According to Webster’s dictionary, bipartisan means; of, relating to, or involving members of two parties; specifically: marked by or involving cooperation, agreement, and compromise between two major political parties. Ok, we all know that the workplace is far from a political arena…right? Unfortunately, since we spend so much time within our respective workplaces, it is quite normal for our views on issues such as politics to spill over into our daily jobs. So, how do we cooperate, agree, and keep the peace when dealing with opposing views in the workplace? Well, the standard HR response would be to remind all employees that discussions involving topics such as politics, religion, sex, and age should be avoided at all costs to prevent the risk of offending hearers that may feel harassed by certain comments. Unfortunately, no one listens to HR and the conversations usually continue, until the employee is fired. But what if the employees have a healthy, friendly outlet to express their views?
Here’s a thought: employers can provide a safe place such as a break room or conference room where employees can have healthy discussions. Employers could post friendly reminders such as “let’s agree to disagree” or “everyone is entitled to an opinion” to encourage that conversations are conducted in a non-threatening manner. Here’s a really good idea; members of management can sit in on these discussions and act as leaders and mediators to make sure the conversations between their employees remain cordial. The benefit of allowing this type of freedom of speech would be the opportunity for employers to aid in the goal of we the people learning how to communicate the different types of views to one another. It can create and enhance a culture of teamwork and creative expression. In other words, a corporation would have the opportunity to teach its employees what it really means to “just get along.” Just a thought.
