Political disagreements need not fracture your staff

Ethically questionable moves by Will Lewis, CEO of The Washington Post, and the ensuing employee outrage are instructive for other leaders who could also face calls for more transparency from their staff and may need to move quickly to rein in or remove their own compromised leaders, writes Adam Bryant, the senior managing director of the ExCo Group. Avoid such problems, Bryant advises, by screening new leaders for integrity and character before offering them a job.

Put it into practice: Assess whether a leader's troubles are caused by style or substance because the former can be fixed with coaching, but the latter may cause irreparable harm to your company, Bryant writes. "Character matters. A spotless record matters."

Political arguments in the office can harm employee engagement, writes Michael Lee Stallard, president and co-founder of Connection Culture Group, who recommends training managers to create a culture of connection through effective communication, team building and conflict resolution. "Leaders need to know how to create an inclusive environment where all employees feel respected and valued, regardless of their political beliefs," Stallard writes.

Put it into practice: Managers must first learn to control their own emotions when disagreements break out so they can create "a supportive environment where employees feel heard and valued," Stallard writes. "Leaders should learn how to facilitate open and respectful dialogues, especially when addressing sensitive topics like politics."

Improve your negotiation skills by getting the other side to say "No" quickly so you can get a better handle on what they need and ask questions that appeal to their emotions while you speak calmly and mirror their gestures to create a sense of connection, writes author Polina Pompliano. "The world's best negotiators know that you need collaboration -- not competition -- in order to get to a mutually beneficial outcome," Pompliano notes.

Put it into practice: Let the other person give you the leverage you need by asking them, "What would you do if you were in my position?" or "What does success in this deal look like to you?" Pompliano suggests. "As you listen, you jot down the answers, and now you're better equipped to tailor your pitch in a way to best help them reach their goals."

Depending on the ingredients, a sandwich can be a more healthful choice than a salad, nutrition experts say, especially if the salad includes a high-fat dressing, crunchy add-ons or fried proteins. "You'll want to make sure your sandwich includes veggies, ... healthy fats and high fiber whole grain bread," says registered dietitian nutritionist Vanessa Imus. RD Nikki Kuhlmann adds that the combination of protein, fiber and healthful fats in a sandwich can help keep people "fuller for longer compared to a low-protein, low-fat salad."

The iconic blue suede shoes worn by Elvis Presley in the 1950s have been auctioned off for more than $150,000. Presley gave the size 10-and-a-half shoes -- which have been on display at the Elvis-A-Rama museum in Las Vegas -- to his close friend and ranch foreman Alan Fortas just before the King of Rock-n-Roll shipped out with the army.

Conflict in a workplace doesn't have to be inevitable if leaders are committed to building what Michael Lee Stallard calls "a culture of connection." Such a culture doesn't happen organically. Leaders must intentionally cultivate it by learning to model and teach empathy, emotional intelligence, inclusivity, conflict resolution and team building.

It's not enough to give lip service to such a culture. Leaders must be dedicated to consistently living it out in everything they say, do or communicate, both internally and externally. If you, as a leader, are not committed to integrity, teamwork, equity, fairness and inclusion, your teams won't be either.

Your employees watch you closely, and they can tell if you're serious about creating a connected culture. After I retired from the spiritual community I founded 14 years ago, a new leader recently canceled a Sunday morning service because he would be out of town. I told the person who relayed this story to me, "Well, as soon as leadership sees Sunday morning as optional, so will the congregation."

If your people see integrity as optional, your culture is in danger. But when your teams feel respected and connected, they are more engaged, more dedicated and less likely to burnout. You have the power to make or break your culture.

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