Many of us are familiar with office politics – advocating for power in the workplace.

Increasingly, the angst created by office politics is taking second place to angst generated by politics in the office.

The 2024 Presidential election is being touted as “high-stakes.”  This sense of urgency makes it almost impossible to keep political discussions out of the workplace.  And, with all that comes with high-stakes election rhetoric, it seems almost impossible to maintain a welcoming workplace culture that is inclusive to all points of view.

During my career, I have played many roles in workplace political discussions. Here are some roles I have tried out over the years.

The Observer

The Observer listens to what is being said, but remains silent.  The Observer may (or may not) have a viewpoint, but attempts to appear neutral or mysterious on political views. Never weighing in has several advantages:

1. You never reveal your ignorance of politics or your lack of attention to current events.
2. You never reveal your apathy of politics and risk having someone tell you that you NEED to care and take a stand. It is your FUTURE!
3. You never offend anyone because you have never said anything.
4. You never get lectured by someone who follows you down the hall or catches you in the parking lot trying to convince you of how wrong you are about your beliefs or vote.

The Apathetic

The Apathetic does not care.  And they are vocal about it so that all who work with them know that they find politics to be a waste of time. This allows them the freedom to disengage from any political discussion. While we may find it easy to make presumptions about The Apathetic, there could be several reasons for political apathy:

1. Perhaps they do not feel that either side can fix anything.
2. Perhaps they are embarrassed by the behavior of political leaders and wish to avoid association with any side.
3. Perhaps they are young and free and having too much fun to worry about THE FUTURE.
4. Perhaps, they are too busy working 2 jobs or caring for 3 children or caretaking parents or fighting a medical illness to take the time needed to truly study the issues for an informed opinion.

The Apathetic can present as The Observer IF they do not ever voice their apathy.  Once you take a pronounced Apathetic stance, you will be immersed in workplace political discussions: See #4 from The Observer.

The Worker

The Worker has definite opinions on the state of the country and is current in their knowledge of the political landscape. The Worker may even agree with most of the political rhetoric being heard in the workplace. However, The Worker wants time spent at work to be about working. They want workplace harmony so that they can get things done. If and when progress is derailed, The Worker wants those challenges to be related to the work. I am often The Worker, and I use similar techniques to The Marginal (see below) to manage political conversations in the workplace. Because The Worker is head-down productive, the Worker might be mistaken for The Observer or The Apathetic.

The Marginal

The Marginal believes their opinion is the opposite of most of the people they work with.  As our politics become more combative, more us vs them, more we’re right and you’re wrong, and more all or nothing, I can often find myself in the margins.  Even if I want some of the same outcomes as the majority, the approach and rhetoric being used makes me uncomfortable. I do not want to nod my head in agreement nor do I want to find myself facilitating a political discussion.  The Marginal role is difficult and uncomfortable; you can feel limited on options:

1. Go along to get along. You pretend to agree with political platforms touted by others to avoid an argument, but you may feel like a fraud.
2. Speak up. You can speak up and spark a discussion, but you risk isolation and see (again) #4 of The Observer about people following you to your car.  And, do you risk promotion if you disagree with the wrong people?
3. Divert. The weather is always a good option. This option, while a safe route, can make you feel shallow because it avoids important life topics- at least at work.
4. Avoid. You take steps to avoid certain coworkers or even workplace gatherings and meetings to avoid having to navigate this political situation.  This option can also limit your workplace productivity.

The Majority

The Majority believes that their opinion is the opinion of everyone in the office.  As a young teacher, I firmly believed that those I worked with were on the left.  This appeared to make workplace political discussions easy to navigate because I thought I could predict which statements would be acceptable and which statements would generate animosity.  The environment felt safe because even if I never said a word, I could nod in agreement.  As I spend more time in the workplace, I realize that I am probably never in the majority, but more likely, surrounded by:

1. Observers
2. Apathetics
3. Workers
4. Marginals

When in the role of The Majority, I was making a lot of assumptions about the people in my workplace. And, most likely, I was making many coworkers uncomfortable with my “I have all the answers” political statements.

Perhaps, you have also played (or play) these same roles.  In reflecting on these roles, I realize that I do not think I have ever received any guidance for how to handle politics in the office.  September’s article: Politics in the Office: Part 2 will provide some resources that we might all find helpful to navigate the workplace during this 2024 election season.

Sources Cited

No resources were used in the writing of this article – just my own experiences, observations, and reflections of XX years of being a part of the American workplace.