Expanding the Inquiry at Fox News

It seems that in the fallout after the exit of Roger Ailes, Fox News is expanding its inquiry into what others within the organization knew about the sexual harassment allegations. However, it’s worth noting that the inquiry isn’t expanding into a full-scale cultural investigation – it’s still limited to Roger Ailes. While the Murdochs have to realize that they’d appear negligent not to expand their investigation to see who else was aware of Ailes’s behavior, they should open up their organization to the positive changes a comprehensive cultural review would bring to their organization. Not only would many employees probably feel better about the whole situation, but it would portray a positive image to viewers who might feel confused or deceived by Ailes’s harassment and subsequent departure. You can read more on this at The New York Times.

Image: Fox News at the 2016 DNC. Image Credit: Eric Thayer for NYT.

The Power of Questioning in the Office

Abbey Lossing for NYT

I love the sentiment of this article from a workplace culture perspective – working in an environment that encourages healthy questioning of ideas and practices is a good sign of a psychologically healthy workplace. However, considering that 70% of North American employees are not engaged at work, I have to assume that not every workplace is structured to allow free and open questions. If more business leaders opened their corporations up to this kind of culture, they might find that their greatest asset is the curiosity and problem-solving capacity of their employees. You can read more in The New York Times.

Communication is Key for Workplace Culture

“At its core, culture is about the humanization of a business.” I love this sentiment. Communication truly is key to creating a positive, psychologically safe workplace culture, more than trendy perks like free lunch or massages. For managers and employees alike, being mindful of communication is the best way to support the productivity of others while simultaneously establishing an environment built around openness and clarity. Face-to-face discussions about business functions are fundamental to team building and growth. I agree with Ramakrishnan’s contention that video meetings are essential for remote employees to feel a sense of culture, but the importance of actually speaking to coworkers is just as essential in the office as it is out of it. You can read Ramakrishnan's full piece on communication in the workplace at The Huffington Post. 

Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace

Trying your best to have a high level of emotional intelligence is extremely important in the workplace. It helps you learn from your coworkers more effectively, and work with them more productively. In workplace bullying situations, having emotional intelligence helps you better predict the actions or motivations behind harmful behavior. A working understanding of emotional intelligence shouldn’t be relegated to the HR department, either – having educational courses about developing professional empathy is something businesses should incorporate into wellness programs. Developing emotional intelligence as a group can also be a great way of developing workplace culture as well, so all around, it’s something business leaders should pay more attention to. You can find out more about emotional intelligence at Forbes.com.