Navigating the Political Storm: An HR Leader's Guide

Navigating the Political Storm 

The 2020 election was a stark reminder of how deeply political divisions can impact the workplace. With the 2024 election a few months away, workplaces are bracing for the inevitable: politically charged discussions. As tensions rise, HR professionals find themselves on the frontlines, tasked with maintaining a harmonious and productive work environment. This article explores how HR teams can navigate the stormy waters of election season, fostering inclusion and engagement, while preserving company culture.

Pre-Election Strategies

1. Empower Your People Leaders: Over the years, the burden has fallen on HR professionals to help navigate difficult conversations with employees related to conflict, politics, and major world events. We recommend shifting this paradigm and leveling up your leaders to facilitate these conversations. Equip managers with the tools to navigate crucial and courageous conversations, prioritize building a physiological safe space, and create an inclusive playbook. An inclusive playbook includes three critical components: clear expectations for respectful dialogue and conduct, procedures for addressing and escalating incidents, and communication strategies to reinforce company values.

General Mills' successful "Courageous Conversations" program demonstrates the power of open dialogue when handled effectively beyond HR siloes. At General Mills, the Courageous Conversations series demonstrates that people are willing to talk about tough topics if they feel heard and respected. During a Courageous Conversations event, General Mills employees gather to listen to a speaker and then break into a smaller group of 8 to 10 employees. Each table is assigned an employee-facilitator who is trained to keep the candid dialogue respectful and on point. The first Courageous Conversation attracted only 30 participants. Now, the conversations attract as many as 3,000 employees and are conducted online.

2. Reinforce Your Values: While organizations cannot control the tense political climate, leaders can help by reinforcing policies that promote the company’s core values around respect and inclusivity. Review and update your company's policies on discrimination, harassment, and respectful workplace conduct, and make sure to clearly communicate expectations and consequences. These guidelines serve as a proactive foundation for addressing potential issues.

Post-Election Strategies

Companies should continue to take proactive steps after the 2024 election in anticipation of possible culture disruptions at the workplace. Below are recommendations for navigating how best to help employees cope and re-engage after election results.

3. Re-Engage Teams Through Unity and Focus: Acknowledge the emotional toll of the election and reaffirm your company's commitment to its mission. Encourage managers to refocus teams on shared goals and celebrate collective achievements. Listening circles made of small groups provide a valuable platform for employees to express concerns and be heard. They also provide an opportunity to redirect and refocus on the mission and business goals. 

4. Prioritize Employee Well-being: Offer support resources like Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) to help employees cope with stress and anxiety. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) can also engage employees who seek a community within the workplace. Ensure that employees know how to access these resources, and confirm that they have the bandwidth in their schedules and workloads to make use of them. 

By proactively addressing potential challenges and empowering employees and leaders, HR can create a workplace where differences are valued and everyone feels respected. To achieve this, HR professionals should focus on empowering leaders, reinforcing values, re-engaging employees, and prioritizing well-being. Through these actions, organizations can navigate the complexities of election cycles while fostering a positive and productive work environment.

5. Lean on Legal Guidance:  Finally, for great election-specific guidance on election-related employee issues, check out this FAQ resource from law firm Fisher Phillips.

About ModelExpand

ModelExpand is a strategic workplace advisory firm that helps companies put their ideals into action. We partner with organizations to implement, operationalize, and scale their Culture and People initiatives in a way that improves performance across the organization. The ModelExpand team is composed of people from all walks of life. The diversity of the team’s lived experiences, robust industry knowledge, and research acumen fuel ModelExpand’s innovative and tailored solutions. ModelExpand’s work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes and CultureAmp.