SEPTEMBER 2008: BIZ LIFE, OFFICE POLICY
Keep
politics in its place
As the nation enters the boxing ring of presidential
campaigning this fall, it’s not unusual for the jabs of
political convictions to enter the workplace, too.
Casual political discussions among coworkers can become heated
and, in the worst cases, can lead to full-blown turmoil in the
workplace. Imagine the conflicting loyalties that can develop
if bosses explicitly support a candidate or a political issue
that others don’t.
Talking politics “is inappropriate unless you are at
campaign headquarters,” says Mindy Lockard, an etiquette
consultant based in Eugene. In the proper world of social
graces, politics, sex and religion are topics that generally
should not be brought up in a business environment, she
says.
But that world may be long gone. According to a 2007 survey by
Vault, an online career information company, 66% of respondents
said their co-workers talk politics, while 46% said they
witnessed an argument as a result.
Of course, nobody wants to take away your right to wear a
poor-fitting Obama or McCain T-shirt this November. But for
supervisors and human resource managers, it may mean carefully
pulling the plug on a debate without being perceived as
stifling opinion.
And that’s where companies need to be clearer,
communication experts say. It’s the undefined gray (not
red or blue) area of being too strict or too informal toward
friendly political debates that can lead to trouble, says
Robert Benjamin, a Portland-based mediation and conflict
consultant. “In our culture we have strong feelings on
standing on principle,” he says.
After all, Benjamin says, a little debate in the workplace
stimulates creativity and competition. But the worst action a
business can take is circulating a memo or stuffing a new rule
into the employee handbook prohibiting such discussions.
“It only pisses people off,” he says, and lets
workers avoid taking responsibility for their social
skills.
To avoid a political office brawl, Lockard suggests supervisors
be more proactive by setting an example and talking with
employees individually about proper discussions on the job.
“There is no hard and fast rule,” she says. In a
dire situation, Benjamin says a business should hire a
communication expert.
To her dismay, Lockard says the business environment is
becoming too casual. “You have to remember what you are
there for,” she says — work, not
politics.
JASON SHUFFLER
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