Q: Our business doesn’t take political stands or engage in partisan politics. However, we’ve noticed an increase in employee distress and concerns in this moment. How can we strengthen our team without engaging in partisan politics? ACE advises: Businesses seeking to be employers of choice support the health and vitality of their teams. Additionally, these […]
Q: Our business doesn't take political stands or engage in partisan politics. However, we've noticed an increase in employee distress and concerns in this moment. How can we strengthen our team without engaging in partisan politics?
ACE advises: Businesses seeking to be employers of choice support the health and vitality of their teams. Additionally, these very concerns for your employees may indicate larger trends that impact your business or your clientele and should be analyzed for both team impact, as well as customer and market impact.
A leadership team can start by exploring how well they have built a productive team culture that can weather uncertainty and changes in the business climate. Have you encouraged staff people to bring their whole selves to work? Do we have an inclusive team culture? Can people maximize learning and collaboration by asking tough questions and having authentic conversations?
Next, examine the ways socio-political dynamics may be impacting your business's bottom line. Could shifts in public feelings about the future impact your client base — on insurance, for example? Are your employees' concerns a bellwether for trends that may affect your client/customer base and earnings?
If your business has community-focused service/employee volunteer work, see if those programs can give employees an outlet for their concerns and a deeper sense of purpose in taking on challenges at work. A healthy business doesn't silo itself from the community and events around it. Instead, it acts at the intersection of smart strategy, holistic organizational development and leadership development.