{"id":1641,"date":"2018-11-01T22:20:35","date_gmt":"2018-11-01T22:20:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dynamicteamsolutions.org\/?p=1641"},"modified":"2018-11-01T22:20:35","modified_gmt":"2018-11-01T22:20:35","slug":"politics-at-work-the-art-of-remaining-civil-during-election-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.dynamicteamsolutions.com\/index.php\/2018\/11\/01\/politics-at-work-the-art-of-remaining-civil-during-election-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Politics at Work: The Art of Remaining Civil During Election Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Office politics may be something we all talk about, but in an election year, the expression takes on a whole new meaning.\u00a0Strong opinions and reasonable criticisms (about candidates and issues) can cause employees to polarize.\u00a0Even employees who are typically even-tempered may find themselves involved in tense discussion,\u00a0or worse.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Friendly conversation\u00a0about current events can descend into heated debates.\u00a0Clashing opinions between employees at different levels of the organization can lead to feelings of insubordination or intimidation.\u00a0Social media posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram now\u00a0bring colleagues into awareness of each other\u2019s political leanings, even if not openly disclosed in the office.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Worse still, consider your most forceful and opinionated staff.\u00a0Might they engage in\u00a0political\u00a0conversations with the intent of persuading others to (or away from) a candidate or issue? \u201cPolitics is not the art of the possible,\u201d John Kenneth Galbraith, a famous economist, once said. \u201cIt consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable.\u201d This sticky decision certainly is not the best setup for positive discourse in the workplace.<\/span><\/p>\n

The side effects of pushy politics at work<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

What happens when any of these tense\u00a0situations\u00a0gives way to repeat interactions?\u00a0Things become far more complicated.\u00a0While some staff may successfully stay out of the fray or fervently refuse to share their opinions, others may feel pushed, challenged, or bullied by these politically charged interactions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although\u00a0we might hope that all of this will blow-over, hurt feelings don\u2019t go away. Unsettling interactions aren\u2019t forgotten. Badgering opinions from an opposing side remain front-of-mind, even in unrelated circumstances, such as important business meetings.<\/span><\/p>\n

These ongoing office politics threaten to derail a business, as they undermine morale, hinder teamwork, and damage productivity.\u00a0They may even lead to more troubling (and potentially litigious) behaviors\u2014all of which are sure to linger far beyond Election Day.<\/span><\/p>\n

The best strategy for keeping these office politics at bay is to get in front of them, plan ahead, set clear boundaries, and remind the team of their common goals and strengths.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tactics to keep the team unified among polarizing points of view<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Review your company policy\u00a0on social or political behaviors at work.\u00a0<\/strong>This may also overlap with your policies on diversity.\u00a0Are there policies addressing the display or demonstration of affiliations or parties?\u00a0A revision of this policy may be in order. Set clear boundaries on what is, and is not, acceptable at work.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Determine what constitutes acceptable company behavior, stick to it, and communicate it regularly (especially around election time).\u00a0<\/strong>Some thoughts to consider:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    • If friendly debate and conversation is allowed, is it limited to lunch and break rooms?<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Can a person post their affiliation in their office, cubicle, or social media pages?<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Is staff allowed to congregate or campaign on company grounds?<\/span><\/li>\n
    • How does title and role play a part in determining what a person can or cannot say?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
        \n
      1. Consult your corporate attorney.\u00a0<\/strong>While First Amendment rights were created to establish political freedom, the workplace is not public property and is not necessarily the appropriate forum for enacting those rights.\u00a0What steps can you take to realign the team?<\/span><\/li>\n
      2. Engage your staff.\u00a0<\/strong>Be clear with all staff about the company\u2019s position regarding these\u00a0political actions and conversations.\u00a0Create a clear path for staff to follow should any concerns arise.\u00a0Be specific about rules and consequences. Remind them that politics is not about forcing our stringent opinions on others; it\u2019s about pursuing what we believe in, while keeping an open mind.<\/span><\/li>\n
      3. Create a space for employees to use their voices positively and constructively. <\/strong>This could mean setting up a few lunch-and-learn sessions, where employees can volunteer to lead a discussion that reflects different opinions on political matters in a controlled environment. Be encouraging about the importance of using our voices not to tear others down, but to participate in the one action for change we all can participate in, regardless of side: voting.<\/span><\/li>\n
      4. Be Consistent.\u00a0<\/strong>Nothing is more troubling or will lead to more discord than allowing some individuals to express their beliefs freely, while others are held accountable.\u00a0This is especially true if the rules seem to favor a certain individual, a particular rank within the company, or a given political party.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          \n
        1. Reestablish the peace after the election.<\/strong> No matter what policies are in place, personal interest and feelings get involved when it comes to politics. Whether an employee is on cloud nine because their initiative or party \u201cwon,\u201d or someone is disappointed because their side took a hit, it is vital to communicate the vision and strength of the team as a whole. Remind employees that, regardless of their affiliation, the TEAM still has a unified goal. Your company is at its best when staff commits to be a part of this supportive and collaborative work environment.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Office politics may be something we all talk about, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1642,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.dynamicteamsolutions.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1641"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.dynamicteamsolutions.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.dynamicteamsolutions.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.dynamicteamsolutions.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.dynamicteamsolutions.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1641"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dev.dynamicteamsolutions.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1641\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.dynamicteamsolutions.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.dynamicteamsolutions.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.dynamicteamsolutions.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.dynamicteamsolutions.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}