for sharing honest feedback and expertise in deploying the right research tools and the professional resources that are both rigorous and well-respected.
The organizational champions that are willing to take the necessary steps will be rewarded with a precise understanding of workplace strengths and weaknesses and a clear set of recommendations for establishing more effective collaboration and relational closeness among teams and throughout the organization.
To learn more about our research-centered approach for helping clients overcome division, connect with us here.
