Election Etiquette: Talking Politics at Work
Sidestep Heated Political Debate with Coworkers
Oct 8, 2008
As far as discussing the presidential campaign around the watercooler at work, the less said the better, according to a popular business etiquette consultant.
Trinka Taylor, head of Professional Protocol Consultants in Northeast Ohio, advises attorneys, accountants and university personnel on what to say and how to say it. And she has advice to those who are fervently following the presidential campaign and feel tempted to talk about it at work:
Employees need to remember that after the election, they will still need to work closely with colleagues on opposite sides of the political spectrum.
Election Etiquette
"We have to work with people - honestly, I would not want an election to come between me and a person I have a relationship with," said Taylor, who lives in Northhampton, Ohio.
This election may be a particularly sensitive one to debate, she added. Taylor explained that the candidates' different racial backgrounds and religious views are talking points, and so can prompt particularly strong conversations. Taylor, who is African American, added that coworkers of different racial backgrounds also may find that it can be touchy to talk about McCain vs. Obama because the candidates are racially different.
Sidestep Heated Debate
Above all, an employee should not discuss presidential politics with a supervisor, Taylor said. If a conversation about the presidential campaign does arise among coworkers of equal status, an employee has a couple of ways to handle the situation. If the conversation about Obama vs. McCain, Biden vs. Palin remains relaxed and cordial, it may be possible to continue the conversation for a while, Taylor said. However, if any colleagues talking presidential politics begin to sound impassioned about their views, a wise employee will want to gently get away from the conversation as soon as possible. "In a nice tone, in a nice way, just say, 'Please excuse me,'" Taylor said. Moving physically away from the discussion is a much better tactic than trying to persuade the impassioned coworker to calm down, Taylor said. "If you feel the person is very passionate, you don't want to put down what they are saying, or make them feel like their views are not important," she explained.
Coworker Tolerance
In the next few weeks, an employee will be well-served to remember that it's the politician's job, not a coworker's, to sway a person's vote, Taylor said. And particularly in this election, it's a good idea to expect the unexpected from a colleague or anyone else, she said. "This particular election, we need to allow people the free choice to change," she said. "I think this year is different than any other election - I don't think we should assume anything about anyone."
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