Post-Election Civility and Productivity in the Workplace

Author: Mary Gormandy White, M.A., SHRM-SCP, SPHR

Now that November 3, 2020, is in the past, everyone who expected things to get better or "go back to normal" once the election is over has realized (or is coming to realize) that the subject of civility is going to continue to be an issue in the modern workplace. This is the time to focus on building a company culture that is both civil and productive, in which people are treated with respect and are held accountable for showing respect to others.

Lead Through the Divide

While Biden is now President-elect, a very deep divide continues to exist among those who make up the US workforce. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that things improve on their own once a vote count is final. They don't. People still disagree vehemently in a world where they're bombarded with bias via the 24/7 news and social media cycle.

There will always be other elections on the horizon, as well as many polarizing occurrences in between. Rather than sitting back and waiting for things to get better, now is the time to focus on taking steps to ensure that your workplace is both civil and productive, even with employees, leaders and customers whose political opinions vary widely and, in many cases, are in direct opposition to each other.