How to defuse tense political conversations in the workplace
Politics around the world seem to be getting increasingly divisive, and it’s impossible to avoid bringing up the topic in our everyday conversations — including at work.
From the US election and Brexit to COVID-19 and lockdown restrictions, it’s easy for harmless workplace chatter to become toxic. If people in a team have differing views, these conversations can often get tense.
Earlier this year, a Glassdoor survey of more than 1,200 employed adults found that while US employees prefer to keep politics out of work, most find they nevertheless still engage in political conversations in the workplace.
However, these conversations can have a detrimental impact on our wellbeing. A separate survey, taken several months after the 2016 US election by the American Psychological Association, found 26% of full-time and part-time employed adults said they felt tense or stressed out as a result of political discussions at work.
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“Politics, by its very nature, is polarising, and employees can have extreme political views that bleed into their identity and beliefs,” says Lee Chambers, environmental psychologist and wellbeing consultant.
“Due to the division fostered by opposing political parties and opinions, and the confirmation bias of those who surround themselves by fellow believers, it is a topic that has the potential to cause simmering resentment, utter disgust and has a high chance of igniting conflict.”
Politics can disrupt harmony, cooperation and collaboration within a workplace, and teams can easily fall apart without some separation of work and politics. “Tense debates are likely to consume focus and be more likely to lead to mistakes, errors and oversights, as well as reducing productivity,” Chambers explains.
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“At its worst, it can turn a whole organisation into factions, feuding and trying to appear superior, by any means necessary. This fracturing of workplace dynamics will likely lead to conflict and poor behaviours, even causing the potential for violence and undermining others.”
And in these polarised, pandemic-weary times, an innocuous comment about face masks or social restrictions can quickly turn sour. Even the calmest workers may find it challenging to compartmentalise their jobs from what is going on around them. So what should you do to defuse these tricky conversations?
“When in a heated conversation, it is easy to find ourselves wanting to continue to justify our viewpoint while trying to explain why the other person needs to see things from a wider perspective,” says Chambers.
“The first thing to consider is to let the other person be heard, feel listened to, and not feel judged. Try to acknowledge what they have said, without criticism or analysis, and then attempt to move the conversation onto a more productive topic.”
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In the heat of the moment though, this may not be enough and the other party may feel they have to contribute. Chambers advises letting them speak and appreciating their contribution without judgement or blame, although this may be difficult. It may help to verbally acknowledge that you are probably on opposite sides of the issue.
“Stay calm and try not to be triggered, or get defensive,” he says. “By appearing calm, speaking slowly and breathing, they will start to mirror you. It is important that you explain how it makes you feel, instead of what you think.”
Chambers adds that being fully present will make them feel respected, and more often than not, letting them speak in a non-judgemental space without blame for a few minutes will defuse most situations.
“Finally, if it has caused issues within the team, speak about it from the perspective of how it has made people feel and the unacceptable behaviours, as this objectivity sets boundaries for everybody, regardless of their viewpoints.”
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If the conversation is making you uncomfortable, you can calmly state this and step back from it. It’s important to politely leave discussions you don’t want to be involved in before things get out of hand. However, this doesn’t mean you have to let derogatory language or disrespectful comments slide.
If a disagreement turns into a personal attack, the best course of action is to firmly state that this isn’t acceptable. It may help to highlight that the tone of the conversation isn’t appropriate for work and isn’t heading in a good direction — so it would be better to focus on work instead.
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