Being able to communicate respectfully is a critical workplace skill. During a presidential election, politics will inevitably come up in workplace conversations. Every team member needs to know how to communicate respectfully with their coworkers - even if they have opposing views.
It’s important to start with an understanding that, to many people, their very identity is political. In today’s often polarizing 24-hour news cycle world, this has become more of a rule than an exception. Politics isn’t just about paying taxes or the size of government in today’s political environment.
Subjects that often fall under the umbrella of politics today include those around race, gender, religion, perceptions of right and wrong, morality, ethics, human rights, and social justice. To many people, their beliefs about these topics are closely associated with their sense of self and identity. People can’t leave who they are at home, and an organization focused on inclusion wouldn’t ask them to. However, every team member does have an obligation to contribute to a positive work environment through respectful communication and behavior.
Before initiating a political conversation at work, stop and ask yourself what your objective is. If you’re seeking dialogue — a true exchange of information and ideas from multiple perspectives — then make sure you broach the subject in that way. If dialogue isn’t what you’re seeking, stop and ask yourself what your goal is. If your goal is more about reinforcing your own beliefs, trying to persuade others to your “side,” or getting things stirred up, the workplace isn’t really the best place for you to do that.
Don’t: Approach the conversation with certainty that everyone would see things your way if only they would hear you out.
Do__: Approach the conversation with a genuine interest in and openness to others’ perspectives on the topic. Look forward to learning from your peers’ perspectives.
Tip: You don’t have to see eye-to-eye with your coworkers on every issue. If people perceive that you are always trying to persuade them to your worldview, chances are pretty good that you’ll lose any ability to connect with them.
The first step to maintaining respect with regards to political conversations at work or with coworkers is to recognize that your perspectives aren’t universal.
Because politics is so woven into the core of who a person is, it’s very easy for people to lose sight of the fact that not everyone sees the world or interprets events the same way they do. The first step to maintaining respect with regards to political conversations at work or with coworkers is to recognize that your perspectives aren’t universal. Rather than assuming that others agree with you, broach questions by asking for their point of view.
Don’t: “Isn’t it terrible the way that people treat …”
Do: “I’m wondering what your thoughts are on…”
Don’t: “If that candidate wins the election, then democracy is over.”
Do: “What do you think is likely to happen to our political system after this election?”
Remember: If you assume that other people necessarily share your political views, that represents bias on your part.
Empathy is an important key to respectful communication in all conversations, not just political ones. It’s important to realize, though, what empathy really is. Having empathy with another person isn’t just considering how you would feel if you were facing the same situation they are facing — it goes much deeper than that. It’s about actually looking at a situation through another person’s eyes, in light of every experience they’ve ever had.
Don’t: “I just don’t understand why people have to talk about their gender identity. I get that some people might want to dress like the other sex, but why can’t they keep quiet?”
Do: “How would I feel if there was a stigma attached to a part of my identity that defines who I am. Wouldn’t I want to speak my truth? Maybe gender identity is the same.”
Don’t: How can she sit and listen to that biased news channel that spews out lies all day long. What is wrong with her? How can she believe what they say is true?
Do: How would I perceive current events if the messages she pays attention to were my only source of news? What can I do to expand her exposure to less biased information?
Tip: To get into an empathetic mindset, stop and think, “How has my life experience been fundamentally different from theirs? How would I see this if my circumstances were more like theirs?”
People tend to react very emotionally to certain words. For example, the word *privilege* doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone. Rather than reacting emotionally and shutting down, verify what the person means. Because shared meaning is necessary for effective communication, this can be a powerful way to keep dialogue going even after an emotional reaction.
Don’t: “I’m not privileged just because I’m white. My family didn’t have a lot of money. I’ve always worked. I don’t have a trust fund. How dare you say that I have privilege?”
Do__: “Will you help me understand what you mean by privilege? I don’t see myself as privileged. To me, privilege applies to extremely wealthy people that never have to work.”
Tip: People don’t always assign the same meaning to specific words. What really matters is the content of the discussion, so don’t allow semantics to cause a breakdown in communication.
For political discussions that you know may include some emotionally charged terms or concepts that could be defined multiple ways, it’s best to clearly define those terms at the outset. This can help ensure everyone shares the same meaning, at least in the context of the current conversation. It can also help keep the discussion respectful and productive.
“What does the word privilege mean to you?”