Strategies For Leaders To Manage Political Polarization in the Workplace

Can we genuinely ignore the political divisions in the workplace anymore?

The U.S. workforce is more diverse than ever, with five generations interacting daily. This diversity creates fertile soil for innovation by bringing different standpoints, cultural backgrounds, and experiences, but it also creates challenges. Among these, political division—long ignored—is now front and center.?

In a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center , "divisive" was the number one word people used to describe the state of current politics. This polarization is spilling into the workplace and affecting communication and collaboration. A survey conducted by Gartner found that 36% of U.S. employees avoided coworkers because of their political views. Meanwhile, research by the eLearning Industry states that 55% of employees believe that sharing political views can harm work relationships.

The 5 Causes of Political Polarization in the Workplace

To address political polarization, we need to understand its root causes. Polarization doesn't arise from one single factor. It results from a complex mix of societal influences, leadership decisions, and employee dynamics. We identified five fundamental causes of political polarization at work:

1. Political Discussions in the Workplace: Political discussions can lead to division if not managed carefully. Many employees may feel uncomfortable engaging in these conversations, fearing they will strain professional relationships.
2. Leadership Taking Political Stances: When leaders publicly align with specific political views, divisions within their organizations can deepen. Employees and customers may feel alienated if their personal beliefs conflict with leadership’s views.
3. Global Crises Impacting the Workplace: International events like the ongoing war in Ukraine and political unrest in the Middle East impact global politics and influence workplace dynamics. Employees personally invested in these issues may bring those concerns into their work interactions, leading to heightened tensions.
4. Social Media Influence: Social media has become a powerful platform for political discourse, and employees often express their views online. However, when social media activity is spilled into the workplace, it can cause conflict.?
5. Ideological Diversity: A workforce with diverse political and social beliefs can be a strength but also create challenges. If ideological diversity is not managed properly, it can lead to factions within the workplace, where employees feel they must align with specific groups or risk exclusion.

Civility as a Key to Navigating Polarization

We define civility as respectful and courteous behavior shown by employees toward their colleagues in the workplace. Civility goes beyond politeness. It creates an environment where people can communicate openly grounded on empathy, even when disagreements arise.?

SHRM reports shocking stats: 58% of US workers believe our society is uncivil. The problem is so severe that U.S. workers collectively experience 202 million acts of incivility per day.

4 Ways Political Polarization Can Affect Organizations

Political polarization in the workplace extends beyond simple disagreements. It can erode organizational culture and put companies at significant risk. Understanding these consequences allows organizations to manage and mitigate potential issues proactively.

1. Deterioration of Workplace Culture: Polarization can create a toxic environment where employees feel excluded or dismissed due to their political views, lowering team morale and reducing productivity.
2. Increased Employee Turnover: Employees who feel unsupported or uncomfortable due to political divides are likelier to leave their jobs, increasing recruitment and training costs. Turnover can be twice as high in uncivil workplaces.
3. Reduced Employee Engagement: Polarization discourages communication and collaboration—two key elements of employee engagement. Workers who experience or witness incivility are significantly less likely to feel psychologically safe at work.
4. Compliance and Enterprise Risk: Companies that allow polarization to spread within the workforce may face significant compliance risks. Discriminatory practices or perceived biases in handling political issues are challenging to spot, as almost half of U.S. workers who witness or experience incivility do not report it to HR. Not addressing these behaviors can lead to legal action, damaging an organization’s reputation. Additionally, trust between employees and leadership can be undermined, harming the company’s public image and damaging customer relationships. Compliance training on anti-discrimination and diversity is essential to mitigate these risks.

The High Price of Incivility

Incivility not only impacts individual morale but also has severe financial repercussions. According to Harvard Business Review , nearly 48% of employees who experience incivility deliberately reduce their work effort, while 47% decrease their time at work. Furthermore, incivility affects creativity: when people are exposed to rudeness at work, they produce 25% fewer ideas and are 30% less creative.?

Moreover, incivility damages external relationships. Research reveals that customers are less likely to purchase from companies where they witness rude employee behavior, even if the rudeness is not directed at them. This erosion of trust extends beyond the workplace and directly impacts the bottom line. Managing incidents of incivility is also time-consuming; managers at Fortune 1,000 companies spend nearly 13% of their time addressing the aftermath, which equates to seven weeks per year.

The Role of Leadership in Reducing Political Polarization

How leaders react when faced with political divisions makes a big difference: they can contribute to polarization and incivility or de-escalate conflicts. According to SHRM’s research, nearly 84% of workers and HR professionals agree that people managers and senior leaders are crucial in creating and maintaining a civil work environment.

Leaders can guide conversations back to shared corporate values such as respect and collaboration when political discussions arise. By modeling civil behavior, leaders can de-escalate conflicts and foster an environment where employees feel comfortable expressing their views without fear of retaliation or exclusion.

Training leaders to handle these discussions tactfully while staying professional promotes inclusive dialogue, steering potentially divisive conversations toward a constructive resolution. After all, we must remember that business leaders aren't elected officials—their purpose is to drive business success, not to engage in or endorse political opinions.?

4 Strategies To Manage Political Polarization in the Workplace

Building a workplace that embraces political inclusivity requires a proactive approach, much like resolving everyday workplace conflicts. Leadership must prioritize shared corporate values and effective communication strategies to ensure diverse viewpoints are respected.

Here are four actionable strategies to help manage political polarization:

1. Unite Employees Around Core Values: Corporate values like civility, respect, inclusion, and integrity should form the foundation for all interactions and decision-making. These values offer a common ground for employees, regardless of personal beliefs. Leaders can integrate these values into the work culture by holding workshops on applying them in conflict resolution. Performance reviews should assess how well employees uphold these values, ensuring they become integral to the company culture. Additionally, managers can create an environment of cooperation rather than competition, replacing zero-sum evaluation systems with incentive structures that encourage teamwork. For example, consider implementing peer recognition programs where employees can reward each other for contributions, fostering deeper connections between colleagues.
2. Promote Psychological Safety: Acknowledging political differences is the first step toward addressing them constructively. When shared values like civility, respect, and inclusion are prioritized, they create a safe space for employees to express their views or speak up about conflicts without fear of retaliation. Leaders can foster this by sharing their mistakes and misunderstandings in team settings and creating anonymous feedback channels for employees to voice concerns. Additionally, encouraging meaningful interactions between employees from different groups can help reduce harmful stereotypes. Managers should build trust and relationships among colleagues through team-building activities or informal mentorship programs that connect employees from diverse backgrounds.
3. Leverage Data-Informed DEI Strategies: DEI analytics platforms, pulse surveys, and sentiment analysis tools provide leaders with real-time insights into how political polarization affects workplace dynamics. These tools ensure tensions are addressed before they escalate, allowing for timely interventions and tailored DEI initiatives. Leaders should also use risk assessments to identify areas where polarization might lead to compliance or enterprise risks, including damaged workplace culture or legal repercussions. Monitoring employee engagement data can offer clues about when polarization might be brewing beneath the surface, allowing proactive measures to be taken.
4. Train Everyone to Drive Behavior Change: Conflict resolution workshops, bias training, and peer mentorship programs can empower employees to handle disagreements constructively. Leaders should model open dialogue and demonstrate respect during political discussions, encouraging employees to share their perspectives without alienating others. Leadership coaching sessions and periodic refresher workshops will help foster long-term behavioral change, creating a culture of civility grounded on empathy and understanding. Managers should also provide opportunities for employees to engage in discussions where they can explain their viewpoints, which research suggests can reduce biases and help people realize that their differences are not as significant as they might initially believe.

Key Takeaways

• Political polarization is a growing issue. To maintain a cohesive and productive workforce, HR leaders must take proactive steps to address its impact on their teams.
• Shared corporate values build team cohesion: Organizations can help employees find common ground and reduce conflict by focusing on civility and shared values, such as respect, inclusion, collaboration, and innovation.
• Incivility has tangible costs. Research shows that uncivil behavior leads to lower creativity, higher turnover, and even customer loss, highlighting the importance of creating a civil workplace.
• DEI strategies are critical: A data-informed approach to DEI and leadership development can help mitigate risks, improve team dynamics, and suggest strategies to cultivate a healthier workplace.
• Training is essential to driving behavioral change. Training programs can help employees handle disagreements with respect and empathy and equip leaders with the key tools for managing politically charged situations.

Join the People Leader Conference!

Take the next step toward creating a more inclusive and thriving workplace. Emtrain 's People Leader Conference is your opportunity to learn hands-on strategies for uniting employees around core values.

Topics include:

• How AI will reshape talent strategies
• Managing social and political polarization in the workplace
• Reframing D&I efforts for greater impact
• Using data to reduce corporate risk, employee conflict, and turnover
• HR’s role in optimizing the workforce for measurable ROI
• 2025 workforce trends and how to prepare

Keynote speakers: Carin Taylor (Workday), Michael Green (Arm), Christina Hall (she/her) (Instacart), Kim Ashburn Roa (Workday), Karen Fascenda (Udemy), Deb Muller (HR Acuity), Trey Boynton (Chief).

Reserve your spot today to get the tools and insights needed to lead your team through today's challenges.

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