With the election season in full swing and polls suggesting a neck-and-neck race on the U.S. presidential ticket, a sense of anxiety among staff—and perhaps members—is understandable. Plenty of surveys suggest that workers are stressed over the current political atmosphere. Fast Company cites one recent study by Owl Labs finding that nearly half (45 percent) of U.S. workers say that an employer or colleague’s political opinions have made them not want to go into the office. Other reports have made similar points about the depth of the divide. 

In the midst of this, CEOs might be inclined to steer away from addressing any political arguments in the office—according to a new PwC pulse survey, they’re much more concerned about the election’s impact on regulations than on organizational culture. But it would be an error to neglect how politics are impacting staff.

45 percent of U.S. workers say an employer or colleague’s political opinions have made them not want to go into the office.

To that end, one point the Fast Company article makes is that there’s great value in the hybrid environment these days. “Managers should ensure that employees know they are supported if they feel working remotely will keep them focused and productive,” the article notes. “It is truly a win-win scenario, as employees feel emotionally protected, research has shown that flexible working environments are positive for workplace culture, and 79% of managers feel their team is more productive when working remotely and/or hybrid.”

Giving people flexibility in a stressful time is always a good idea. But leaders should also have a more long-range plan, one that reflects how people’s moods will be affected well after the votes are tallied. “As always, people leaders will have to be intentional about fostering a safe, inclusive environment post-election, intervening when necessary for the good of the group,” Deb Muller, CEO of the company HR Acuity, told Worklife earlier this month.

Some of that effort, according to the article, should be around familiar respectful-workplace matters: establishing policies around conduct, political signage, and so on. But leaders’ actions shouldn’t just be around having people keep their distance or not too noisy. Indeed, one observer suggests that there’s some value in opening up discussions of those political divisions—if handled thoughtfully.

At Sloan MIT Management Review, management professors Robert D. Costigan and Kyle E. Brink shared a concept of what they call “jujutsu persuasion” when caught up in a political discussion. Central to the concept is that people start not from an instinct to press their own opinions but to understand others’. “Instead of beginning with your own values and moving forward to form arguments, you should do the opposite: Begin with an opponent’s most preferred values and then work backward to create rational counterarguments framed with the other person’s favored values.”

Easier said than done, of course: Others’ values aren’t always easy to surface, and they’re not always simple to discuss once they’re out there. But at its core, “jujutsu persuasion” is effectively attentive listening: Respectfully hearing out others’ perspectives with a mind to hear and support. That’s an approach that can mean a lot in the midst of a contentious political season. But it’s also one that’s worth hanging on to long after the election is over. 

[Maria Petrishina/istock]