{"id":18016,"date":"2023-10-19T09:03:30","date_gmt":"2023-10-19T09:03:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/leadership\/helping-workers-discuss-israel-hamas-war-and-other-hot-button-topics\/"},"modified":"2023-10-19T09:03:31","modified_gmt":"2023-10-19T09:03:31","slug":"helping-workers-discuss-israel-hamas-war-and-other-hot-button-topics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=18016","title":{"rendered":"Helping Workers Discuss Israel-Hamas War And Other Hot-Button Topics"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>The attack by Hamas on Israel has sparked anger and demonstrations around the world. Business leaders should not be surprised when news about the Middle East\u2014or anywhere else\u2014becomes a major topic of conversation among employees<\/p>\n<p>Staying on the sidelines when workers have heated discussions about the Israel-Hamas conflict or other hot-button issues may not be the best option. It could send the message that corporate executives don\u2019t know or care what their workers are feeling or saying about the latest crisis.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align\">Consequences<\/h2>\n<p>This does not mean that companies should take sides. But neither should they pretend the situations and the emotions they generate do not exist\u2014or matter. That approach could impact employee morale and create a different kind of crisis for organizations.<\/p>\n<p>Silence from the executive suite can generate rumors or speculation about why the organization is quiet on an issue that is so important to employees.<\/p>\n<p>In some cases, disagreements between workers and employers about those issues can go public.<\/p>\n<p><fbs-ad position=\"inread\" progressive=\"\" ad-id=\"article-0-inread\" aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\"><\/fbs-ad><\/p>\n<p><em>What<\/em> to say to employees is just one part of the communication equation. Decisions will have to be made on when, where, and <em>how <\/em>to say it.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align\">A New Skill Set<\/h2>\n<p>The ability to guide teams through periods of political turmoil and emotion has become a new and necessary skill set for corporate executives.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLeaders need to understand that emotions and conversations can erupt and escalate if people feel attacked, misunderstood, or are not acknowledged,\u201d Arnold Sanow, author of <em data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Get-Along-Anyone-Anytime-Anywhere\/dp\/1600372198?nodl=1&amp;dplnkId=2b3e4345-52a3-47bc-a454-c99b4a7e9b1f\">Get Along With Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere<\/em>, said via email.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDiscussing emotionally charged political or crisis situations in the workplace can be challenging, but leaders can navigate these conversations more effectively with a few strategies,\u201d Cassandra LeClair, a clinical associate professor of communication at Texas A&amp;M University\u2019s Mays Business School, said via email.<\/p>\n<p>She recommended that company officials establish ground rules for discussions and avoid imposing personal beliefs on their team.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Leaders must also strike a delicate balance between acknowledging the ongoing crisis and respecting the comfort levels of their team members,\u201d LeClair said. \u201cThe key is to create an environment where employees feel supported and understood without pressuring them to engage in discussions they may find uncomfortable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbove all, demonstrating a respectful and empathetic tone while communicating and listening to other viewpoints is crucial. Encourage open dialogue and be aware of divisions that may negatively impact morale or productivity,\u201d she recommended.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align\">\u2018Guiding Factors\u2019<\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align\"><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cEmotional intelligence, particularly compassion, empathy and listening, should be the guiding factors for leaders to address their teams during times of struggle,\u201d Richard A. Smith, a workforce expert and managing partner of Benton + Bradford Consulting, said via email.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSimply asking, \u2018How are you doing after yesterday&#8217;s news?\u2019 or \u2018What do you need for support in the light of current events?\u2019 are effective tools to give employees space to communicate their feelings or address accommodations,\u201d he advised.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLeaders don&#8217;t have to have an answer or even a response beyond, &#8220;Thanks for letting me know.&#8221; Attentively listening without judgment or fumbling for words will be more impactful than empty platitudes,\u201d Smith concluded.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align\">Neutral Zones In The Workplace<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s important to be conscious of what people may be struggling with, regardless of their nationality, and how that could be impacting their state of mind at work, \u201dJessica Kriegel, chief scientist of workplace culture at Culture Partners, said via email.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile being supportive in this way, you need to be careful to stay out of the debate so that others follow your lead and do their best to maintain a neutral zone in the workplace,\u201d Kriegel counseled.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align\"><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p>Read the full article <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/edwardsegal\/2023\/10\/18\/helping-workers-discuss-israel-hamas-war-and-other-hot-button-topics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The attack by Hamas on Israel has sparked anger and demonstrations around the world. Business leaders should not be surprised when news about the Middle East\u2014or anywhere else\u2014becomes a major topic of conversation among employees Staying on the sidelines when workers have heated discussions about the Israel-Hamas conflict or other hot-button issues may not be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18017,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-18016","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-leadership"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Helping Workers Discuss Israel-Hamas War And Other Hot-Button Topics | Brandiary<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The attack by Hamas on Israel has sparked anger and demonstrations around the world. 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