Jeremy Weintraub’s Post

Today, BetterUp released novel research in TIME Charter about the impact of political polarization in the workplace. Drawing on data from over 250,000 BetterUp members over the past four years and two external pulse surveys, we analyzed the financial and cultural effects through two key lenses: productivity and well-being. Our findings show that rising political tension at work decreases both productivity and well-being at work—costing your organization nearly $900,000 USD per week. In addition, our research found that focus, belonging, team cohesion, and mental health were all negatively affected by this political tension. The good news? As leaders, there are positive actions you can take—both at the organization and manager level—to preserve productivity, focus, and connection, even when the world around us feels divided. Here are a few highlights: *Managers matter most.* Manager factors outweigh organizational and individual factors in determining how stressed employees get by political tension at work. Manager behaviors that help ease tension include deep listening, problem solving, and acknowledging concerns. By contrast, when managers make political comments or dismiss employee concerns, they heighten tension. *Foster a coaching culture.* Organizations that reward collaboration; that invest in employee development; and that teach employees coaching skills like listening and asking thoughtful questions see significantly less negative impact to their employee productivity and well-being from external political tension. *Stay connected.* Connection and belonging buffer political stress. Investing in building relationships, in making meaning at work, and in deepening one’s sense of professional identity helped individuals avoid heightened stress from politics at work. We’re continuing our research through the coming months with a weekly pulse to better understand how political polarization directly impacts workplace productivity, performance, and culture. Our barometer will be updated bi-weekly to better understand the findings. For leaders interested in learning more about this research and tactics to leverage for the health of your workforce, check out the report: https://hubs.ly/Q02SRT-V0 Thank you to the entire BetterUp Labs and Content Marketing teams for your groundbreaking work on this body of research. I’m proud of the work we’ve done to help people everywhere navigate uncertain times to find more clarity, purpose, and passion in their day-to-day work. 🙏 Kate Niederhoffer Khoa Le Nguyen, PhD Kristin Leimgruber, PhD Sally Colwell Chelsea Macias Adam Wood Claire Clarke Natalie Foulston Madeline Miles Ana Foureaux Frazao Angelica Cadiente Kelly Sofia Pona Erin McClintock

Today, BetterUp released novel research in TIME Charter about the impact of political polarization in the workplace. Drawing on data from over 250,000 BetterUp members over the past four years and two external pulse surveys, we analyzed the financial and cultural effects through two key lenses: productivity and well-being. Our findings show that rising political tension at work decreases both productivity and well-being at work—costing your organization nearly $900,000 USD per week. In addition, our research found that focus, belonging, team cohesion, and mental health were all negatively affected by this political tension. The good news? As leaders, there are positive actions you can take—both at the organization and manager level—to preserve productivity, focus, and connection, even when the world around us feels divided. Here are a few highlights: *Managers matter most.* Manager factors outweigh organizational and individual factors in determining how stressed employees get by political tension at work. Manager behaviors that help ease tension include deep listening, problem solving, and acknowledging concerns. By contrast, when managers make political comments or dismiss employee concerns, they heighten tension. *Foster a coaching culture.* Organizations that reward collaboration; that invest in employee development; and that teach employees coaching skills like listening and asking thoughtful questions see significantly less negative impact to their employee productivity and well-being from external political tension. *Stay connected.* Connection and belonging buffer political stress. Investing in building relationships, in making meaning at work, and in deepening one’s sense of professional identity helped individuals avoid heightened stress from politics at work. We’re continuing our research through the coming months with a weekly pulse to better understand how political polarization directly impacts workplace productivity, performance, and culture. Our barometer will be updated bi-weekly to better understand the findings. For leaders interested in learning more about this research and tactics to leverage for the health of your workforce, check out the report: https://hubs.ly/Q02SRT-V0 Thank you to the entire BetterUp Labs and Content Marketing teams for your groundbreaking work on this body of research. I’m proud of the work we’ve done to help people everywhere navigate uncertain times to find more clarity, purpose, and passion in their day-to-day work. 🙏 Kate Niederhoffer Khoa Le Nguyen, PhD Kristin Leimgruber, PhD Sally Colwell Chelsea Macias Adam Wood Claire Clarke Natalie Foulston Madeline Miles Ana Foureaux Frazao Angelica Cadiente Kelly Sofia Pona Erin McClintock

Today, BetterUp released novel research in TIME Charter about the impact of political polarization in the workplace. Drawing on data from over 250,000 BetterUp members over the past four years and two external pulse surveys, we analyzed the financial and cultural effects through two key lenses: productivity and well-being. Our findings show that rising political tension at work decreases both productivity and well-being at work—costing your organization nearly $900,000 USD per week. In addition, our research found that focus, belonging, team cohesion, and mental health were all negatively affected by this political tension. The good news? As leaders, there are positive actions you can take—both at the organization and manager level—to preserve productivity, focus, and connection, even when the world around us feels divided. Here are a few highlights: *Managers matter most.* Manager factors outweigh organizational and individual factors in determining how stressed employees get by political tension at work. Manager behaviors that help ease tension include deep listening, problem solving, and acknowledging concerns. By contrast, when managers make political comments or dismiss employee concerns, they heighten tension. *Foster a coaching culture.* Organizations that reward collaboration; that invest in employee development; and that teach employees coaching skills like listening and asking thoughtful questions see significantly less negative impact to their employee productivity and well-being from external political tension. *Stay connected.* Connection and belonging buffer political stress. Investing in building relationships, in making meaning at work, and in deepening one’s sense of professional identity helped individuals avoid heightened stress from politics at work. We’re continuing our research through the coming months with a weekly pulse to better understand how political polarization directly impacts workplace productivity, performance, and culture. Our barometer will be updated bi-weekly to better understand the findings. For leaders interested in learning more about this research and tactics to leverage for the health of your workforce, check out the report: https://hubs.ly/Q02SRT-V0 Thank you to the entire BetterUp Labs and Content Marketing teams for your groundbreaking work on this body of research. I’m proud of the work we’ve done to help people everywhere navigate uncertain times to find more clarity, purpose, and passion in their day-to-day work. 🙏 Kate Niederhoffer Khoa Le Nguyen, PhD Kristin Leimgruber, PhD Sally Colwell Chelsea Macias Adam Wood Claire Clarke Natalie Foulston Madeline Miles Ana Foureaux Frazao Angelica Cadiente Kelly Sofia Pona Erin McClintock

Today, BetterUp released novel research in TIME Charter about the impact of political polarization in the workplace. Drawing on data from over 250,000 BetterUp members over the past four years and two external pulse surveys, we analyzed the financial and cultural effects through two key lenses: productivity and well-being. Our findings show that rising political tension at work decreases both productivity and well-being at work—costing your organization nearly $900,000 USD per week. In addition, our research found that focus, belonging, team cohesion, and mental health were all negatively affected by this political tension. The good news? As leaders, there are positive actions you can take—both at the organization and manager level—to preserve productivity, focus, and connection, even when the world around us feels divided. Here are a few highlights: *Managers matter most.* Manager factors outweigh organizational and individual factors in determining how stressed employees get by political tension at work. Manager behaviors that help ease tension include deep listening, problem solving, and acknowledging concerns. By contrast, when managers make political comments or dismiss employee concerns, they heighten tension. *Foster a coaching culture.* Organizations that reward collaboration; that invest in employee development; and that teach employees coaching skills like listening and asking thoughtful questions see significantly less negative impact to their employee productivity and well-being from external political tension. *Stay connected.* Connection and belonging buffer political stress. Investing in building relationships, in making meaning at work, and in deepening one’s sense of professional identity helped individuals avoid heightened stress from politics at work. We’re continuing our research through the coming months with a weekly pulse to better understand how political polarization directly impacts workplace productivity, performance, and culture. Our barometer will be updated bi-weekly to better understand the findings. For leaders interested in learning more about this research and tactics to leverage for the health of your workforce, check out the report: https://hubs.ly/Q02SRT-V0 Thank you to the entire BetterUp Labs and Content Marketing teams for your groundbreaking work on this body of research. I’m proud of the work we’ve done to help people everywhere navigate uncertain times to find more clarity, purpose, and passion in their day-to-day work. 🙏 Kate Niederhoffer Khoa Le Nguyen, PhD Kristin Leimgruber, PhD Sally Colwell Chelsea Macias Adam Wood Claire Clarke Natalie Foulston Madeline Miles Ana Foureaux Frazao Angelica Cadiente Kelly Sofia Pona Erin McClintock

🌟 Unlocking the Forces Shaping Workplace Dynamics 🌟 We are excited to share this insightful article "The Forces of Work" by Margie Sills-Maerov from Thought Architects shedding light on the intricate dynamics influencing workplaces today. Each force outlined in the article has roots deeply embedded within organizational culture, yet their potential negative impacts can act as toxins, hindering progress and innovation. In navigating these complex dynamics, effective leadership rooted in adaptivity is paramount. Organizations must foster environments where teams are perpetually learning and individuals possess the agility to navigate emerging challenges Invisible forces shape our lives, work, and thinking. Rooted in collective assumptions and social constructs, some aid while others hinder human needs. With awareness, teams can pursue human-centric shifts for sustainable work environments. ◾Force 1: Irrational Belief of Objectivity and the Rational Objectivity, often praised in the workplace as rational, actually hides biases and emotions. It perpetuates power imbalances and protects the status quo. 👉How this shows up in the workplace:  • The dominant view is tacitly deemed to be the “right” view. Once people see that “right” view, they will adopt it.  • There is “one right way” to do things, and that is usually the “rational” way. • Qualitative data is relied upon to the exclusion of other pieces of data. ◾Force 2: Over-Focus on Action Closely related to the Irrational Belief of Objectivity and the Rational, the desired impact is often missed in the pursuit of measuring what can be controlled. The belief that human systems are “controllable” and that decisions are made “rationally” leads to a focus on the wrong thing. 👉How this shows up in the workplace:  • Outputs are measured and not outcomes. It is difficult to determine the impact of work.  • There is a focus on short-term goals and “getting through” certain periods. • Multiple things are “urgent” and the organization operates in a state of perpetual stress and catch-up. ◾Force 3: Fear of Discomfort In our workplaces, there exists a palpable discomfort surrounding emotions, conflict, and hard conversations. The fear of disrupting social harmony often leads individuals and organizations to avoid addressing underlying issues, perpetuating a cycle of unresolved tensions and unproductive dynamics. 👉How this shows up in the workplace: • “Elephants in the room” are never discussed, and groups and individuals go to great lengths to avoid. Work arounds, interpersonal dynamics, coalitions and multiple steps that are not conducive to productive work emerge. • Individuals are seen as the “source” of issues, and performance management is often employed as a resource. • Group think, toxic relationships and limited productivity seem to be the norm. 🔗 To read how you can counter these forces, check out the full article from Thought Architects: https://lnkd.in/g4MbcniF