I once led a dedicated team, who worked well together and had each other’s backs. One day, every team member suddenly became difficult to work with. In their own ways, each person started looking out for themselves, rather than thinking of the team. It didn’t take me long to realise why. A new manager had arrived, with enthusiastic plans to make his mark on the organisation without consulting the people on the ground. Faced with the sudden unpredictability of the workplace, team members stopped working together and narrowed their focus to their own interests.
When people feel safe and trusted, they are happier, more altruistic, better able to see the big picture and more likely to think clearly. Conversely, a low trust environment has people taking out their fear and uncertainty on one another, creating a snowball effect, as the hostility compounds. Fortunately, my team had a long-standing shared history, and all it took was a team discussion to get them working together again. They chose to override their instinctive reactions and instead be guided by their good sense and principles. This ability – to put principles above instinct – is a wonderful and uniquely human characteristic.
With the world facing multiple crises, it’s not surprising that people react instinctively with fear and distrust of outsiders. We’re biologically wired to care for our nearest and dearest first, and to assume the worst of others when things feel dangerous. It takes a big-picture mind to overcome these biases. But the social and environmental problems we face can only be solved by working together, which means we must operate from our higher wisdom rather than our instinctive reactions. Guided by noble principles – like empathy, service, co-operation and hope – together we can make the world a better place.
Stephanie Hills ©