When politics take over the workplace—how bosses should handle election divisions

The risk of politics disrupting the workplace is not hypothetical: A Gartner, Inc. survey released in February 2020, found that 78% of employees reported discussing politics at work, and 47% reported that the U.S. 2020 presidential election had impacted their ability to get work done. The survey of 500 employees across the U.S. found that politics and the topic of the presidential election negatively affected productivity, collaboration, and employee morale. And, a study by Owl Labs released in September found that 45% of U.S. employees admit that political opinions from colleagues or their employer make them avoid the office.

Since the late 1970s, there’s been an uptick in what is called “affective polarization,” according to Peter T. Coleman, a professor of psychology and education at Columbia University. This dynamic is in a sense coldness or even contempt for a political party other than your own, and warmness and love for your own party. 

“Unfortunately, what we are seeing is a trickle down into our homes and our workplace, where a large swath of Americans, recently, within the last couple of years, feel alienated from someone else,” said Coleman. However, C-suite leaders are central in creating a workplace that is a “critical stronghold” for bringing people together who are very different, in service of the greater good, he said. 

Coleman shared his insights during a virtual discussion on Oct. 21 hosted by Heidi Messer of Collective[i], a business intelligence network, in collaboration with Rapport, a workplace technology company. Kim Seymour, an HR expert consultant, and former CHRO of Etsy and WeightWatchers, and Van Jones, political analyst, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Rapport, also participated.

Starting a dialogue

Seymour’s advice is for CEOs and other C-suite leaders to create a framework for what you will speak about and what you won’t. “We are just at a point in time where it is the expectation that companies are going to speak about all the things, and, most of the time, I just don’t think that’s warranted,” she said. 

Leaders, however, must also be sensitive to the reality that younger employees want a culture of authenticity and expect to bring their whole self to work. “Everything that I am needs to be reflected in where I work,” as Seymour puts it.

So what steps can business leaders take to ensure that political culture doesn’t consume their firm’s corporate culture? Seymour says that, if there is post-election division in the office, bosses should first bring people together and rally them around the company’s mission. They can then start a dialog based around questions like: What do you think is the path forward culturally, as a community and as a business? What can everyone agree on? Leaders can then remind workers they share a collective work goal of longevity, a legacy, and serving shareholders and customers.

Seymour also warns that using internal communication platforms such as Slack to start political conversations is counterproductive. 

“What I would have done differently was eliminate all Slack conversations immediately, because it just did not help,” she said. It can spin out of control so fast that people forget company values or even become disrespectful, Seymour said. A lot can be misinterpreted.

She added that leaders should emphasize what their internal communication channels should be used for—and that their purpose doesn’t extend to topics “as spicy, nuanced, or tricky as political happenings.”

“I have this whole list of what great leadership looks like, and there are some things that have gone onto the list in the last four or five years—emotional intelligence, self-awareness, vulnerability, transparency,” Seymour said.

Leaders should think about HR providing education on conflict resolution as some employees may not have participated in civic classes, Jones said. “Everybody has a right to their own point of view,” he said. 

Diffusing situations

While managers can be proactive in keeping employees focused on the job at hand, and creating a culture of civility and respect, there are times when political differences may nonetheless boil over.

Coleman, chief scientist at Rapport, also directs the Morton Deutsch International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution at Columbia. The center provides research and guidance on “conflict intelligence” or CIQ. 

In a business setting, managers must establish norms for their teams in a tense situation. “What might happen if somebody gets triggered or outraged? What do we do on our team?” he said.

Coleman said diffusing the situation includes creating a space and time for constructive conversations and setting up expectations—what is the point of the conversation?

“We’re all anxious these days, and it is probably going to be emotional, but you want to start with intention,” he said.