politics

As the 2016 Presidential Election draws nearer, it seems impossible to avoid political discussions. From social media memes to lunch time conversations, we are being bombarded with heated political discussions everywhere. No matter which presidential candidate you will be voting for, just like a first date, politics are a topic that should stay out of the workplace.

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Reasons to Avoid Political Conversations in the Workplace

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They decrease productivity: Political conversations, especially those that turn into debates, decrease productivity in the workplace. Not only do they draw your attention away from work, but they often damage relationships among team members. Once relationships between team members have been compromised by political debates, it is hard to work together as a cohesive team; therefore, it’s best to keep office conversations focused on areas that are going to foster relationships and teamwork.

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They ostracize employees: Along with decreasing productivity, political conversations can lead coworkers to feel ostracized. This happens when a member of the team doesn’t share the same political views as their coworkers, leading them to feel that their views aren’t being respected. Once again, when political conversations ostracize and divide team members, it is to the detriment of the team and the company as a whole.

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They create bias: Political discussions in the workplace can cause your coworkers to form biases that will affect the work environment. Once your support for a candidate is voiced, it will most likely be assumed that you agree with everything that that candidate represents, even though that is rarely the case. This will cause your coworkers to look at you in a certain light and form biases that are difficult-if not impossible-to change. Unfortunately, these biases can cause coworkers to lose respect for each other and cause a shift in the team’s dynamic.

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How to Handle Political Conversations in the Workplace

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Walk away: When you encounter conversations about politics, the best way to proceed is to simply walk away. Luckily this approach to avoiding conflict doesn’t need to be awkward. A simple, “Wow, look at the time! I have to get ____ done before the end of the day”, is the perfect way to excuse yourself and hopefully remind your coworkers that they also have more productive things to do.
Change the topic: Changing the topic is also a non-confrontational way to end heated political conversations. By changing the topic you are subtly ending the conversation, while leading your coworkers out of a potentially damaging conversation. The best way to steer the conversation in a more productive route is to ask a work related question. This helps direct focus back to what you are all there for- work.

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Be direct: Despite your first two cues these conversations may persist, especially as we get closer to the election. If walking away and changing the topic aren’t stopping these conversations, your next course of action should be to be direct. There is nothing wrong with telling a coworker that you do not feel comfortable with talking about politics in the office. Being direct will let your coworkers know what your comfort level is, and hopefully put an end to these discussions in the future.

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Talk to a manager: If you feel that political discussions are negatively impacting your ability to complete tasks and work with members of your team, talk to your manager. They will be able to investigate and talk to individuals directly so that the entire team is aware that these topics of conversation are not appropriate for the workplace.

If you are anything like me, November 8th can’t get here fast enough! Even though we only have a few more months of debates over who should be the next president, I have a suspicion that political debates in the workplace will continue, giving you plenty of opportunities to use this advice.