The Business of We

About the Author

Laura Kriska is an expert on cross-cultural relations, with over 30 years of experience bridging gaps in diverse workplaces. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies on four continents, helping thousands of professionals build trust across Us versus Them differences based on nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, age, or any other factor of identity. Her WE-building framework provides practical and actionable insights for creating a more inclusive and productive world.

Main Idea

The main idea of "The Business of We: The Proven 3-Step Process for Closing the Gap Between Us & Them in Your Workplace" by Laura Kriska is centered on addressing the pervasive Us versus Them gaps that disrupt workplace efficiency and cohesion. Kriska presents a practical three-step approach—Foster Awareness, Self-Assess, and Take Action—to create a WE mindset that fosters authentic connections across diverse identities. This approach helps organizations build trust, improve teamwork, and create a more inclusive and respectful workplace.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Framing the Organizational Challenge
3. Closing the Gaps
4. The Process
5. Moving Forward

Introduction

Every individual has a complex cultural identity shaped by various factors such as gender, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, and more. These identity characteristics intersect in unique ways, leading to diverse perspectives and experiences. However, these differences often result in Us versus Them divides, which can negatively impact workplace dynamics and productivity.

Kriska emphasizes that fostering a WE mindset is crucial for overcoming these divides. A WE mindset involves recognizing and valuing differences, building trust, and creating meaningful connections across diverse groups. By doing so, organizations can enhance collaboration, innovation, and overall performance.

Framing the Organizational Challenge

Diversity can be divisive when not managed effectively. Despite the increasing focus on diversity and inclusion, many organizations still struggle to create truly integrated and inclusive workforces. This is often due to superficial and reactive approaches to diversity issues, where the norms of the dominant group (the home team) become the standard by which all others are measured.

Employees who identify with the home team have an inherent advantage, often leading to the marginalization of those who do not fit these norms. To address this, Kriska advocates for WE-building, which involves working together across differences, acknowledging and valuing diversity, and actively seeking to close gaps between people from different backgrounds.

Closing the Gaps

Kriska introduces a three-step process for closing Us versus Them gaps in the workplace:

• Foster Awareness: Recognize and understand cultural gaps within the organization.
• Self-Assess: Reflect on one's own role in perpetuating these gaps.
• Take Action: Implement strategies to bridge these gaps and foster a more inclusive environment.

This process has been successfully applied by many professionals to navigate workplace diversity issues, build trust, and create a more inclusive and productive work environment.

The Process

Foster Gap Awareness

The first step in WE-building is fostering awareness of cultural differences. This involves understanding that differences are not inherently good or bad but simply different. Kriska highlights several tools for building this awareness: