How Healthcare Leaders Can Navigate Divisive Topics In The Workplace
From the conflict in the Middle East to the upcoming U.S. presidential election, the politically charged events occurring at home and throughout the world have an impact on those you directly and indirectly lead.
Casual break room conversations about the latest news can escalate into deeply personal arguments. Opinions shared among team members can leave others feeling isolated in their beliefs. A lack of acceptance (whether real or perceived) can result in employee turnover and a fractured workplace culture.
While healthcare leaders are responsible for the day-to-day happenings of running a medical system, they are equally responsible for fostering a professional environment where people feel safe to come to work each day.
When political discussions enter the work realm, they can impact hiring, retention, employee mental health and more — which is why it’s critical for leaders to know how to navigate these scenarios.
Here are five tips to help leaders properly address and mitigate divisive discussions.
1. Refine your soft skills
An influx in the demand for “softer” CEOs in the post-Covid world has been well-documented. Leaders who seek to understand, lead with empathy and maintain humility set the standard for the type of behavior they tolerate from their employees.
By demonstrating these traits — especially in turbulent times—healthcare leaders can serve as an example of not just a well-rounded professional but a thoughtful individual as well.
2. Check your opinions
Opinions. Everyone is entitled to their own. Yet it’s easy to slip into the belief that some people’s opinions are more or less valid than others.
When this happens, it makes things personal. As a leader, you have to take a step back — and encourage those you serve to do the same. Having a different perspective isn’t a negative. In fact, it can often lead to greater understanding and learning.
Remember: Disagreeing with someone doesn’t mean you have to dislike them.
3. Acknowledge the climate
There are a lot of dynamics happening across the globe that impact people at different levels. By simply recognizing what’s going on politically and culturally, it lets your people know you care. Whether you check in with them during one-on-one connections, acknowledge the greater climate during all-team/all-company meetings or ensure employees have access to mental health services, when your employees feel that you’re there for them, the result is trust and empowerment.
Showing empathy with your employees isn’t just part of being a good leader. It also helps keep those you serve motivated to perform at their highest level. In healthcare, there isn’t room for “off days.” Your people have to be all there and focused on their work — or the consequences can be irreparable.
4. Be proactive
To avoid (or at least mitigate) uprisings from employees, executive leaders must be proactive in planning their approach to addressing politically charged issues that bubble up on the front lines.
As part of this exercise, keeping a pulse on the political and cultural shifts impacting your workforce so that you aren’t left scrambling when your people bring them up is key. People can see through a half-baked response.
It's important to properly navigate political dynamics at work
Today, and always, leaders must be properly prepared to navigate political dynamics in the workplace. This preparation starts in advance — aligning your leadership team, demonstrating traits of empathy and openness and being in tune with the world around you.