How to Deal with Political Debates In the Workplace

How to Deal with Political Debates In the Workplace Argue Politics in Your Off Time, Not in the Office Office politics  are  one thing â€" knock-down, drag-out political debates that disrupt your workplace are quite another.   In the midst of election season,  an  increasing number of managers are finding themselves in the uncomfortable position of referee as their employees debate election results, policy decisions, and national headlines.   I recently  e-mailed with  executive coach  Amanda Mitchell, who explained,  â€œI’ve never encountered such divisiveness in the workplace. It used to be that people left their  personal politics at home. Now, they’re texting and tweeting from their desks about the  President, about Congress, about what might have been,  and what’s happening in Washington. And what suffers? Productivity  â€"  actually getting work done.”   Mitchell founded  Our Corporate Life, which  helps  companies address workplace dysfunction, politics, and bureaucracy.  She  works with  companies and their employees  to  address the unnecessary corporate  insanity  that impedes performance and inhibits innovation by working one-on-one with senior executives to increase leadership skills and working with teams to  reduce disruptive drama.       The political tension  is hard to miss in many workplaces,  according to Mitchell, and that’s bad news for managers.  â€œWhen one staffer is ranting over the latest headline, and another is taking the opposite view,  the distraction takes everyone’s  collective  eye  off  the ball â€" that is,  the task at hand.”   Mitchell  shared  a few  management  strategies to deal with disruptive politics at work:   Make Like the Swiss Switzerland’s neutrality is something a manager might consider emulating, said  Mitchell. “Stay  out of break room squabbles and water cooler debates. If you have an opinion â€" and who doesn’t? â€" keep it to yourself.”   A Busy Staff is a Happy Staff   Be sure to redirect all that political passion to the job at hand.   Managers might consider assigning special projects to the loudest political debaters â€" maybe get two with opposing views to work together?  And be sure to supervise the process and praise the results. “Nothing like a pat on the back, no matter what your political persuasion,” said Mitchell.   Distract to Deter Management might  consider  disrupting the routine,  by scheduling  a team-building seminar or employee recognition lunch.  Most offices have a familiar pace and it may be that staff rely on down time to kick start political dramas. Mitchell recommends that managers keep staffers motivated by changing things up a bit.   Got a Problem Employee? It’s not unusual to have one staff member who gets easily distracted with what’s going on in the world.  â€œIt’s hard to disconnect from what’s going on, even in the office,” Mitchell admitted.  If one individual is  triggering the political drama, managers should  take direct action, speak  privately  with the staffer,  and help them understand that  paying attention to  their  work  is the priority on company time.   Above and Beyond “Some people think we’re on a course toward disaster, others think all will be well,” said Mitchell.  â€œWe usually react to  uncertainty and personal anguish  â€"  and yes, some people are feeling that!  â€"  by  being easily distracted,  procrastinating, or  feeling that no matter what the work output,  who cares?” A good manager leads by example, said Mitchell, and keeps the focus on high standards and a job well done.   Will the politicking â€" on social media, in cafes, on street corners, and in the office â€" ever end? At some point, the dust will settle, Mitchell believes. In the meantime, “When it comes to work, we all have to remind ourselves what’s important: providing for ourselves and our families by doing a good job, earning a living, and taking pride in ourselves and our accomplishments,” said Mitchell. Join Dana Manciagli’s Job Search Master Class ® right now and immediately access the most comprehensive job search system currently available!