Antoni Lacinai
The bigger WE, the smaller them
Polarization within an organization is a motivational and productivity killer. I encounter it way too often, and if it is too toxic, I cannot even help. (I have gotten physically ill after mediating in toxic workplaces, so I leave it to colleagues with thicker skin 🙂
If you are playing a team sport like football or basketball, you realise that when the opposing team has the ball, you ALL defend as one team. And when you have the ball, you ALL attack.
You cannot have a player saying: “I don’t like Boris, our left fielder, so I’d rather choose the right side even if it is the wrong choice right now…”
What are your thoughts?
Stay aweome ^_^
By Team Antoni Explains
The Hidden Cost of “Us vs Them”
Polarization inside organizations rarely starts as something serious. It often begins with small misunderstandings or differences in opinion. But when those differences are not addressed, they grow into division.
Once that happens, people stop thinking about the organization as a whole. They start thinking in terms of sides.
And that is where performance starts to drop.
Why teams Break when Alignment is Missing
When people are not aligned, even simple decisions become complicated.
Instead of asking “what is the best move?”, people start asking “who am I supporting?”
That shift leads to:
- Slower decisions
- Poor collaboration
- Reduced accountability
Over time, this creates friction that spreads across the entire team.
The Sports Mindset most Teams Forget
The sports example highlights something important: alignment is not optional.
In a real team environment, everyone moves together based on the situation. Personal preferences do not override team needs.
In workplaces, however, personal bias often takes over.
People avoid certain colleagues.
They disengage in shared efforts.
They choose comfort over the right action.
And that weakens the entire system.
What strong Leadership looks like here
Leaders play a critical role in preventing this.
Not by forcing agreement, but by reinforcing direction.
Strong leaders:
- Keep everyone focused on shared goals
- Address tension early instead of ignoring it
- Create an environment where collaboration is expected
Because once division becomes normal, it is very difficult to reverse.
Building a stronger “WE”
A strong team identity reduces internal conflict.
When people feel part of something bigger:
- They collaborate more easily
- They focus less on ego
- They take responsibility as a group
“The bigger WE, the smaller THEM” is about strengthening that shared identity.
Closing thought
You cannot build a high-performing organization if people are working against each other internally.
Alignment is not about agreement on everything.
It is about moving in the same direction when it matters.
Because in the end, teams win or lose together.
