Keeping Social and Political Views Out of the Workplace
With the political and social turmoil raging throughout the U.S.,
Europe and many other regions, it can be difficult to abstain from discussing your
personal views with those at work. I advise not interacting in political and
social discussions at work for three main reasons, which I have outlined
below.
1. Relationships in the Office
Think about your supervisor, colleagues
and direct reports. Each of these groups of people will have differing opinions
than you on at least one issue. There will also be certain issues that people
are very passionate about, which can lead to some very heated debates. Your work
relationships can suffer as a result of these debates. You don't want the people
you work with to have a reason to suddenly look at you in a negative light or constantly
debate you on various issues. It is also well known that all people have (conscious
and unconscious) bias to those that look, act or think differently than them. When
people know your views oppose or support their own, it can lead to favoritism
or inequity. For example, let’s say that your manager knows you oppose his
views on immigration reform due to a conversation you both had some weeks ago.
An opportunity arises to promote you or your colleague and he chooses to
promote your colleague. How would you know in certainty that knowledge of your personal
views did not influence the decision in some way? This is an example of how these discussions
can potentially cause tension and negative actions. Please discuss personal
views outside of the workplace to ensure you do not hinder your work relationships
or career development.
2. Avoiding Emotional Statements
You may not realize just how strongly you
feel about a certain issue, until you are faced with someone that has an
opposing view. Keeping your emotions outside of the workplace is very
important, and even more important if you work a blue collar (manual labor)
job. If you have a job that involves working with potentially dangerous
machinery or tools, obviously emotion being involved is a huge no-no. Becoming
emotional at work gives off a negative vibe to those you work with and can also
hinder your ability to do your job effectively. Specifically it leads to a
higher chance of human error. Think about a time you had a bad break up or were
dealing with family issues. How did you feel at work? Where you able to focus
on your tasks just as normal? My guess is that you had at least some
difficulties. Because of this, I strongly encourage you to refrain from social
and political discussions. They can really open up the door to emotional arguments,
which could lead to mishaps at work.
3. Lack of Effectiveness
Talking about social and political issues
at work does not really change anything. It is very unlikely that you will
change the viewpoint of someone else. Even if you are able to, it is simply not
worth the risk of creating an uncomfortable work environment. The time spent
discussing these issues can be used a lot more effectively. The time can be
used to proactively take action to promote a cause you are interested in. You should
focus your energy into being more efficient while at work by skipping these discussions.
Peace and best wishes to all of you
reading this. We are all going through some difficult times wherever you are,
but as a people, standing together we can make the world better.
Jess
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