3 Topics to Communicate to Your Workforce About Politics

by Oct 8, 2020

Yikes, last Tuesday’s debate was brutal to watch. There were insults flangin’ and slangin’ every which way, interruptions, talking over each other… a great example of incivility was displayed. No matter your political views, we can all agree that that debate was ugly.
 
I’m not here to talk politics though, I’m here to talk about politics in your workplace. Have your employees been having discussions about their favorite candidates or important issues?
 
While I don’t have many tips for you on the legal side of political speech in the workplace, I can provide insight into managing employee behavior and diffusing incivility during this election season.
 
Here are three topics you absolutely must cover with your workforce as the election draws near:
 
Managing political conversations is part of building a positive and inclusive culture. Communicate that part of being in a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization is diverse political beliefs. Despite differences, people must respect each other and not let those differences impact their relationships. You might lean on your core values as part of this messaging – everyone should understand the expectation for living the core values and how they apply to politics. You might also consider a training to remind people about what’s expected of them. (We’ve been doing a lot of those lately.)
 
Harassment is not tolerated. Remind your workforce that political conversations can easily turn into conversations about protected classes, and that harassment is not tolerated. If employees are talking about abortion, defunding the police, or anything else, the conversation can become a violation of the law.
 
You encourage voting and will do what you can to help people make it happen. The best way for people to be heard in an impactful way is to vote! I don’t know about you, but I’ve been seeing a lot of media on the topic of voter suppression, people waiting in line for 8 hours to vote, and closing polls due to COVID. If voting is going to be hard this year, make it easier by offering the day off, for example, in order to be heard and counted.
 
I’ll be diving deeper into these topics on my upcoming webinar – Diffusing Incivility and Conflict During and After Election Season.
 
Make sure to tune in on October 22nd at 10:30 PST as I share strategies for navigating politics in the workplace to ensure a more positive and inclusive work environment. From training, to coaching behavior, to mediating conflict – I plan to give you everything I’ve got to prepare your organization for what’s expected to be a tumultuous election.
 
Oh, and I’ll be offering 1 SHRM PDC to everyone who attends!
 
 
Hope to see you there!
 
Catherine

About Catherine Mattice

Catherine Mattice, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is President of consulting and training firm, Civility Partners, and has been successfully providing programs in workplace bullying and building positive workplaces since 2007. Her clients include Fortune 500’s, the military, several universities and hospitals, government agencies, small businesses and nonprofits. She has published in a variety of trade magazines and has appeared several times on NPR, FOX, NBC, and ABC as an expert, as well as in USA Today, Inc Magazine, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine, and more. Catherine is Past-President of the Association for Talent Development (ATD), San Diego Chapter and teaches at National University. In his book foreword, Ken Blanchard called her book, BACK OFF! Your Kick-Ass Guide to Ending Bullying at Work, “the most comprehensive and valuable handbook on the topic.” She recently released a second book entitled, SEEKING CIVILITY: How Leaders, Managers and HR Can Create a Workplace Free of Bullying.

5 Steps for an Efficient Succession Planning

What happens when the CEO of your organization suddenly resigns or retires? Are you confident that there is someone ready to step up and fill the leadership gap?  That is why succession planning is vital to every organization. Succession planning can help ensure a...

How to Establish a Budget for Training and Development Initiatives

Training and development is a vital aspect for any organization that wants to invest in its employees' growth. Over here at Civility Partners, we often receive inquiries from people seeking guidance on developing their training programs and wondering how we can help....

The Connection Between DEIB and Mental Health

In today's ever-evolving work landscape, it's refreshing to see organizations finally acknowledging the pivotal role of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in cultivating a thriving workplace. At the same time, the growing recognition of mental health's...

Rebecca Del Secco: Six Years With Civility Partners!

We would like to take a moment to celebrate and recognize the incredible contributions of Rebecca Del Secco, our exceptional People & Culture Consultant, who has dedicated six remarkable years to Civility Partners.  Rebecca began her journey with us as an intern,...

Recognizing 5 DEIB Influencers in Unexpected Places

Picture this: a world where workplace culture is transformed not just by well-known DEIB influencers, but by unexpected heroes who wield the power of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in their own unique ways.  DEIB are increasingly recognized as...

10 Songs About Inclusion to Play in your Office

In a diverse and inclusive workplace, it's important to create an environment where all employees feel welcome and valued. One way to promote a sense of unity and acceptance is through the power of music.  Playing songs about inclusion in your office can help inspire...

It Starts with You: The Power of Being an Upstander

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you witnessed behavior that made you feel uncomfortable or uneasy, but weren't sure how to respond? Maybe it was a situation where someone was being bullied or harassed, or perhaps it was a situation where someone was...

Three More Brilliant Tips for Dealing with an Angry Boss

A few years ago, we shared five simple tips on how to deal with an angry boss, and the response was overwhelming! We're back with even more tips to help you navigate this challenging situation with civility in mind. According to a survey conducted by the Workplace...

Insights from the Craft Brewers Conference

Last Sunday, May 7th, I had the honor of being a keynote speaker at the THRIVE pre-conference, which was a roadmap to a safe, inclusive, and equitable experience at the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC). As a conference held in Nashville, TN, a city known for its musical...

3 Tips to Leverage Positive Psychology at Work

In the world of traditional thinking, the notion that success leads to happiness is a commonly held belief. We're taught that if we work hard and achieve our goals, then we'll be happy. However, research in positive psychology has revealed a new perspective: happiness...