It’s fairly obvious the American political scene is red-hot right now. Many of the candidates are making statements about social issues that are designed as “red-meat” for their base voters, but which may be off-putting or even upsetting to those who don’t agree.
But from a teamwork and collaboration point of view, keeping politics out of the workplace makes very good business sense. When people disagree politically – especially on the social issues – they’re far less likely to respect each other. Without respect, collaboration and teamwork becomes much harder to achieve. And as a result, the work, and the workplace, suffers.
Recommendation to Managers: during the next town hall or all hands meeting, remind everyone that… “Political discussions can make our work relationships more complex. And even though our co-workers may not say anything when we express our political views, we shouldn’t assume they agree with us. So, I’d appreciate it if we all kept the political talk to a minimum.” And then move on to other business; there’s no need to dwell on the message – people understand and most will be relieved when you say it.
