These are polarizing times. The ethical, logical, practical, and historical guardrails that used to define “what can happen next” feel compromised or irrelevant. We quietly tell each other that we no longer know where the limits are, what will happen next, or when—or whether—things will ever look familiar again.
In that environment, it is very easy—and very human—to go inward. To get insular. To get cynical. To blame, to retreat into “our side,” to share increasingly dystopic views of the future.
But doing so is a business risk.
Polarization inside organizations slows execution and decision‑making.
Scarcity thinking drives internal competition for resources instead of external focus on customers.
Low curiosity and high judgment erode the trust you need for innovation and change.
Wherever you sit in the organization, you can adopt an “Art of War” stance, converting a challenge into an opportunity.
Hold faith that a better future is possible—and that your organization has a role in building it.
Be hopeful that your daily decisions and conversations can bend outcomes in that direction.
Make choices that are consistent with the future you say you want, not the fear you feel in the moment.
And when you’re making choices:
Embrace an abundance mindset - seeing options, partners, and possibilities where others see scarcity and constraints.
Be more curious than judgmental - asking what is driving behavior before assigning motive or blame.
Be more inclusive than divisive - pulling more people into the problem‑solving, especially when stakes are high.
If you’ve lived through a good bridge‑building moment at work, I’d love to hear it. Reply to this message and share your scenario, and I’ll send back a few from my new Building Bridges app; with your permission, I may include yours as well.
When we build bridges, we lean in and connect—creating something greater than the sum of its parts. Read our related posts about Faith, Hope, and Choices, or Building Bridges, One Banana at a Time.
