Editor’s note: Veteran entrepreneur and investor Donald Thompson writes a weekly column about management and leadership as well as diversity and other important issues for WRAL TechWire. His columns are published on Wednesdays.
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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – In the not-so-distant past, C-suite leaders essentially ignored politics and political conversations, lumping them into one of two camps: “not part of my job” or “not in the best interests of shareholders.” In other words, executives used to believe that they could keep out of political bickering in the best interest of their organizations and themselves.
In the eyes of most business leaders, politics equaled protests, which equaled crises. The last thing any executive wants to see (or imagine) is a group of angry protestors in front of the building or organizing online. A neutral or quasi-neutral stance seemed the most sensible middle ground.
But, as the Nobel laureate Bob Dylan sang: “Ohh, the times, they are a-changin.’”
Donald Thompson
Like so many aspects of life, the professional and personal continue to meld. We have watched as politics has turned into an expectation, not something to keep behind the curtains. And, it’s not just employees leading this transformation: Customers, vendors, and stakeholders are demanding accountability and leadership on political topics as formerly off-limits as immigration policy, abortion rights, and gun control.
When I experience a sea change like this taking place in the work world, I reach out to my network to speak with experts who face these issues daily. Few fit this mold better than Billy Warden, a writer and public relations expert who specializes in politics, crisis communications, and cause issues. Warden, who runs GBW Strategies, is also a fixture in Raleigh and state media circles, often appearing on television programs discussing the political arena and providing news commentary.
Below is an excerpt of my conversation with Warden from the High Octane Leadership podcast. We focused much of our discussion on politics in the workplace and how CEOs and executives can engage in these ideas to become culture-centric leaders.
THE STAKES FOR THE C-SUITE
When Warden and I discussed the stakes regarding political divisiveness, he shared a startling survey result that revealed how difficult the situation is for leaders: “80% of folks who identify as Democrats see Republicans being out of control and a threat to democracy, and 80% of Republicans see Democrats as being out of control and a threat to democracy.”
From Warden’s perspective, this oppositional viewpoint leaves people of both parties feeling “attacked” by the other. As a result, there is little room for empathy and compassion, both indispensable in any relationship. While the knee-jerk reaction might be “keep politics out of the workplace to avoid these challenges,” we’ve learned that people are no longer willing or able to honor that imaginary line between “work” and “life.”
In diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, I see this when people mistakenly lump together everything a leader is trying to accomplish under the “diversity” heading with “woke.” The challenge here is that while the leadership team is committed to creating a stronger workforce, they may have detractors who are viewing the topic from a much different perspective.
THE BEAUTY OF HUMANITY
Rather than getting caught up in partisanship, Warden spoke about getting “into the mindset of whoever you’re trying to convince.” Focusing on their frames of reference for different issues, he explained, opened up “the beauty of humanity.” Whether you’re a manager of a deskless workforce or a sales manager with a team of agents, looking at topics or issues from the other person’s frame of reference can open up new ways of seeing.
As leaders or managers, once we’ve attempted to view a subject through the lens of the person across the desk or across the political divide, we can anticipate the common ground needed to find compromise. Warden suggests attempting to “make a case for something in a way that’s useful to the other person and doesn’t meet right away with their different kinds of resistance.” These tactics, he explains, allow people to “appeal to what someone’s worldview already is and make the argument through specific examples,” which “can really start to move the needle.”
GOOD PEOPLE
Throughout our discussion, Warden repeatedly used terms and phrases that I could relate to as a CEO and leader: “place of virtue,” “reasonable discussion,” and “two-way street.” The way he goes about his work as a political communicator and how I view mine as an executive often centers on the idea that people are generally good and want to do the best thing for themselves and their communities.
The challenge with political discussions in the workplace is that people are reacting to macro-level events and getting their information via smartphones. So, when it comes to political elections, the heat is getting turned up by outside forces and becoming more aggressive. Simultaneously, many employees – particularly younger workers – want to know that their companies are willing to take a stand.
From my perspective as a leader and those I have talked to, the struggle is how to properly balance empathy and economics. Although it might seem like company executives are far removed from the daily lives of their teams, leaders are thinking about the whole person and their work. Frequently, the balance comes down to assessing the role a leader should have in an employee’s life versus their role in the professional life. As these boundaries continue to blur, executives are expected to deftly navigate those two roles, but there’s no blueprint or playbook.
LEADERSHIP IN ACTION
Warden offers two guidelines that leaders can use to begin thinking about political conversations in the workplace:
- Role-playing exercises allow managers and executives to train for how they will handle political conversations in the workplace. An important point to consider is that having the discussion doesn’t mean that leaders are going to agree with everything a teammate might say, but determining standards can help.
- The executive team can talk to employees about the organization’s community engagement, charitable contributions, and other ways it interacts with other political topics. This authentic conversation will provide guidance on what is acceptable, while also demonstrating to the team how and when the organization engages with political topics and ideas.
Preparation is a key for managers and leaders. Given the highly partisan nature of the political landscape, avoiding politics in the workplace is unlikely. However, Warden also emphasizes people’s personal responsibility in the equation: “Democracy is hard work, and you are the fact-checker.” That hard work is ongoing – in our communities and the workplace. Managers and C-suite executives need to continue leading that discussion, as Warden indicates, to bring out the “beauty of humanity.”
About the Author
Donald Thompson is CEO and co-founder of The Diversity Movement. His leadership memoir, Underestimated: A CEO’s Unlikely Path to Success, is available now. Sign up to join him at the “Smart Strategies to Get HR Initiatives Approved” webinar on November 10 at 2:30 p.m. ET. Connect or follow him on Linkedin.
