While political debates may be the order of the day everywhere you go during an election year, and while you may be tempted to join in on the conversation, the one place you shouldn’t be a part of the political chatter is at your place of work. Unless of course you are working on a political campaign staff.
“There are a few downsides to discussing politics at work,” said Josh Warborg, district president of Accountemps, a Robert Half company. “It's an emotionally charged topic that can be polarizing, it can disrupt productivity, and heated discussions could offend others and hinder collaboration in the future."
In general, it should be easy to avoid political discussions. Don’t bring up the subject and walk away when someone else does. However, there may be times when you find yourself caught right in the middle of the debate because your coworkers don’t do the same. When that happens, here are a few tips to avoid a career catastrophe.
First: “Try to approach the conversation in a lighthearted manner,” Warborg said.
Just be careful not to come across as teasing or even humorous, because that can go downhill fast when the joke is not received in the way you intended it.
Sandra Spataro, associate professor of management, believes the key to safely interacting about politics is to be is to be respectful, open and constructive as opposed to denigrating politicians or people who agree with them.
Second: “Do not assume others share your views,” said Spataro, whose research work on status and influence processes in organizations has been published in various management and psychology journals.
“If you find yourself talking with someone who has different views, and you feel like it can be a constructive conversation, pursue it,” he said. “Maybe you can learn from them. Understanding the opposite view is a great way to clarify your own views. It doesn’t have to be a contest of who is right and who is wrong.
Third: If you are on the receiving end of the offensive conversation, it is perfectly fine to let people know.
“You can say: Actually, I feel differently and assuming I hold the same views as you offends me. Let’s either agree to disagree or maybe talk about something else,” said Spataro, who also advises not to let the disagreement grow to an insurmountable issue.
Finally, consider refraining from constant political statements and discussions on your social media sites. Don’t post, chat, comment, tweet and otherwise share practically every thought and movement you have 24/7. Although you have the freedom to express yourself, exercising that freedom too much could become a threat to your career and you not even realize it.
“Strong stereotypes exist around political party and issue affiliation,” warned Spataro. “Employers might make links – however faulty – between the image of you that your social media site presents and who you would be in the workplace,” she said.
Although it may not be fair that people will do this, the reality is that they do.
“Talking about anything that is as controversial as politics is right now is always something to be careful with,” Spataro said.