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What is Cognitive Dissonance ?

Cognitive Dissonance (CD) is a feeling of internal discomfort caused by conflicting ideas, values, beliefs or practices. Because of the need to maintain harmony, people try to reduce or prevent this discomfort. The theory of CD offers three options to reduce stress: - changing attitudes or beliefs, acquiring new information (dissonance reduction process) and reducing the importance of cognitions (internal reasoning and justification) (Cooper, 2007). However, it is not always the case that CD is bad. We shall discuss whether it is good for organizations and for individuals
To a larger extent, cognitive dissonance is not good. It can lead to absenteeism. Stress at workplace causes workers not to report for duty. Excuses are given, without addressing the root cause of the problem. Financial losses to organizations arising from this type of absenteeism are obvious and significant.
Stressed employees often withdraw and cease to participate in work-related issues. They might attend crucial meetings but will not meaningfully participate or contribute to their ideas. They also alienate themselves from important organization processes they meant to drive therefore jeopardizing the company performance. Negative emotions such as anxiety and anger can manifest and consequently affect the work environment. Some may even sabotage others during the course of working thus affecting productivity.
Leaders can allow their organizations to bury their inclusion blind spots; the things you cannot see because they are hidden or they choose not to see them. in this case, overestimating or underestimating cultural abilities take place. However, opportunities may be missed since focus won’t be on that blind spot. Leaders should, therefore, help their subordinates to recognize their self-concept so as to understand their blind spot. Therefore, leaders should ‘be open to the possibilities that their beliefs. Or the organization’s beliefs, are not aligned with their actions and behaviors,’ (Cultural Intelligence for Leaders 2012.)  Leaders should have the confidence to unravel the prevailing cultural situation and create room for conversation around cultural issues. Leaders should as well work with employees to explore dissonance. Even though people tend to stick to their cultural beliefs to alleviate emotional stress, it is important that leaders help them to understand the status quo and come up with strategies. Leaders should work with employees to fully understand their dissonance. Since leaders are the drivers of all programmes at workplaces, they should plan for some meetings to facilitate dialogue and for employees to discover the true self. By so doing,  employees will be able to understand their blind spots hence the organization can turn them into advantages.
People should as well be in a position to adapt and modify behaviors. Learning new patterns particularly new culture can be very difficult but the people should be motivated by the end result. Leaders are drives of change hence should motivate employees to participate during the process.
As highlighted earlier, change is not always accepted thus leaders should come up with strategies to engage workers in the process.  They should effectively engage employees so as to get their feelings and thoughts. Leaders should create room to receive and respond to the feedback from employees during and after the period they will be implementing change. At times it is helpful to ask probing questions so as to have a deeper understanding of their feelings towards the change.
Communicating change effectively could also help. Employees should be explicitly told what is going on so that they may participate meaningfully.  Both formal and informal communication means should be used to ensure everyone receives the news about the change.
References
Paycor (2016) Overcoming employee resistance to change in the workplace. Retrieved from https://www.paycor.com/resource-center/change-management-in-the-workplace-why-do-employees-resist-it
Cultural Intelligence for Leaders (2012). Saylor Academy. Creative Commons by-nc-sa 3.0.

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