Call out splitting behaviour as soon as you notice it playing out.

In order to resolve differences of opinion, instead of letting them fester, leaders can scale up the frequency of team meetings but shorten their duration drastically.

The Big Split is a multi-layered mental conflict. Behind it lies a complex psychological cocktail: delayed gratification, feelings of injustice, and a race to fill the emotional vacuum created by years of living with restrictions.

For leaders, the point is to recognize that...

• In March 2020, when the pandemic emergency became clear, many of us felt an energy rush.
• Leaders became the best version of themselves.
• Then, a regression phase hit: people got tired, lost their sense of purpose, started fighting about the small stuff, and started to neglect ...

Splitting is a mental defence mechanism that allows us to tolerate difficult and even unbearable emotions by resorting to black-or-white thinking. We identify othe...

• Leaders must emphasize that it isn’t shameful to experience splitting and that it’s okay to direct time and resources to resolve the fundamental conflicts.
• To offer perspective, leaders should fully understand colleagues, employees, and peers by letting them talk about the turmoil th...