Maybe you don’t. Hopefully, you don’t.
I was raised by parents in a generation where discussions of politics or money were taboo to all but very close friends. (Of course, I’ve abandoned that part about money). At the same time, though, I’ve kept to my faith that discussions of politics can be outright rude in social settings and the workplace.
But at this point, in much of the developed world, the political climate has gotten so tense that all of us have likely had that awkward experience with a loud-mouthed political ideologue who doesn’t realize—or doesn’t care—that most of the room disagrees with him (that, or most of the room, was raised by the same generation as my parents).
How Politics Affects the Workplace
Recent research suggests that talking about politics at work, even knowing the political opinions of your coworkers, could actually have a detrimental effect on YOU and your work.
A quintet of researchers from London and the US (two countries facing a pretty big political divide right now) recruited over 150 participants into an online study that required interaction with other participants.
The task at hand was categorizing shapes. Participants would be rewarded for how many shapes they could accurately categorize.
Before that, however, participants were given an opportunity to learn whether their fellow lab rats had
- Similar political opinions to them
- Previous skills in learning about geometric shapes.
Only one of those two elements was relevant to the next task: choosing whom to work with and sorting shapes.
Yet, as they watched participants go to work, the researchers found that individuals were much more likely to want to collaborate with and learn from people with similar political opinions and were more influenced by people with similar political opinions.
This is even though political opinions have nothing to do with one’s prior knowledge of geometry or shape-categorizing abilities.
The researchers attribute this to a phenomenon they call “epistemic spillover.”
What is an Epistemic Spillover?
Similar to a halo effect, we have a tendency to believe that outstanding skill or knowledge in one field extends to other fields unrelated to that one. For example, we might assume that someone with skills in making financial predictions is, therefore, skilled in predictions and decision-making of all kinds.
Epistemic spillover goes one step further, however, since participants observed no underlying skill and then extended out to the task at hand. They just agreed with them about who to vote for.
There’s no skill involved in holding a political opinion. It’s just an opinion.
So, what does this mean for you and your work?
Shape categorization is likely not what you do at the office every day, but these results suggest a subtle bias in all of us.
That bias explains a lot of other halo effects and spillovers we see…including at work. In my book, Friend Of A Friend, we explore how people are subtly but consistently moving toward self-similar groups of people and the detrimental effect being in an echo chamber has on your decision-making.
If we’re likely to assume that people who agree with us are, therefore, smarter or better at any task, then are we likely to seek collaborations with or help from only those people with whom we share a party affiliation?
I don’t want to know.
That’s why I don’t want to know who you voted for, either.
How to Create a Neutral Work Environment
Let’s discuss some actionable strategies for creating a neutral work environment free from the negative impacts of political discussions.
Set Clear Guidelines
Implement policies discouraging political talk and actions in the workspace and during work hours. Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to restrict free speech.
Instead, focus on mutual respect and professionalism. This will reduce the chances of discord and hurt. You also need to facilitate the workers by creating a work-conducive environment that doesn’t encourage talk that is bound to end in conflict.
Focus on Mutual Goals
Focus on the collaborative objectives and shared goals. An employee’s success should be the success of the organization; likewise, the success of an organization will be the success of the entire team.
Successful teams are less likely to be distracted by such topics. Make it a point to regularly discuss company values and achievements and keep them in line with your organization’s mission and vision.
Talk about the vision and mission every week or month as a soft reminder for your employees to stick to work and what matters in the workspace.
Encourage Inclusive Communication
Of course, you don’t want the workers to stop talking to each other, so encourage them to engage in conversations that bring in a fresh perspective for work.
Let them brainstorm, research diverse perspectives, and train them to become active listeners and empathizers. This will help them work on resolving conflict rather than creating it.
Break Rooms
Give the employees a way or place to vent their emotions or talk about personal issues. You can keep break rooms or organize after-work social events where they can connect with others on a nonprofessional level while keeping things mutually respectful and conducive to work.
Address Conflicts Promptly
Conflicts are inevitable. The best way to address them is to do so quickly and promptly.
If you let them sit, they might worsen over time, leading to further aggression between coworkers. So, act as a mediator and address the situation without bias to resolve conflicts.
Wrap Up
Although it is tempting to discuss politics and share your opinions, remember that not everyone will agree and that you will face backlash.
The best way to avoid conflict is to avoid such conversations and value mutual respect, collaboration, and professionalism. Focus on the points that unite you as a team rather than those that divide or cause conflict.

About the author
David Burkus is an organizational psychologist, keynote speaker, and bestselling author of five books on leadership and teamwork.