A longer version of this article first appeared in the October issue of PRSA’s award-winning publication Strategies & Tactics. We are reposting here on the eve of Election Day 2024. For more on this topic, join us for a special Election Day edition of Strategies & Tactics Live with PRSA’s Editor-in-Chief John Elsasser and SHRM’s Chief Brand and Marketing Officer Tina Beaty. We’ll dive into how organizations can manage political discussions and foster civility in the workplace. Don’t miss this timely conversation! Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 1 p.m. ET. Sign up here.
With the presidential election just weeks away, it can be hard for employees to completely avoid politically divisive talk at work.
For the most part, workers know what they’re supposed to do. Just as they’ve been advised to keep politics away from the Thanksgiving dinner table, offensive political discussions aren’t supposed to find their way into the workplace.
And yet here we are, in one of the most emotionally charged election seasons in decades.
In today’s environment, there are multiple chances for people to be offended. Maybe an employee — or a co-worker — attended a political rally over the weekend that left a big impression, and they’re eager to share their feelings. Or they listened to a political ad or news report that riled them up on the way to the office. Or they pulled their car into the office parking lot and saw an offensive political statement prominently displayed on the rear window of a car.
These kinds of sensitivities beg employees to speak up. With the workplace a fraught place for political expression, leaders and communicators can play an important role in setting the right tone and ensuring that a politically toxic environment doesn’t find its way inside work.
Based on our work with leaders across various industries, here are some critical tips for keeping the workplace free of toxic political discourse during this election season (and after the results come in).
- Encourage respect.
Leaders can simply remind employees of the divisive political atmosphere and the need to treat each other with respect and refrain from political speech that may offend a colleague. Share with employees that your organization does not tolerate religious, racial, sexual or political discrimination of any kind.
- Know your company’s values and communicate them.
Organizations can differ widely on their openness to discuss politics at work, so leaders need to ensure that their teams are up to date on the company’s policies and values. And whatever the policies may be, organizations should encourage civic-minded policies such as offering time off to vote.
- Create a safe and supportive space for employees.
As a leader, share with employees that the work culture promotes a safe space for them. If they’re uncomfortable with anything expressed that may have been offensive, then they should know they can go to their leader to discuss it.
- Know when to weigh-in on political issues.
In many cases, there may be issues that your company wishes to take a stand on that could be considered political in nature, including climate change, the environment, human rights or emerging political crises.
In these situations, it can be challenging for organizations to know when to speak out. Yet that can lead organizations to be tone-deaf to the needs of all employees and concern for their well-being when employees are looking to leadership to respond in some way to an emerging crisis that impacts many employees.
By not communicating at all, leaders are also sending a message. Listening and showing that you care does not have to be political.
- Adopt a smart process for communication during a potential political crisis.
When deciding whether to communicate about a potentially controversial political issue, here’s a useful response framework to keep in mind:
- Relevance: Who does the issue impact? Is employee safety or well-being at risk? What’s the full context behind the issue? How does the issue or incident relate to the company’s purpose and values?
- Reputation: How will this communication (or lack thereof) impact our reputation? What’s the potential cost and risk of staying silent versus engaging, especially if employee safety and well-being have been demonstrated to be at risk?
- Relational: How will a response or (or no response) impact our relationships? Is this an important time to demonstrate that we genuinely stand by our values and care for our employees, customers and other stakeholders?
When considering whether to communicate, the easiest decision may feel like just staying on the sidelines. But as I’ve said many times, exceptional leadership is not a spectator sport. And as I’ve seen repeatedly, employees are looking to their leaders to support their emotional well-being and to demonstrate that they care — even (and especially) in a fraught political time.
David Grossman, APR, Fellow PRSA, is founder & CEO of The Grossman Group, which has celebrated 20-plus years of engaging employees and helping leaders lead with heart.
[Illustration: Sergey]
