What to say at work about this weekend’s violence

By Charles Chesnut and Ethan McCarty

This weekend we witnessed a tragic act of political violence: an assassination attempt against former President Trump, which injured him and others and took the life of an innocent rally attendee. This shocking event has dominated the news and many personal conversations over the past two days. And it comes immediately before the four-day Republican convention, which will inevitably amplify the discussion.

How should organizations respond? How should we talk about or take action related to the upcoming presidential election? At Integral we’ve been thinking about these issues for a long time; in fact, we recently published a guide to these very issues. For now, let’s focus on the immediate questions our clients are asking.

Should we say anything?

In recent years, businesses and other organizations have weighed in on political and social issues. Some, like Harvard University, have stepped back somewhat, announcing that they will only comment on subjects related to their core mission. Meanwhile, more than 50% of the American workforce believes they have the right to speak with colleagues about social and political issues and feel comfortable doing so. Whether your organization should make a statement is a decision for you to make; here are some factors to consider:

• Our most recent research – conducted last week – shows that employees clearly believe their organizations have a role to play in supporting democracy. For example, when asked whether their organizations should take steps to encourage voting, a striking 78% said yes.
• Are you considering a public statement, a statement to employees, or both? In any case the decision should be consistent with your organization’s identity, values and past behaviors. Ideally, statements are backed with actions (a policy update, a donation, a recommitment to civic participation etc.)
• We believe that a message to employees is an easier call: You’re clearly not looking for public attention, but you are showing care for your colleagues and your culture. Simply and warmly recognizing the stress and tumult your employees may be experiencing doesn’t require your organization to “take a side.”

What should we say?

There are a few obvious statements that should lead off any message about the assassination attempt; they are the messages we’ve already heard from business and political leaders and they’re worth repeating and amplifying:

• Political violence of any kind is unacceptable and we condemn it
• We wish former President Trump a speedy recovery
• Our thoughts are with his family, and for the families of the other victims of this attack

With those things said, we recommend pivoting to “what this means for us.”

These messages might include:

• In addition to being colleagues, we’re all citizens and human beings. It’s natural that shocking public events affect us, and that we may want to talk about them.
• We believe – as many public commentators have said – that this is a time to take a deep breath. Please recognize that your colleagues are people of goodwill who may be feeling genuine stress right now. Show them compassion and understanding.
• This is a time to look for common ground and shared values.
• Remember that our culture depends on mutual respect, and on relationships that will last long after this event – and well beyond the election.
• Stay focused on the work we do together and our company’s mission, purpose and values, for the benefit of all of us.

What should we not say?

You don’t need to acknowledge “negatives,” because that will only reinforce them in employees’ minds. For example, we would advise against saying things like:

• “We’re living in a polarized time”
• “Feelings are running strong right now”
• “You may have heard comments that made you angry”

We also advise against any commentary on the behavior of political actors, even if you’re trying to be neutral. What you think is neutral can easily be perceived as “false equivalence” by interested parties. For example, avoid statements like:

• “There has been inflammatory language from both sides”
• “We hope both candidates will …”
• Quotations from any politician’s call for unity, even if the words themselves are harmless. Some will question why you chose that person’s words instead of someone else’s.

How can we best navigate the next four months?

As mentioned above, Integral has published a guide to addressing this question, and it includes links to a number of external resources as well.

We've thought a lot about politics in the workplace, not only in working with clients but by doing our own independent research.? We’re here to discuss this with you and share ideas at any time.

Let’s talk.