Find the "magic ratio" to positively lead a divided team

Cynicism and division seem rampant both outside and inside the office, but Kim Cameron, a professor at the University of Michigan and a pioneer in the "positive leadership" movement, says finding a "superordinate" -- an overarching issue that everyone can agree on -- can create the "magic ratio" for building trusting relationships where positive behavior outweighs the negative. "Everybody believes in kindness and gratitude," Cameron says. "It's the best of the human condition -- and that's the whole point."

Put it into practice: Bring more positivity to your office by identifying what Cameron calls "the energizers," who have a "positive bent to them," and build up those good qualities. "What happens is you start unleashing people's potential," Cameron notes.

Adaptability is the most important trait leaders can possess to successfully implement change strategies, writes consultant and coach David Zimmerman, who recommends building flexibility into change management plans. "When leaders embrace adaptability, they can lead their teams more effectively, fostering a culture of resilience and innovation," Zimmerman writes.

Put it into practice: Remember that change is an opportunity for growth, and don't be afraid to encourage employees to develop adaptive skills such as flexibility and risk-taking. "Adaptability is the secret sauce that sets exceptional leaders apart," Zimmerman writes.

If you're getting a chilly reception from your team while trying to improve their behavior, consider the SCARF method developed by David Rock, director of the Neuroleadership Institute, to uncover the reasons behind the resistance. Employees can have different motivations, and SCARF, which stands for status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness and fairness, can help communicate new behavior patterns and by creating messages that help your team choose their actions wisely, says organizational development expert and consultant Melissa Janis.

Put it into practice: Trying to change the personalities of employees is a lost cause, but managers can learn to empower employees based on personality traits. "I can manage how to help you think critically and become successful," says Tommia Hayes, a digital communications specialist.

Alleviate employees' anxiety over productivity by building a workplace culture of recognition and feedback, offering flexible work schedules and supporting work-life balance, surveys and workforce consultants suggest. "We need to recognize that well-being is a right, not a perk," says consultant Jennifer Moss.

Painted lady butterflies traveled more than 4,200 kilometers nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean from West Africa to French Guiana, which points to wind conditions, specifically the Saharan Air Layer, that help in long-distance migrations. The research, published in Nature Communications, used weather data, genetic analysis, including sequencing the DNA of pollen grains on the butterflies, and isotopic studies to confirm the journey.

It can be easy to discount anyone who talks about bringing "positivity" to the workplace, let alone out into the world. Here in the US, we are deeply divided, if you believe the media narrative, anyway.

Kim Cameron, the University of Michigan professor who pioneered the positive leadership movement, says he often gets pushback on his ideas. Cameron, though, has research on his side and points to several examples of how, when a group of people come together for a purpose they can all agree on, they can achieve goals that seemed out of reach.

Sometimes, in the process of coming together for a more significant reason, we begin to understand one another's point of view and where it comes from. Does that mean we agree? No, but it means we begin to see the human behind the opinion. We begin to see the person and understand why they think that way.

There are plenty of people in my life with whom I can't entirely agree with plenty of things, but if I can see that we all want the same thing -- a sense of security and purpose -- then I can be more compassionate toward them. We may disagree with the methods needed to achieve these common goals, but instead of devolving into an argument, we can focus on those areas of agreement and work together from that place.

That doesn't mean we go so far that we create a  "toxic positivity" that completely ignores our differences and disagreements. Instead, we look for that "magic ratio" where we offer five positive inputs for every one negative output. If someone is disagreeable, we become helpful or encouraging by using descriptive language instead of harsh words of judgment or irritation.

Yes, this puts the onus on us to be the ones offering the olive branch, but as one spiritual maxim I live by says, "Whatever is missing in any situation is what you're not giving." If you want peace, you have to be the one giving it. When you do, you'll find the other person is more willing to receive it, and then you can find some common ground, even if it's a sliver.

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