How to Manage Political Conversations in the Office.

It is that time of the year again…Autumn is upon us, the leaves are turning, the nights are growing longer, the frost is on the pumpkin - and leaders from both of the major political parties are battling it out to see how the next two years will unfold on all levels of government. And, if you have a political affiliation that is the polar opposite of one or more of your co-workers, the frost may also be creeping up on the cubicle walls.

A few years ago on Election Day, one of my politically rabid co-workers stopped by my office to badger me, gloating really, about the election and how his candidate was going to win, according to the latest exit polls being reported on television. He knew how I voted because the topic had come up once or twice before but I always avoided the conversation with him just to stay neutral. Well lo and behold, his candidate lost the election and mine won. For weeks after the election he avoided eye-contact with me, and all but quit talking to me even if business related. Break room encounters were awkward, and the couple of meetings we were in together produced nothing of value because he would not talk to me. Finally, weeks later at the company Christmas Party I offered him and his date cuts in the buffet line to call a truce because I was growing weary of his juvenile behavior, and I was ready to get back to being just office friends and colleagues.

So here we are in another election season and you know that inevitably, the topic of the November 7th election will come up around the water cooler, usually by some pompous bonehead who never learned that there are two things you never converse about in polite conversation, to include the workplace: religion and politics.

What to do? Should you engage in a lively debate over the issues or your beliefs about a politician's character flaws and your ethical stance? What about the real issues? Medical care, Iraq, weather-related catastrophes, taxes, the rich getting richer and the poor just lagging behind the rest of America. After all, you have an opinion that deserves to be heard too. Or, do you just let the bonehead banter on about the election until break time is over?

My best piece of advice to anyone who finds that they are about to be drawn into a political conversation at work is to excuse yourself - feign a meeting or an important phone call that needs to be made if you must - and simply step away. The reason I tell you to decline to comment is because you never know when your career might be at stake because of your political stance, and it's not because of the way you feel about your political beliefs, because you have a right to your own convictions. Instead, it is the way you present those opinions that may get you on the wrong side of the employment line if your political ideology does not align with those of your boss or the person in line to be your next boss. At the very least, you risk being alienated from being one of the office stars if you are overly vocal about political issues. So unless you have been trained on how to be politically savvy when it comes to delivering speeches, your best bet is to remove yourself from the conversation.

However, if you suddenly find yourself about to be embroiled in the midst of a political firestorm while on the office time clock, or if after reading this article you actually recognize yourself as the office bonehead who overdoes the political banter, put on your conflict management hat and remember these tips to ensure that you remain civil and at your professional best because after all, you are at work:

• Remember, when it comes to politics there is no right or wrong but plenty to disagree on. It is okay to agree to disagree, but respect one another's opinion while doing it.
• Do not ridicule your opponent's religious beliefs, family situation or personal lifestyle, because it is one of the ultimate acts of disrespectful behavior, and it is so very personal.
• Allow your adversary to defend his or her position and again, agree to disagree if the conversation warms up.
• If you are in the power position (the manager or supervisor, person with a higher title) you do not have a right to belittle or demean the people who work for you because of differences in political ideology.
• Inject a small amount of humor to keep the conversation light but do not joke to the point that someone becomes a victim.
• When it gets to the point where one of you gets angry or emotional, the conversation must come to an end.
• If your political candidate loses the election, do not alienate your co-worker as my co-worker did to me. Do not avoid eye contact in the hallways and do not ignore business correspondence.

Of course, this is 2006 and to be honest I cannot remember a time when politics has not been an important subject to discuss. So much of what goes on in politics has a trickle-down effect not only in our personal lives but in our workplace lives as well. If not for politicians we would not enjoy legislation that gave us workplace protection and benefits such as The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) and its amendments or more recently, The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) as well as countless other workplace laws. So while the political season is in full heat just keep your cool, support your political candidate preferably outside of the workplace, and one last piece of advice - go vote. Because if you do not vote your co-worker will have that issue over on you.