I know who I am. I know what I believe. I do my best not to let that seep into what we do at The Bureau, because I want everyone to feel comfortable, and I know a lot of folks don't feel the way I do. I look to radical inclusivity as a guideline, and I try to make sure all feel welcome.
Politics falls into that category of subjects a lot of us feel we shouldn't talk about at work. What I struggle with is talking about the impact of what's happening in the world without the cause taking over the conversation.
Over the past few years I've watched leaders in our community deal with events that hit their cities, their teams, their clients, and their bottom line. Much of it was spoken about privately because sharing it in public felt volatile. I feel we need to be able to talk about it openly as leaders if we're really supporting each other.
Talking Impact Without Debating the Cause
I'm from Florida, and I've dealt with my fair share of hurricanes. When one tears through our city, we don't hesitate. We ask who lost power and who needs a place to stay, and we check on the people who didn't have the resources to ride it out. Leaders talk openly about what the storm did to their business and how they're recovering, and nobody thinks of that as wrong to share.
When the cause becomes the conversation
Now picture a government entity coming into your city and having a major impact on the people and businesses there. Some of the effects on a leader look familiar. Teams get distracted and projects fall into disarray. Some people can't get to work, or they're worried about their family and neighbors. Whether you see the change as negative or positive, you still have to lead through it.
Checking on people and talking about what's happening to our companies are a major part of leading. What often bites us in the butt is that once the cause comes up, it can drown out the impact.
What leaders are carrying
These numbers are about employees, but I think they reflect how leaders feel as well.
A Brightmine survey last fall found 64% of employees had experienced or witnessed a political disagreement at work in the past year.
In that same survey, 27% said the political environment distracted them from their jobs, up from 19% the year before. Only 20% said their employer acknowledges the emotional toll.
In this year's Bentley-Gallup Business in Society survey, 56% of employees said their employer should not communicate stances on current events.
In that same survey, 62% wanted their employer to address mental health.
So we're expected to manage the fallout while many people would rather we keep our opinions to ourselves. To me, that's why talking with other leaders who are dealing with the same challenges is so critical. It gives us a place to figure things out without burdening our teams.
Facts first, then grace
In The Bureau, we need to be able to say what's happening and how it's affecting our businesses, whether that's being unable to keep projects on schedule because of outside forces or a teammate who's unable to work. We can share those facts without asking anyone to agree on the cause.
And when one of us expresses more than we intended to, even through our tone or emotion, we need to be able to give each other grace. Usually that's a person under stress sharing something hard. Assume the best and ask how they're doing.
If we can't talk about the impact, then are we really supporting each other?
I’m still figuring out how to talk about the impact of what’s happening without the cause taking over the conversation. What I do know is what I’ve seen in The Bureau Community for years. When one of us is struggling, people show up with advice or a kind word, often before anyone asks. The cause behind the struggle shouldn’t change that. Supporting each other was never on the taboo list, and every time one of us needs it, I know we'll keep showing up.
