Why Basecamp's "Political Talk" Ban Is A Culture Crusher
On Sunday, May 2, 2021, a friend of mine texted me a link to a New York Times article highlighting the fact that a third of Basecamps employees had resigned due to a ban on societal and political discussions while at work.
Shocked
I've personally used Basecamp for several projects since as far back as 2014. I've read the book Rework by founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson and I've read several of their Signal vs. Noise blog posts over the years as well. I've always admired the way that Jason and David think about business and start-up culture and their willingness to be different and forward-thinking in ways that have led to exponential growth and success for the small project management and team communication software company since its inception. So I was shocked to learn about this fallout and my empathies went out to Jason, David, the resignees, and the remaining staff.
Shocked...But Not Completely Surprised
I'm not completely surprised that something like this could happen at any company, large or small, because we are living during a unique era in time when the convergences of free speech, the internet, and social media shine a spotlight on our differences in ways that cause extreme polarization. This polarization is predictable due to the fact that we live in a society that teaches and models debate as the primary means for resolving conflicts and making decisions. Unfortunately, debates are all about winning or being right so they don't allow much space for listening and learning which too often leads to arguments and an "us-versus-them" culture.
So I can see how it would seem logical for a CEO to make the decision to simply ban these types of discussions at work. However, CEO's also have to consider how a decision like that impacts their culture and misaligns with current diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging best practices.
Predictable...But Not Unavoidable
At Grow Dialogue, we help companies leverage situations like this to emerge as leaders in meeting the demands of our time where the lines between work, social, political, and home life are blurred like never before. Our trainings, workshops, and coaching are grounded in a communications framework called Authentic Dialogue. Authentic Dialogue helps people learn how to leverage differences to collaboratively make decisions and resolve conflicts in a way that strengthens relationships.
In an authentic dialogue, people learn to freely explore issues, listen deeply to each other, and temporarily suspend their own views and assumptions in search of common ground and collective truth. The purpose of authentic dialogue is to go beyond any one individual's understanding. In an authentic dialogue, we are not trying to win...we all win if we are doing it right.
Different beliefs, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are a given. Authentic Dialogue practices allow people to transcend the trap of polarization and ensure that we embrace human diversity as an asset and catalyst for individual and collective growth.
Leading The Way Forward
CEO's and organizational leaders are in a great position to be leaders in driving change that ripples out beyond their companies and into the fabric of the lives of the people and communities they serve. If you're a leader determined to face the challenges of our time head-on and you're looking to equip your teams with the necessary skills to cultivate a thriving and cohesive work culture where everyone feels like they are included and belong then visit our website to learn about our solutions and give us a call.
We'd love to chat!