Politics in the Office: Part 3

Top 10 List for Leaders

By Beth Schaefer
IPD Director

Despite your best efforts for a creating a respectful workplace for civil discourse (See Part 1 and Part 2 of Politics in the Office), the day after the election, there will be winners and losers.  Do not assume everyone on your team will share your own response to the election results.

And…as the first 2 parts discussed, it is not just about red and blue, but about policies that will affect people’s families, economic status, religious beliefs, and healthcare.  Regardless of who wins, the people on your team will face an unknown future.  And, the unknown can bring fear, and fear can bring stress.

Consider these 10 strategies to assist your team through the most-intense weeks before and after the election:

  1. Accept a decrease in productivity.  Just like the December holidays or a warm sunny summer afternoon in Minnesota, the pace of work will slow down.  Plan for it rather than fight it.
  2. Plan your schedule and deadlines.  If you know that your team will be especially distracted during the weeks before and after the election, avoid creating deadlines for your most critical projects or project pieces during that time.
  3. Focus on work.  While productivity may decrease, you are still in the workplace.  You can direct people to focus on work rather than half-day discussions at the water cooler.  Consider tasks that are easy to complete.  Perhaps that will be a good week to do some “housekeeping” work (updating files, cleaning emails) that improves productivity overall but is easy to do.
  4. Model respectful discourse.  If you set political discussion boundaries, remind your team that they are still in effect after the election too.  If you did not set boundaries, consider doing so.  Be ready to respectfully end political discussions that are too long or are disrespectful.
  5. Be consistent.  Treat all your team members the same even if their politics are different than yours.   Make sure the guidelines you put in place are evenly enforced.  If someone’s political discourse is disrespectful or harassing, as the leader, you need to address it.  See Part 2 for strategies.  When your team sees that you are serious about a safe space at work, it can reduce their stress.
  6. Schedule check-ins.  If you do not currently do 1:1 check-in with your team members, this may be a good time to start.  Use check-in time to see if they are feeling extra stress in general.  You can do this without asking about political preferences. If they are having trouble focusing, suggest work that needs to be completed, but is not too challenging. This is also a good time to address any political talk that is not following the guidelines.
  7. Listen with empathy and seek to understand.  Even if your politics are different, you can still listen to why people are disheartened by the results and provide empathy.  See the article Heard! for a review of empathetic listening strategies.
  8. Suggest a media break.  If the elections seem to be stressing out members of your team, suggest they step away from media and social media for a few days.  Research is clear that social media can compound stress.
  9. Be ready with resources. Have your organization’s Employee Assistance Program links at the ready.  Share them with individuals as needed or proactively share them with your team.
  10.  Care.  While this article is framed through the lens of workplace productivity, genuinely caring about your individual team members is one of the best ways to help them avoid burnout– whether it is due to the election or any other endless factors that contribute to life and work stressors.

Follow Up Note: In the Part 2 article, I failed the beginning assessment for leaders.  I am happy to report that since I wrote that article, my organization provided training to staff and leaders on what types of political activity are acceptable in our workplace.  The session was informative and clarified several guidelines for me.  Since I work in education, our workplace guidelines are probably a bit trickier than most, and that made the training all the more helpful.

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Politics in the Office: Part 2

By Beth Schaefer
IPD Director

Quick Quiz

  1. Does your workplace have a policy about discussing politics in the workplace?
  2. Does your workplace have policies on political ads in your office window, on your desk, on a button for your lapel or a T-shirt you wear?
  3. Do you know what those polices allow and prohibit?
  4. Do you know how to enforce it as a leader or how to diplomatically inform a coworker?

Here are the answers that I had before I did the research for this article:

  1. Maybe
  2. Maybe
  3. No
  4. No

Yes, it’s a Problem.

In Politics in the Office: Part 1, I wrote about my personal uncomfortable experience with political discussions in the workplace; however, research shows that I am not alone.

  • 60% of American workers find political discussions in the workplace UNACCEPTABLE, yet 50% of us admit to engaging in them.
  • 42% of American workers report that “political disagreements” with coworkers affect their work production.

Yes, it’s more of a problem now than in the past.

Elections are not new, but our political discourse has evolved along with our workplace behaviors.

  • Lines between work and personal life have blurred – driven by remote workers, but also by the American workplace becoming more flexible with families (like many other countries). In the past, your coworkers’ personal lives and political views may not have been integrated into workplace discussions.
  • Political discourse has become more divisive. Many political leaders themselves model rudeness and cancel culture instead of conversation and collaboration.  Where you maybe once just disagreed with someone’s vote, now you feel pressure to be suspicious of their character for a differing political view.
  • Federal policies have a larger impact on our family lives from the taxes we pay, to the cars, appliances, and windows we purchase, to the healthcare we can receive, to our families immigrating and joining us. Almost 50% of Americans fear changes brought by political elections – regardless of which side wins. This fear makes it difficult to ignore the sidebar of the national election going on outside work.
  • In addition, the stress and fear of the election can affect workers’ mental health – which in turn affects your team.

All of these add up to politics being more intrusive to work production now than in the past.

You have options as coworkers and leaders.

Both coworkers and leaders should resist using politics as a reason to demonize people.  This affects workplace relationships and contributes to a disrespectful culture that almost all workers agree they do not want as part of their workplace.

Here are some things you can do or say over the next two months to navigate politics in the office:

As a Coworker

Be aware of others.

  • You may enjoy a good political debate, but others may find your conversations draining and time-consuming, so much so that their work performance can suffer, adding stress they do not need.
  • Look at body language and listen to coworker statements to gage who may be interested in a political discussion at the water cooler or lunch room, and those who are not.
  • Do not assume your coworkers have the same political views that you do, putting them in the uncomfortable place of debating you or dodging you (see Part 1).
  • If you are passionate about a topic, consider constructive ways to share your political views and influence policy outside your workday.

    Be aware of yourself.

    • Know your own specific triggers to help you regulate your emotions at work. For instance, if you have a family member affected by immigration policy, have a statement ready, such as, “This topic frustrates me.  While I know there are two or more sides to every issue, I have family directly impacted which makes it difficult for me to have a neutral conversation with you.”
    • If you know that you do not want to discuss politics at work, be ready to dodge engagement. Have some phrases at the ready such as:
      • “I have put myself on a newsbreak, so I would prefer we discuss something else.”
      • “I have too much work to get done right now to do justice to discussing this important topic.”

    Be aware of workplace culture.

      • Know your organization’s policy on political discussions. What does the employee handbook say? Can you wear a political T-shirt or button?  Or hang a poster in your office window?  In most states, employers are allowed to make rules about political affiliation.
      • Be aware of social capital. While you may not get fired for discussing politics in the workplace, being aggressive on your viewpoints could affect how others work with you (or not) beyond the election results.
      • If it’s your boss making political statements that are racist or sexist in nature or your boss is not taking actions to squelch inappropriate comments from others, consider submitting a confidential complaint to human resources.
      • Mind your social media. If your social media promotes racism, harassment, discrimination, or threats, employers will need to address it due to liability issues.

    Be ready if you engage.

      • If you choose to engage rather than deflect or avoid, view it as a learning opportunity not as the chance to change a vote or change a mind. A sidebar office conversation is unlikely to change anyone’s vote.
      • To open a conversation where you aim to understand another’s point of view, you can try, “I know how I feel about minimum wage law, but I am curious to hear why you feel so differently than I do about it.”
      • If confronted with political viewpoints that you do not want to agree to, have some phrases at the ready based on how much you want to engage in discussion:
        • “I have not had time to research that issue yet. It appears to be quite complex. I will need to discuss it another time.”
        • “I have a different perspective. I do not want to change your mind, but maybe we could schedule time outside of work to discuss our differing perspectives to better understand each other.”
      • Have an out. At some point, you cannot spend the whole work day in the deep conversations necessary to truly understand someone else’s viewpoint on human culture or freedoms.  Be ready to agree to disagree and return to work.  Try a phrase such as, “I appreciate this discussion, but clearly we will not reach agreement today, and I have items in my inbox to get to.”

    As a Leader

    Know the rules.

    • Know the written policies of your workplace for political discussions. Educate your team on them as needed.
    • Know the unwritten rules of your workplace when it comes to political discussions. Help your team, especially new members, navigate the culture.
    • If you are a leader with no guidance from your organization…well, it may be too late for this election cycle, but suggest they tackle this topic before the next one.

    Know your staff.

      • If political discussions are polarizing and disruptive to the team’s work, consider having 1:1 conversations to raise your concerns on unintended consequences and suggest alternative times and places for political discussions to take place.
      • Note the effect on your individual team members. Even if a team member does not speak up, if you are aware that an election outcome will drastically change their life, handle the emotional situation the same way you would handle other factors that affect mental health.

    Set the example.

    • Be ready to pivot the team conversation when it interferes with work production. “While I do not think we will agree on gun laws today, I think we can all agree that we need a new strategy to streamline the invoice process. Tell me the latest barriers you are experiencing.”
    • Be ready to squelch conversations that are against workplace policy, “The tone of this conversation is not appropriate for our workplace culture and goes against our policy on (fill in the blank). It is time to end this discussion and focus on our work.”
    • Be ready to privately follow up with individuals whose comments violate HR policy. “You can state beliefs on gender outside the workplace, but when you are at work, our organization believes (fill in the blank), and you need to follow our policy.”

        Hopefully, having some strategies and phrases at the ready will help you navigate this election and keep the workplace productive and respectful.

        Part 3 of Politics in the Office will discuss the legalities of politics in the workplace along with supporting your coworkers post-election.

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        Business Architecture 201: Part 1 – Business-Object Oriented Capabilities and their Relationship to Information | Past Expert Insights Webinar

        Business Architecture 201: Session 1

        Watch Video Here

        This session will focus on business capabilities and their role and position in the larger business architecture framework.  It will explain how capabilities can be used as building blocks to achieve the outcomes an organization strives to define and execute and demonstrate how capabilities use and modify information with an example drawn from ongoing work to transform Minnesota’s human service delivery systems.

        About the Series:

        This series will explore the core business architecture domains that DHS is leveraging to integrate service delivery and develop an enterprise portfolio of products.   The series will be especially helpful to the public sector and others whose product is a service, rather than a tangible item for purchase.

        Watch Video Here

         

        As the name 201 suggests, those with some background in business architecture or enterprise architecture may find the series more informative.

        Watch Video Here

         

        ABOUT THE PRESENTER:

        Katherine (Kit) Shelton from the Department of Human Services (DHS) for the State of Minnesota is applying business architecture to help DHS transform service delivery by coordinating distributed work to integrate services and transition to a product operating model. She and two other Enterprise Business Architects in the Agency Effectiveness Administration lead a cross-functional team of business experts from all over the department to apply shared principles and common standards across business units to integrate multiple perspectives into a single enterprise-wide business framework.

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        Business Architecture 201: Part 2 – Using Architectural Value Streams to Center the People We Serve | Past Expert Insights Webinar

        Business Architecture 201: Session 2:

        As the name 201 suggests, those with some background in business architecture or enterprise architecture may find the series more informative.

        This session will focus on value streams and demonstrate their role and position in the larger business architecture framework.   The presenter will illustrate the conceptual structure of an architectural value stream with a real-life example drawn from work to transform Minnesota’s human service delivery system. Learn the relationship between an organization’s value propositions and the experience of the people who seek value from the organization.

        WATCH VIDEO HERE

        About the Series:

        This series will explore the core business architecture domains that DHS is leveraging to integrate service delivery and develop an enterprise portfolio of products.   The series will be especially helpful to the public sector and others whose product is a service, rather than a tangible item for purchase.

         

        ABOUT THE PRESENTER

        Katherine (Kit) Shelton from the Department of Human Services (DHS) for the State of Minnesota is applying business architecture to help DHS transform service delivery by coordinating distributed work to integrate services and transition to a product operating model. She and two other Enterprise Business Architects in the Agency Effectiveness Administration lead a cross-functional team of business experts from all over the department to apply shared principles and common standards across business units to integrate multiple perspectives into a single enterprise-wide business framework.

         

        Interested in Watching the First Part of the Series?

        This video focuses on business capabilities, the role, and position in the larger business architecture framework.

        Learn how capabilities can be used as building blocks and how to demonstrate how capabilities use and modify information.

        Watch Video Here

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        The Modern Business Architect: Lessons from the Field: Part 1 – A Business Architect’s Role in Product Management | Past Expert Insights Webinar

        Expert Insights Webinar

        WATCH VIDEO HERE

        A Business Architect’s Role in Product Management

        This is Part One of a Three Part Series:

        The Modern Business Architect: Lessons from the Field

        Audience:

        You do not need to be a business architect to find this series useful, others will also find benefits for themselves and their organizations

        • Enterprise architects
        • product owners
        • project managers
        • business analysts

        Learn more about how product managers can use business architecture in their roles.

        WATCH VIDEO HERE

         

        WATCH PART TWO:

        Getting the Business to Care About Business Architecture

        WATCH PART 3:

         Modern Approaches to Collaborating Across Architecture Disciplines

        ABOUT THE PRESENTER

        Dean Heltemes

        A Modern Business Architect working in the field and teaching for Metro State’s business architecture program.

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        Politics in the Office: Part 1

        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.

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          Cybersecurity Employee Training | September 2024 Expert Insights Webinar

          Cybersecurity Employee Training

          Presenter: Karen LaPlant

          Watch Video Here

          AUDIENCE

          Anyone who uses a computer or phone to do work.

          We all use the Internet while at work or while we are working remotely, so everyone needs to practice cyber safety.

          This Expert Insights webinar will be a general overview about cybersecurity for anyone working at a company.

          The goal of this training is to present information in a clear manner so that you know exactly what to do, and what not to do, to keep yourself safe when using the Internet.

          Take-aways: 

          After this session, you will:

          1. Understand your role in keeping your organization safe from cybersecurity attacks.
          2. Learn to identify scams and malware.
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          4. Receive a checklist to protect information – for both yourself and your organization.

          More About the Presenter:

          Karen LaPlant

          Karen LaPlant is a retired educator, but still teaches online computer courses for many MinnState Colleges. She taught full-time at Hennepin Technical College (HTC) for almost 30 years in the Information Technology Program area. She has also created the Business program at HTC and loved teaching E-Business.

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          The Modern Business Architect: Lessons from the Field: Part 2 – Getting the Business to Care About Business Architecture | Past Expert Insights Webinar

          Past Expert Insights Webinar

          WATCH VIDEO HERE

          The success of a business architecture practice is tied to how well the business architect partners with the business and demonstrates value.

          In this session we will discuss some tips and techniques for getting your business stakeholders to become your greatest champions.

          Audience:

          You do not need to be a business architect to find this series useful, others will also find benefits for themselves and their organizations

          • Enterprise architects
          • product owners
          • project managers
          • business analysts

           

          WATCH PART ONE:

          A Business Architect’s Role in Product Management

          WATCH PART THREE:

          Modern Approaches to Collaborating Across Architecture Disciplines

          ABOUT THE PRESENTER:

          Dean Heltemes

          A Modern Business Architect working in the field and teaching for Metro State’s business architecture program.

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          The Modern Business Architect: Lessons from the Field: Part 3 – Modern Approaches to Collaborating Across Architecture Disciplines | Past Expert Insights Webinar

          Past Expert Insights Webinar

          WATCH VIDEO HERE

          Modern Approaches to Collaborating Across Architecture Disciplines

          You do not need to be a business architect to find this series useful, others will also find benefits for themselves and their organizations

          • Enterprise architects
          • product owners
          • project managers
          • business analysts

          WATCH VIDEO HERE

          This is Part Three of a Three Part Series:

          The Modern Business Architect: Lessons from the Field

           

          Learn How to Collaborate Across Architecture Disciplines

          In today’s complex business and digital environments, business architects often have to work closely with other architects, such as enterprise, data, and solution architects.  In this session we will explore modern operating models for organizing different types of architects, along with approaches companies are taking to improve collaboration.

          WATCH PART ONE:

          A Business Architect’s Role in Product Management

          WATCH PART TWO VIDEO HERE:

          Getting the Business to Care About Business Architecture

          ABOUT THE PRESENTER

          Dean Heltemes

          A Modern Business Architect working in the field and teaching for Metro State’s business architecture program.

          Read More

          Standing Up a Business Architecture Practice Part 1: Your Value Proposition | Past Expert Insights Webinar

          Past Expert Insights Webinar

          How do you stand up a business architecture practice within an organization?

          This 3-part Expert Insights Webinar Series will provide strategies used by Maureen Mathias to stand up a practice in her organization.

          This first session in the series covers the basics that must be established before even starting to think about a formal business architecture practice.

          Discover how to use business architecture techniques to define questions with a value proposition that will define the value that your practice will bring your organization.

          Other takeaways for attendees:

          • Essential infrastructure and requirements for standing up a practice
          • How to develop your internal presentation to get buy-in

          WATCH THIS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED WEBINAR HERE

          Standing Up a Business Architecture Practice Part 1: Your Value Proposition

          ABOUT THE PRESENTER:

          Maureen Mathias


          Maureen Mathias earned her Master of Arts from Rutgers University, later adding a Certified Business Architect from the Business Architecture Guild and a Business Architecture Certificate from Metro State University in St. Paul Minnesota.

          Maureen started a journey in 2008 that led to a career as a business architect. “Through the journey, it seems I have hit every situation you would want to avoid. One thing that stands out, is that a business architecture practice anywhere must fit the culture and the needs of an organization.”

          In her business architect role for an insurance company, she has established training for the teams that utilize architecture tools and for those that need to learn what business architecture is and how it relates to their day-to-day responsibilities for several years.

          Maureen is excited to share her experience: what works and what does not as well as learn from the experiences of other business architects.

          Read More