Being from the Maritimes, I spent many hours on the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Prince Edward Island, where I learned many lessons from my seafaring journeys. One of the most important is never to underestimate the power of Mother Nature and how fast she can move from calm to angry.
Another is that when in a small craft, it is wise always to heed a larger vessel’s wake because the ocean and large vessels can generate a massive amount of power, pushing large volumes of water into significant wakes (i.e., waves). Navigating through a large wake or wave requires knowledge and skill to mitigate the risks of bumps, bruises, capsizing, and becoming lost at sea. The critical points are preparedness and anticipating and mitigating risks to ensure safety.
Today’s politics drive significant emotional wakes that hit some individuals hard and cause workplace spillover effects. Recent elections in the United States, political discourse and allegations of politically motivated violence in Canada, wars, and threats of terrorism are examples of emotional wakes created by political ideology.
We are in a time of instability where world leaders are unaligned, and individual agendas blind the reality that we are but one planet. Fears of nuclear war, financial hardship, and a long list of issues linked to political ideology discourse are mounting with no end in sight. With all this, it is reasonable for employers to expect some employees to experience fear and emotional turmoil. Without support for employees, these emotional wakes could disrupt the workplace.
In addition, there is evidence that traditional and social media are inflaming politically charged points of view. Technology has created many benefits and challenges, such as fake media, where facts are fabricated for a perceived benefit at others’ expense (e.g., election tampering). Regardless of the motivation, there is more politically charged deception for a perceived gain, referred to as noble cause corruption.
Regardless of the geopolitically charged events, some employees experience upset, fear, and worry, which drive emotional wakes, consume energy, create distractions and divisions, and disrupt workforces. Employers must anticipate the risk of crises and institute controls to mitigate harm.
Navigating emotional wakes
Politics has become personality-charged and negatively influences how people interact, socialize, and behave in their workplaces. Free expression of speech is a core North American civil liberty. Unfortunately, this liberty is increasing the risk of discourse, acting-out behaviour, and workplace violence.
Conflict and differences of opinion begin with a perception of what is right and wrong. When politics becomes personal and active in the workplace, its wake can create divisions and challenges to a psychologically safe and inclusive environment for all employees.
Employers can use the following tips in their psychological health and safety programs or workplace mental health initiatives to create energy and focus on navigating and preparing for emotional wakes. They can also reduce the risk of workplace conversations that can spark intense emotions and violence. Employers should not assume people can always be rational when activated by beliefs, biases, and emotions.
- Acknowledge the risk of politically driven emotional wakes: Recognize that political and geopolitical events can affect employees’ emotions and stress levels. Openly acknowledge these challenges so employees know their feelings are valid and understood.
- Create clear social media and traditional media policies at work: Make it clear that workers should not use their assigned IT to interact with social media or news during work, as this can increase the risk of emotional frustration or negatively influence some individuals’ mental state.
- Anchor organizational values: Emphasize that the workplace is a sanctuary where everyone should feel a sense of belonging, safety, respect, and value regardless of political views. Make these values visible through organizational communications and actions.
- Train leaders in dealing with political discourse in the workplace: Dealing with emotional upset and political discourse in the workplace is a skill many leaders have not learned. Micro-training with what-if scenarios can give leaders tips for regulating emotions and stopping, shifting, and moving conversations that can erupt and create heated emotions within seconds.
- Refresh safe and respectful workplace expectations: Encourage a culture where healthy discussions about social issues are supported if they are respectful and non-disruptive. Clarify that the objective is to maintain a respectful and productive work environment.
- Remind employees of available psychological supports: Ensure all employees know about the mental health support services the workplace provides and provide them with micro-skills for coping with stress, dealing with conflict, and self-advocating.
- Set clear boundaries on political discussion: Establish and communicate clear policies regarding political discussions in the workplace. Ensure employees understand what is considered appropriate behaviour and the potential consequences for breaches of standards.
- Prepare leaders to encourage and promote curiosity versus judgment: Foster an environment where employees are encouraged to listen and learn from each other’s perspectives rather than attempting to sway opinions. Highlight the importance of empathy and understanding.
- Prepare HR and managers to resolve conflicts and restore harmony: Train managers and HR staff to mediate disputes that arise from political discourse. Equip them with the skills to facilitate productive conversations and defuse tensions.
- Focus on building psychologically safe teams: Promote the benefits of psychologically safe teams where individuals do not fear speaking up when they feel unsafe or oppressed. Creating activities that bring employees together in a collaborative, non-political setting can help build trusted relationships and increase opportunities for all employees to feel a sense of belonging. Emphasize teams’ roles to achieve common goals, reduce divisions, and focus on shared objectives.
