The Topics We Avoid at Work—and How to Start Talking About Them
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I'm Audie Ignatius and this is the HBR IdeaCast. See, at every workplace there are things that people think about, worry about, and talk about behind closed doors, but rarely discuss with the people who could actually do something about them. I'm thinking of money, age, family responsibilities, even fear of failure. Yeah, and you left out a biggie on this election day in the US politics. Yes, that too. So today's guest, Christina Wing, who is a longtime executive and now senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, says that we need to get better at addressing all of these topics, even at work, because it's the only way for people to feel truly connected and engaged, and for leaders to get all the information and perspectives they need.
And when, by contrast, you avoid taboo subjects, it undermines trust and can leave your business vulnerable. So that makes sense, and yet and I'm gonna say the obvious here. We can all get ourselves into trouble and I'm talking career ending trouble. By saying the wrong things at work. Definitely true, especially when the topic are controversial, but Christina offers advice on how managers can address these tricky issues and create an environment where people feel safe raising them. She's also gonna explain how to navigate these really uncomfortable conversations with empathy, honesty, and a sharal of making things better.
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