By Adam Turteltaub

We live, to say the least, in polarized times. While it’s easy to look to politicians as the cause, Karthik Ramanna, Professor of Business and Public Policy at the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government and author of the book The Age of Outrage: How to lead in a Polarized World, argues there are other causes to consider.

In the latest Compliance Perspectives podcast he explains that multiple factors are leading to polarization. These include:

Fear of the future: Many believe that the world is and will continue to change for the worse due to factors such as AI, climate change and shifting demographics.

A belief that they have been handed a raw deal: They perceive leaders have not managed the issues well and that they have been short-changed in the process by globalization and other factors

An Us vs. Them Mentality: A climate of decreasing trust has eroded the belief that we are all in it together

So what should compliance teams do in this era? He recommends humility. Set modest goals and don’t seek to radically transform the culture. Instead focus on setting boundaries for your program and focus on what you can do.

Second, look to build trust before a crisis breaks. The more you can establish relationships now, the better off you will be later.

Listen in for more insights into how to navigate through these polarized times.

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