Danielle Sonnenberg
Relationships between coworkers are key to a company's success. "People don't leave companies, they leave managers," Mulvaney points out. Employees want to know what's expected of them, to be given feedback and a chance to grow and succeed. "The more different we [think we] are, the less we have those conversations" and make those connections, says Mulvaney.
Talk isn't cheap: Mulvaney's services start around $18,000 for a series of conversations, but that "could save you half a million in the costs of replacing ... employees," says Mulvaney. Fostering open dialogue and feedback helps all employees understand who their coworkers (and who they themselves) really are. One employee Mulvaney encountered was uncomfortable with a colleague who had a heavy foreign accent. He was struggling to understand his coworker, so Mulvaney assigned him to engage in conversations with at least two people with an unfamiliar accent. This helped the employee become more comfortable with listening closely, and less apprehensive about misunderstanding his foreign colleague. Different cultural backgrounds can also cause problems. One of Mulvaney's clients was having a difficult time with simply how to greet his colleague from France, who was accustomed to getting kissed on both cheeks. "Initially it was fine, but then he grew sick of the custom. He dealt with him by pretending that he was sick," says Mulvaney. It grew into a significant issue, as the person he needed to talk to every day was one he was actively avoiding. After an upfront conversation, however, the coworkers were able to compromise and resolve the issue. "You have to get engaged in people and take a personal risk," says Mulvaney. Embracing diversity may initially seem challenging, but just consider the payoff -- how such varied voices can bring different and profitable perspectives to your business.
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