January Hot Take: How Either/Or Thinking is Killing Your Company

The Empathy Edge

Leaders, listen up: Have you ever heard the improv maxim, "Yes, and….?"

In my work researching, writing, and speaking to audiences about the power of empathy, a magnet has pulled me to one notion that gets in the way in almost every dysfunctional workplace or societal conversation.

Let me explain…

To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com

Key Takeaways:

• Our brains both defend us and hold us back due to cognitive dissonance. We want only one thing to be true because it is more simple, but simplicity is not always the answer.
• Either/or thinking is broken and got us, as a society, into our current mess.
• Dialectics is understanding we can hold two, seemingly contradictory things, to be true at the same time. It is a concept that will strengthen our businesses and our lives outside of work.

"In our world and workplaces today, it no longer serves us to focus on either/or thinking. We must embrace BOTH/AND." — Maria Ross

Episode References:

• Improv's famous "Yes, and…"
• Discover more about the power of empathy and how to apply it to make a difference in your work and life at your organization or event!
• Psychology Today, Cognitive Dissonance: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/cognitive-dissonance
• Seeing things differently: Red Slice blog, Representation Matters: https://www.red-slice.com/representation-matters/
• Red Slice blog, What Leadership Success Requires in Today's World: https://www.red-slice.com/what-leadership-success-requires-in-todays-world/
• Behavioral Psych Studio, What the heck is a dialectic? https://behavioralpsychstudio.com/what-the-heck-is-a-dialectic/

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