As one presidential administration leaves and another enters, it’s likely that political discussions will spill into the workplace. With so many differing views, these conversations can easily become tense and uncomfortable. That’s why knowing how to navigate them is crucial to keeping a positive work environment. Bhushan Dandawate, Financial and Operational Director at Cape Romain Solutions Inc., offers guidance in his article for Medium on just how to handle political talk with professionalism and care.

While many workplaces resort to avoiding political conversations all together, Dandawate believes that engaging in these discussions can provide understanding from different perspectives, but they also lead to conflict. To prevent chaos, he makes it clear to set boundaries so that you recognize when it’s the right time to engage in these discussions and being mindful of which topics to steer clear from.

Dandawate outlines five key strategies to avoid a heated political debate and maintain respectful political conversation in the workplace:

  1. Stay informed and rely on factual knowledge. This helps ensure your conversations are meaningful and based on accurate information, rather than spreading falsehoods.
  2. You need to avoid topics or speech that will spark intense emotional reactions to help maintain respectful conversations.
  3. Have empathy so you can better understand the perspectives of your co-workers.
  4. Recognize when someone prefers not to engage in political discussions and respect those boundaries.
  5. Practice listening, rather than thinking about how you will respond.

For managers and leaders, they should lead by example and establish policies around these conversations. This encourages employees to engage in respectful dialogues, even when their views differ significantly, and creates an environment where employees feel more comfortable sharing their political opinions without fear of repercussions.

By implementing these practices recommended by Bhushan Dandawate, you can help ensure that political discussions remain respectful and productive, ultimately strengthening work relationships and promoting a positive work culture.

To access the full article and gain all of Dandawate’s advice for keeping the peace at the water cooler, please click here.