Can We Please Not Talk Politics?

It’s the topic leaders and top managers want to avoid as much as possible. It’s simply too emotional and divisive, and it can alienate workers, disrupt productivity, or easily veer into legal issues. Most importantly, the wrong phrase can cause the loss of a client or customer.

But everyone is still talking about it—politics—at work this season. Indeed, with so many government machinations across the globe, and tariffs making so many headlines, someone in the office might not be able to get through the day without expressing their latest political opinion, experts say. “This has come up quite a bit,” says Dennis Deans, vice president of global human resources at Korn Ferry. “It’s a knee-jerk reaction.”

Even before the year started, nearly half of workers surveyed said they were uncomfortable discussing their political views at the office. Yet clearly, it’s happening: Almost a quarter of workers say they have witnessed a colleague behave aggressively or counterproductively because of their political beliefs. Experts say the temptation has only increased as firms and leaders try to deal with the consequences of recent government measures. With a client, however, the wrong step can be particularly costly.  “You risk your reputation, you risk the business, and it can blow back on the organization,” says Louis Montgomery, a principal at the HR Center of Expertise at Korn Ferry. “I avoid it.”

Still, avoidance can backfire too, experts say. Keeping mum when politics comes up can be interpreted negatively. Should you just nod? Abruptly change the subject? Pretend that your boss is emailing you and you’ve got to go immediately?

All this is a big change from only a few years ago. Workers who are middle-aged or older will recall being caught completely off guard by political commentary in the office. “I remember a time when it was completely inappropriate to bring up political views in any kind of social setting or at work,” says Peter McDermott, head of the North America Corporate Affairs practice at Korn Ferry. He still advises checking your politics at the door: “You’ll never have to backpedal out of any conversation.”

To be sure, there is one context in which light political discussion is okay: That’s in sectors directly impacted by immediate political moves, such as government and defense contracting. If a firm or sector is falling in or out of favor, political nuances will naturally emerge on a regular basis. “It’s discussion of administration policies as they affect future business,” says Montgomery, who navigates these conversations by sticking to the business topics at hand. In other contexts, you’re a sitting duck when someone else raises the topic. Experts agree that continuing the conversation is not the way to go, because—beyond the many risks—it’s usually unproductive. “Frankly, it turns into a lot of venting,” regardless of who’s speaking and their politics, says technology consultant Matt Bohn, a senior client partner in the Technology practice at Korn Ferry.

Experts advise deftly pivoting. “Steer them directly back to what’s important to them and their organization—otherwise, it’s landmines,” says organizational strategist Kim Waller, senior client partner at Korn Ferry. The speaker, she notes, is invariably discussing external events beyond their control. Instead, you might gently guide the conversation toward the work goals of the speaker or organization. This pivot is best accomplished by looking past the political outburst to seek out the substance behind it. “That’s where the anxiety is,” says David Vied, global sector leader for medical devices and diagnostics at Korn Ferry. Businesses are being forced to navigate treacherous conditions, and few executives know exactly what to do. It’s crucial to recraft their arguments into politically neutral language, in order to make constructive discussion possible. “You want to engage with people intellectually around the substance behind it,” says Vied.

If a direct pivot isn’t possible, experts advise, remind yourself that the speaker likely has good intentions, and try to establish common ground: I assume that we all want our country to thrive and our children to prosper, and our business to XYZ. “Heads nod,” says talent expert Lucy Bosworth, senior client partner at Korn Ferry, who has successfully used variations of this statement in recent weeks. “I then pivot to another topic.”

The upside, say experts, is that no single voting bloc makes up more than a fraction of a multinational’s potential customers. Successful businesses must serve everyone, an approach that is rare in politics, but standard operating practice in corporate America. “We have to have a big tent,” says Kate Shattuck, a managing partner at Korn Ferry.

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