Us versus Them gaps have always affected the American workplace – Sales versus Marketing, Manufacturing versus Engineering, Human Resources versus Legal. But today there is an urgent need to address a wide range of culture gaps, especially due to the impact of the pandemic, racism and protests in support of Black Lives Matter, and an intensely divisive U.S. presidential election.
No matter what your politics, one thing is clear — the old tools just don’t work; a new approach to diversity, cultural difference, and inclusion is urgently needed. What can business leaders do to create true synergy among the diverse and often fiercely divided members of their workforce?
In this interview with Laura Kriska, author of the new book The Business of WE, we discuss a practical roadmap for building cohesive, high-performing teams, regardless of personal differences. Drawing on her decades of international experience as a cross-cultural consultant, Kriska shares her proven three-step method for closing the gap between Us and Them in your workplace.
Our conversation includes:

Simple examples of “We-Building” behaviors or gestures
Overview of the 3-step process for closing Us versus Them gaps in your workplace
Actions that will contribute toward building a WE culture
Tips for we-building while working from home, especially during this pandemic?
How can people use the WE-building tools in their daily lives,  both the workplace and beyond

Laura Kriska is an internationally recognized expert and leading consultant on cross-cultural relations with more than 30 years of experience bridging gaps in diverse workplaces. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies on four continents, helping thousands of business leaders and professionals build trust across Us versus Them differences based on nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, age, or any factor of identity. Her first book, The Accidental Office Lady, was based on her experience as the first American woman to work in Honda Motor Company’s Tokyo headquarters.
 








 
 


 
 
 
 
 

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Websites: laurakriska.com
Book:  The Business of WE: The Proven Three-Step Process for Closing the Gap Between Us and Them in Your Workplace
Instagram: /laurakriska_author/
Facebook: /LauraKriskaauthor
Twitter: /LauraKriska
LinkedIn: /in/laura-kriska
* mentimeter.com
* hcleadershipessentials.com

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