The workplace used to be a
space where reasonable conversations could take place. Trump killed that. You
need to cut off the oxygen to the political fires and get people to talk about
business.
EXPERT OPINION BY HOWARD TULLMAN, GENERAL MANAGING PARTNER, G2T3V
AND CHICAGO HIGH TECH INVESTORS @HOWARDTULLMAN1
FEB 18, 2025
One of the saddest and longest-lasting
casualties of the outrageous lies, fraud, and corruption of the Orange Monster
and his minions has been the creation of a societal divide among people of all
persuasions. This social chasm is now far deeper and more destructive than mere
angry disputes and differences over political issues.
The MAGAts and extremists among us
have made it impossible to have even the most basic, civil conversations with
the people we work for and with, because we’re afraid of offending, triggering,
or antagonizing them for reasons that we can’t anticipate, fathom, or even
rationally respond to. Today, conversations at work are like walking on
eggshells floating on the surface of a pool of quicksand.
As a result, the unfortunate but
probably most prudent short-term action is for owners and managers to simply
stop talking to their people about their beliefs, vision, and goals; and for
their people to stop talking to each other. Talking about “business” matters is
somewhat doable, but conversations about the things that really matter are
messy at best.
There are no longer any common
grounds, shared facts, rules of engagement, or guard rails. Compromise and
comity are seen as weaknesses. These folks don’t listen to reason. In fact,
they don’t listen at all. Worse, they often don’t even hear what they’re saying
— they’ll say things out loud that they would have been ashamed to even think
in the past.
Trump has lifted every rock, he has
made shamelessness an art form, and the worst of the worst have slithered out
and are now front and center throughout our country, and proud to be there.
Even the best fireman will lose every argument with an arsonist.
Building a Culture Has Never Been More
Difficult
Needless to say, building a company
and a culture becomes even more difficult when every conversation is a
challenge. How can you be a business builder and leader, be passionate about
your business’s objectives and future, when you’re constantly biting your
tongue and holding your breath? Especially when the villains seem to be
securing all the victories. Dreams are more fragile and fleeting than we
realize; hate and fear, unfortunately, are more powerful emotional drivers
today than heart and hope.
To be clear, I’m not talking about the
“woke” folks or the pronoun police. Frankly, those concerns and upsets
now seem trivial, even passé. Things are presently much worse than that and the
stakes are far greater. The greater truth is that we simply no longer trust
each other. No one is entitled to the benefit of any doubt. And we have seen
convincing demonstrations that crime pays, liars prevail, and justice is rarely
served when corrupt and radically politicized judges are making the calls.
Notwithstanding how complex and
confusing the world has actually become, the MAGAts and the crazies and their
enablers believe that everything is clearly black or white.
We’ve passed the point where you can
simply suggest to your people that they leave their “whole” selves and their politics at home when
they come to work. This approach isn’t going to repair or remedy the torn
relationships and the anger that seems to be festering right below the surface
in so many situations. Every criticism (whether constructive, well-meant, or
deserved) is taken as a personal attack on someone’s beliefs and rejected out
of hand. Every action is deemed to be agenda-driven, and every perceived agenda
is suspected and ill-intended.
Getting much of anything done is
becoming increasingly challenging, while it’s far too easy to get depressed and
lose interest, energy, and desire. Rallying the troops is becoming more burden
than opportunity, not simply because so many of them are remote or distant (as
well as many who’ve been forced back into their offices and have checked out
without leaving) — but also because the typical touchpoints, the classic
clichés, and the business fundamentals we believed in all seem thin and less
relevant in the face of the struggles we’re facing. Touting the “team” is
especially tough when Trump and his terrorists are running wild and tearing
everything down.
To be fair, this nihilist attitude
isn’t restricted to right-wing Republicans. Chicago’s moronic mayor recently
said, as he abruptly announced the planned departure of a number of longtime
city employees: “If you ain’t with us, you gotta go.” Everyone who disagrees
with him is automatically called a fool, a racist, and an idiot.
Business Owners and Managers Still
Need to Step Up, Not Give Up
I’m not sure that there’s even an end
in sight, but I do believe that — even if the words occasionally feel like
paste in our mouths — we as owners and operators have got to figure out new
ways and do our best to continue these tough conversations. Even if it’s hard
to argue for fairness and decency and a favorable future for all without
feeling that your own comments seem stilted and inauthentic. Take a breath and
go back at it. The pain and the struggle of trying to get the right
messages through the noise and clutter, not to mention the ignorance,
confusion, and misinformation, is worth it.
There is one shift that is essential
for the moment. We need to make room for everyone in our companies and our
communities regardless of their beliefs and positions, as long as they are at
least tolerant of all of the others around them. Not everyone who works for you
needs to agree with you about everything, or believe in all the same things, or
even think that the steps and actions you’re taking from time to time are the
best for the business. You can disagree without being disagreeable.
You’re trying to build a company and a
culture, but not a cult, and there’s a big difference, as we’re seeing every
day. The team needs to work together, certainly, but it’s time to take a step
back and forget all the homilies about being one big family or a band of
zealots pursuing a common cause or a shared dream.
Trump has brought us to this point and
torn the country in pieces that may never again be brought together. Given that
reality, we’ve got to settle for what we can achieve in the near term and buy
the best peace in our workplaces that we can secure.
A truce isn’t terrific, but it’s
better than presiding over a bunch of pointless battles and irresolvable
arguments among your people. Worry about what you can fix for now and keep your
fingers crossed for a far better future.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their
own, not those of Inc.com.
