We’ve all had a lot to talk about over the last month. If we thought the European football championship was unpredictable with the success of small nations against big nations, then the vote for Brexit (a word now officially in the Oxford English Dictionary) has surprised not only people in the UK, but people everywhere.
It's a huge decision and whilst the real consequences of the vote are very unclear and will be for some time, it has shown up some of the divides and tensions in attitudes and beliefs, and the different realities that people experience. Referendums give everyone a chance to have their voice, but these limited opportunities are also used to express dissatisfaction or to protest about what may be a diverse range of issues from immigration to austerity and lack of opportunity for too many. They are therefore very blunt instruments of democracy, and whatever the outcome of the EU negotiations, governments must also focus on the bigger challenges that we need to solve for to rebuild the obvious and growing distrust with the establishment or ‘elite’ everywhere. People want their voice heard, and perhaps this is a time for wider change in how that voice gets heard in our political processes.
In times of such uncertainty, we all tend to take stock of what’s really important to us and look for security and safety. This might be in our family or friends and local community, or in our place of work, and we tend naturally to trust those we perceive as most like ourselves. The flip side of this is that our tolerance for difference can quickly diminish, and sadly we have seen too much of this recently.
These challenges of creating positive connections, of engaging people and giving them voice, and reinforcing inclusivity and security in our workplaces have always been important, but now more than ever. It’s a time for business to step up, and the HR profession has a vital role to play in helping organisations manage workforces which aren’t only diverse in age or in culture, but also in politics and beliefs. Many of you have already expressed concerns via our online community that you are seeing increasing tension and conflict in your workplaces. It’s our role to help foster cultures of trust and inclusion, where people feel safe and able to express views and have their voice heard, and where everyone is united by a common organisational purpose. This is also good for business in terms of better outcomes – innovation comes from diversity, trust and engagement underpin our ability to adapt and change, and positive organisational cultures bring people together to do more.
We can lead by example as a profession, and to be the change we want to see. That starts by being clear about what we really stand for, and the principles that we espouse and use in our judgments and decisions at work, both individually and collectively. And we need to be proactive and to plan ahead to shape the organisations and the workforces we need, so that we can help determine the future and not just react to it. This is a responsibility we also take seriously at the CIPD, and is a key focus for our research and policy work.
Business should be a force for good, but it needs to act with integrity, to be more transparent, and to take the lead on tolerance and acceptance. In a world that seems to be becoming ever more unpredictable, we should be shifting focus from the things that make us different to the things that bind us together, and that starts with each one of us.
