Together we can do so much

The election is over! I stand corrected; the election should be over, but many candidates and supporters are still bickering. In fact, they’re still trying to get more money.

Our elections have become more and more contentious, making it especially difficult to work with each other afterwards. Just showing up with the wrong bumper sticker can alienate family, friends, colleagues and customers.

Perhaps the most divisive issue is abortion. One side believes it is the murder of an unborn child. The other side believes it is simply “the removal of unwanted tissue.” There is no way to reconcile those two views, as both beliefs are diametrically opposed to each other, and supporters on both sides feel strongly about them.

When Christianity first appeared 2,000 years ago, Christians were often invited to the Colosseum to feed the lions. What was most perplexing to the Romans was that the Christians were willing to die for their beliefs rather than change them. Additionally, they weren’t fighting back; they weren’t trying to kill the Romans who were trying to kill them. In fact, their kindness to their tormentors converted many of them.

This has continued throughout the centuries. Even in modern times when Communism outlawed religious practices, and getting caught meant instant death or a lengthy prison sentence in Siberia, the faithful still practiced, thinking it was more prudent to honor God than a government, regardless of the risk.

The other side has a long history as well, although it’s not as well documented. Even so, if you’re running a business, you’re not likely to reconcile either side. Somehow, they have to work together for the success of the company.

I know of one startup with brilliant products and high consumer demand. They were growing by leaps and bounds. During a contentious election, the issues became divisive at work. The VP of engineering and the VP of operations were on opposite sides, and as things heated up, they wouldn’t even speak to each other. They were both investors in the company, so replacing one or both of them was really not feasible.

Bringing a new product into production or even improving a product already in production requires close collaboration between engineering and manufacturing to be successful. Since the bosses weren’t talking, the subordinates weren’t trying hard to get along and work together. It took a few years, but the company lost its mojo and eventually went under. I know it’s an extreme example, but it’s so easy for these things to multiply and get out of hand.

Again, there are so many lessons to learn from studying history. During the Cold War, both sides had nuclear weapons. Our defense strategy was called MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction). In the event of a nuclear confrontation, both sides would launch all their nukes, effectively bringing about the end of the world. Can you think of anyone on the planet that would have benefited from something like that? The survivors, if there were any, would probably die from radiation poisoning.

Unfortunately, regardless of which side we’re on, we can’t always win. And whether we win or lose, we need to come back together. Neither side can advance its cause by mutually destroying each other or the company they’re working for.

If you work for a small company, it’s entirely possible that everyone votes the same way and feels the same way about important issues. In larger companies, it’s highly unlikely that everyone will agree on everything, but we still need to work together to be successful.

The old maxim, “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” just makes the whole world blind and toothless. Christianity changed the world in many ways. One of the most important was encouraging the forgiveness of enemies instead of retaliation or fighting.

Whether you’re Christian or not, it works. Ancient Rome was largely pagan and morally corrupt in many ways, yet the peaceful love of Christians converted many pagans, who probably would never have agreed about many of its principles, if they hadn’t experienced that great love.

This is only one issue, and there are many, but regardless, we’re all sailing on the same ship. Any damage we do to our company or ship won’t help us win our cause. Working together to keep it afloat gives us a much better chance.

Ronald J. Bourque, a consultant and speaker from Salem, has had engagements throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. He can be reached at 603-898-1871 or RonBourque3@gmail.com.