Many HR professionals face—creating alignment between regional teams and headquarters, especially when there’s a divide in perceptions and communication. The “us vs. them” mentality is detrimental to both morale and overall organizational health, and when local leaders speak negatively about headquarters, it undermines trust and collaboration. Here's how you can help shift the environment and foster a more positive and unified culture.

Recognize the “Clever Stories”

What you’re hearing from your peers is likely what we call “Clever Stories.” These stories allow individuals to avoid confronting difficult responsibilities, like directly engaging with HQ or explaining a tough decision to their teams. They may cast themselves as victims, portray HQ as the villain, or present themselves as helpless in the face of difficult decisions. The goal is to avoid responsibility while justifying inaction.

To address this, challenge these stories by asking:

• What difficult responsibility is the person avoiding?

• What positive actions could they take instead to solve the problem?

These questions can help reframe the conversation and shift from blame to problem-solving.

Create a Safe Space for Open Dialogue

Often, people tell Clever Stories because they don’t feel it’s “safe” to take action. Encourage your peers to engage in constructive conversations with HQ by asking, What if it was safe to discuss this? For example, when a leader voices frustration about a policy, ask:

• What if it was safe to express concerns to HQ? What would you want to say?

• How could you approach them to suggest improvements?

Work with them to develop a concrete plan to take those next steps, making the idea of open communication feel more accessible.

Accountability for the Clever Stories

It’s important to label and identify these negative stories. Help your peers recognize the patterns of Victim, Villain, and Helpless thinking. Encourage a culture of accountability by asking leaders to make a commitment:

• If you hear me telling a Clever Story—where I’m the victim, HQ is the villain, or I’m acting helpless—please call me out on it. That’s not the kind of leader I want to be.

By making it clear that these stories are counterproductive, you’ll begin to shift the mindset and create a more proactive, solution-oriented environment.

Fill the Information Vacuum

The “us vs. them” mentality often stems from a lack of understanding and the vacuum of information that exists between regions and HQ. When people don’t know the reasons behind decisions, they fill that vacuum with negative assumptions. The key to combating this is by actively seeking information and sharing it transparently. Here’s how to do it:

1. Be Curious, Not Condemning: Instead of assuming negative intent, encourage leaders to approach HQ with curiosity. Assume good intentions and a willingness to understand.
   
   

2. Get HQ’s Perspective: Don’t wait. Seek out HQ’s rationale behind decisions. Understand the enterprise-wide view so you can better contextualize their actions.
   
   

3. Share Regional Impacts: Clearly explain how a decision impacts your region. Highlight the unique factors (such as laws, workforce, or customer needs) and offer alternative solutions that could minimize negative effects while still meeting HQ’s objectives.
   
   

4. Clarify the Decision-Making Process: Find out whether the decision is final or if there’s room for adjustments. Understanding where you stand in the process can help you frame the situation and potentially influence future outcomes.
   
   

5. Develop a Communication Plan: Ensure you’re communicating with your region in a way that fills the information vacuum. Be transparent and frame your region’s actions as being in support of the greater organizational good, even if it involves sacrifice.
   
   

Conclusion

By helping your colleagues recognize and challenge Clever Stories, encouraging safe and open dialogue, and ensuring that information flows freely, you can start to break down the silos between your region and HQ. It’s about fostering a culture of curiosity, accountability, and transparency—one where everyone feels empowered to speak up and take action.

Best Regards,

Yogesh

For more details, visit our website: https://byldgroup.com/

Or call at: 1800-102-1345