Leadership in Action: Identity Crisis: Recognizing the Triggers of a Growing Type of Conflict

BE FLEXIBLE

Respect for cultural differences is key to working with multiple social identity groups. Today's work environment requires that workers understand that their co-workers may have perspectives very different from theirs. The typical response to seeing someone eat, dress, act, or speak differently is to think it is “weird.” Collectively, organizational members need to engage in ways of building perspective, developing an understanding that there are multiple views of the world. Having the flexibility to see situations from multiple vantage points is one way to learn how to work in a globally diverse workforce. Considering multiple views on understanding social identity conflicts and multiple methods of addressing them is also important. ...