REACH: Five Strategies To Keep The Peace In The Workplace When Politics Heat Up – Forbes

We’re heading into the holiday season in the aftermath of a fraught presidential election. The political climate is contentious to say the least. Over the weekend there were violent clashes between Trump supporters contesting Biden’s win and the counterdemonstrators who opposed them. While violence is always unsettling, fortunately, the fraction of citizens (and protestors) engaging in such encounters is minimal. Most people funnel their energy into going about their lives, taking care of their families, and going to work. However, the tension that underlies those interactions is very real. 

Right now, this atmosphere coincides with the typical holiday season workplace slow-down. For many—especially those outside the retail industry—the pace of work subsides considerably from about the third week in December through the New Year. Fewer meetings are scheduled, deadlines are often pushed, and many people take time off. However, when everyone heads back to work, the political climate will almost certainly still be tense. And at that point, there will be only a few weeks until inauguration day. The symbolic and tangible importance of the swearing in of Joe Biden is not to be underestimated in a moment that has tested the nature and strength of democracy itself. 

While the swearing in of the new president should bring an end to some of the current uncertainty about future leadership, it will do nothing to allay the divergent perspectives that brought us to this point in the first place. In electoral college terms, Biden won by a margin (306 to 232) similar to that which Trump himself (somewhat dubiously) characterized as a “landslide” in 2016 (304 to 227). An even narrower spread was observed in the popular vote—which has no formal significance in the election, but nonetheless conveys a lot about national sentiment—where the Biden/Trump split was (approximately) 81 million votes to 74 million votes. 

In addition, the common depiction of states (or counties) as being red or blue fails to recognize the political diversity that exists nearly everywhere in the country. For instance, even in Santa Clara County, California—the county of record for much of famously left-leaning Silicon Valley—slightly over 25 percent of the vote went to Trump. What that means is that in nearly every workplace and in many other environments where people gather in significant numbers in person or online to interact, there will be plenty of Democrats and plenty of Republicans. 

That’s always been the case. But the current climate has underscored how differently people with divergent politics sometimes see the world. And employers are simply going to have to figure out how to make space for people with diverse views to coexist. With that in mind, the five steps described below as REACH can help facilitate that climate. 

Remember We’re All in This Together. As divided as we may be at the ballot box, at the workplace, we’re all in it together. Employers should lean on their company values and, if possible, a statement about the kind of workplace environment they wish to create. The explicit affirmation of an open climate where people have diverse perspectives and still productively work together can go a long way. Referring back to that statement when differences emerge can be an effective strategy. 

Emphasize Shared Goals. This step has two parts. First, when politics invariably creep in, remind people that political and ideological disagreements are often about the process, and less about the overarching goal. The vast majority of people want to live in a country where every individual has the freedom and the opportunity to live up to their full potential. We don’t see eye to eye on how to get there, but we know where we’d like to be. Second, employees have a shared interest in seeing their employer succeed—building durable relationships that transcend political differences is the only way to make that happen.

Assume Positive Intent. This is a workplace, not a battlefield. Assume that people mean well in what they say, until or unless there is reason to believe otherwise. And remember that controversial issues and complex problems are controversial and complex for a reason: There are multiple valid perspectives that can be brought to bear on a wide range of questions. 

Concentrate on Interpersonal Behavior, Not on Political Positions. Encourage employees to focus on how they and their colleagues perform and behave at work—how they treat others—and not on who they did or did not vote for or what political position they do or do not hold. Politics will invariably come up, but reminding people of these core principles can help get people through a tense period. 

Hold Space for Other Views. This requires a willingness to be open that often requires conscious effort. It calls for curiosity—a genuine desire to understand the other person’s position as they themselves see it.  

There’s more work to be done, to be certain. But REACH can serve as a solid starting place to create a climate where people holding diverse perspectives can work productively together to advance shared goals. Finally, one question worth reflecting on is: In the absence of adopting these strategies, what’s the alternative?

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