How to talk about the US Presidential Election at work
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Happy spooky season! For many of us, the scariest thing about this Halloween season is the unknown outcome of the upcoming Presidential election. Given how impossible the topic is to avoid, it can feel challenging as a leader to know whether and how to talk about the election with your staff. After all, many of us were taught to avoid political conversations at work.
In my “Should I Say Something?” webinar last month, I taught participants the process I guide my clients through to decide whether and how to talk to their staff about watershed moments in the news.* One participant asked a question about just this – so I’m sharing my answer with you here.
Here’s how I suggest you decide how to talk about the Presidential election at work:
Before you begin (Step Zero): Let go of the expectation that you should say the perfect thing.
When your colleagues or external stakeholders bring up topics related to politics, it will often feel uncomfortable. Many of us feel pressure to find and say the exact right thing. But the truth is, there usually isn’t one right thing to say – or one right thing to feel or think. Most of us carry inside of ourselves multiple conflicting feelings and thoughts related to politics. (Perhaps, for example, there’s a candidate you support but whose stances you wish were different in a few areas?) That’s a normal part of being a human being.
So, odds are, while we’ll have some of the same feelings and thoughts as our colleagues, we’ll also have some different ones. That means it’s not going to be possible to say one thing that will please everyone. Smart, rational people with whom you might otherwise agree about many things will likely disagree with you about some of your political views.
Rather than trying to write a magical silver bullet of a statement that will put all of your colleagues and external stakeholders at ease, the first step of this process is to let go of that expectation. This is an important part of DEI work in and of itself. After all, our feelings and opinions are shaped by the diversity of our socialized identities and experiences of systemic oppression. This moment in history requires that we build our capacity for living with and working through discomfort instead of avoiding it.
Step 1: Ask yourself, “What am I hoping will happen as a result of my saying something?”
Now that we’ve adjusted our expectations, let’s check in about our motivations. What is prompting you to read this article, or consider saying something at work about the election?
(Seriously, take a moment to name your motivation for yourself and write it down before you keep reading. You’ll get a lot more out of this guidance if you do.)
Now read through the questions below and see what resonates for you:
Do you want to make sure that you do the right thing? Are you feeling distressed about the election and want to soothe your anxiety? Have you been experiencing tension among and between members of your team when politics come up in conversation, and you want to ease it?
If so, consider:
Is it reasonable to expect that there is a single "right thing" to do? Would your and your team’s distress be better soothed by embracing black-and-white thinking, or the productive discomfort that comes from embracing the multitudes we each contain and making sure that we’re resourcing ourselves well? (One way to soothe your distress might not be through your words, but rather through your actions – do some canvassing, phone or text banking, or postcard writing for a campaign you believe in!) If you’re ready to lean into productive discomfort and the idea that there might be multiple “right” things to do, read on!
Do you want your staff and external stakeholders to trust your leadership? Do you fear getting “canceled” or losing clients, customers, or donors for not speaking up (or for saying “the wrong thing” when you do) after seeing other leaders make public statements about the election? Do you want your staff, clients, customers, and/or donors to think you’re a good person?
If so, consider:
Time to pause! Statements, in and of themselves, are not what make a person an ally, a leader trustworthy, or a workplace inclusive. Let's think about actions you can take before you speak. Which brings us to our final set of motivations:
Do you feel anxious about the outcome of the election and hope to persuade as many people as possible to vote for the candidates you support because of the ways the election outcome will impact you, your family and friends, your communities, your colleagues, and the people you serve, especially those people in these categories who belong to marginalized groups?
If so, consider:
Depending on the kind of work you do and the legal constraints related to it, attempting to persuade your colleagues to vote a certain way is usually ill-advised at best and illegal at worst. But if there’s a clear tie between the outcome of the election and your work, this can be a very productive place to take action from. And it’s the actions we take and the impact they have that guide us toward making productive statements, and engaging in productive conversation. So this is where I encourage you to lean in!
Step 2: Figure out what actions you can take that are aligned with what the impacted people you’re concerned about are asking for.
Being concerned about the outcome of the election because of the impact it might have on people from marginalized groups makes sense. We know it’s a matter of life and death for many. The rights and wellbeing of people of color, women, queer and trans people, disabled people, poor people, and more are very clearly on the ballot.
Many leaders of organizations that support people from these marginalized groups and have deep expertise in electoral politics are asking us to make clear plans to vote and volunteer to help others vote through canvassing and phone banking.
As an organizational leader, not only can you do these things yourself, you also have a lot of power related to how feasible it is for your staff to make time to do these things. Some powerful ways you can have impact include:
Make election day a company holiday! By shutting the whole company down for the day, you’re not only making it much more feasible for your staff to find time to vote, but they can also take on volunteer shifts.
Can’t shut down the whole company for the day? How about giving all employees an extra few hours of PTO (or a half day) so that they can vote without having to worry about caretaker schedules or other responsibilities?
Encourage your staff to volunteer! What existing programs do you have in place in your organization to incentivize staff volunteer time? Leverage those so that staff feel encouraged to help get out the vote! Don’t have any? What a great time to create one!
Take the stress off of election week: It’s not unlikely that just like in 2020, we won’t know the definitive outcome of this presidential election right away. This might leave many of us feeling anxious and distracted, especially those of us whose rights are on the line. If you haven’t yet, now is the time to adjust deadlines and big meetings away from election week so that staff have the time they need to care for themselves.
Don’t forget to model these behaviors yourself to make them culturally acceptable. When leadership follows company policies, that sends the message to others that they’re important to follow, as well. So if you’re giving staff time off to vote, make sure you take that time off to vote as well! Don’t send emails or schedule any work during that time. If you’re encouraging staff to volunteer, take on a few shifts, too! (Speaking from personal experience: the more canvassing and phone banking I do, the less anxious I feel about the election outcome. It’s a very powerful anti-anxiety tool!)
Step 3: Say something! …Maybe.
If you’ve taken one of the actions above, why not re-post/share/amplify the statements and calls to action from organizers that prompted you to take action? Then take time to share about the actions you’ve taken and encourage/help other organizations to take those actions themselves to amplify your impact.
If and when colleagues bring up the election, you can pivot the conversation toward reminding them about these opportunities for action, sharing how you’re leveraging them, and asking if they need support to leverage them as well. And if external stakeholders ask you how you’re feeling about the election or otherwise bring up the topic and you feel stuck about what to say, you can similarly respond by talking about these actions that you’re taking organizationally.
Have questions or want help with your specific circumstances? Feel free to reach out!
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