Overcoming Division, One Conversation at A Time
How a Brazeway plant manager bridged the divide during a divisive year when tensions were high by simply opening his door.
When the Black Lives Matter protests developed around the country last summer, Steve Wilson saw an opportunity. As the plant manager for Brazeway in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Wilson oversees roughly 125 employees of diverse racial backgrounds, many of whom are Black, just like him.
He knew the issues arising needed to be addressed, but instead of setting up a formal corporate training on racial sensitivity, he opened his door. Giving employees a simple space to talk.
“More or less, I was just doing what I would want someone to do for me,” he says. “Giving them a platform to vent if they needed to vent, a place to talk if they needed to talk, and maybe even to cry if they needed to do a little bit of that too.”
The approach worked. Even when tensions and divisive rhetoric were at an all-time high outside of Brazeway, Wilson says plant employees coming from different backgrounds with varying perspectives, maintained respect and understanding for each other.
A notable achievement. In fact, Wilson’s acknowledgment of diversity and his ability to listen was key, says Dr. Laura Gallaher, founder of Gallaher Edge, which specializes in human behavior science in professional organizations.
“When you can focus on inclusion, treat people with respect and create a sense of belonging, that’s when you get the absolute highest level of performance.”
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Dr. Laura Gallaher
Founder of Gallaher Edge
It’s not just a task for managers, however. Here, Dr. Gallaher shares her tools for strengthening communication in the workplace and at home:
- First, look for common ground. “2020 was a tough year because the differences between us were exaggerated, politicized and polarized,” says Gallaher. “So, the perception of the gap that exists between us today is actually much greater than the true gap. Actively looking for the ways we’re similar is a powerful tool. Those topics can be as simple as music, television or food, but bonding over shared universals is a good way to find commonalities with other people.”
- Second, listen like it’s not about you. Instead of “defensive listening,” which means that people sometimes hear things as threats and personalizations, try “active listening.” That means listening to others with the goal of learning about them. Two ways to do this are to respond with, “Tell me more, I want to understand,” so that you’re creating space for the other person. And paraphrase back with what you heard. That could be: “It sounds like you believe this, and you feel this way,” to acknowledge what they said.
- Finally, if there has been a conflict, then resolution is critical. "Recovery is really powerful and important,” says Gallaher. “Having a powerful recovery conversation actually can bring two people closer together than two people who have never experienced conflict. Don’t pretend to have artificial harmony. Instead, having a recovery conversation shows you value the relationship and are willing to put in the time if it goes sideways.”
While Wilson says there was never a need for recovery conversations between two coworkers at the plant, his individual check-ins allowed him to keep a pulse on the team. And while he doesn’t attribute his leadership to any specific training, he acknowledges that his mother played an integral role in shaping his communication style.
“She approaches most people as family,” he says. “And that respect and openness makes a difference.”
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