Don’t Ask That! 4 Political Questions To Avoid At Work

editor — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:16:08 +0000

With the mid-term elections occurring in two weeks, it can be tempting to get into political discussions at work. What’s the harm in admitting who you think should win the election or giving your opinion about Afghanistan?

“In today’s super-charged political climate,” according to business etiquette expert Barbara Pachter, author of The Power of Positive Confrontation, “it’s easy to say something that insults your boss, customer or co-worker. People have strong opinions when it comes to politics. Political discussions can quickly and easily escalate into arguments, sometimes heated ones.”

Yet, Pachter acknowledges, it’s hard to avoid discussions as we are being bombarded with political ads day and night. But, if you think of the consequences of discussing the following questions, you may not ask them.

1. “Who are you going to vote for?”
Do not ask this question! You may get an answer you did not expect or want. Your opinion of that person can be altered, often negatively, if he or she is not voting for your candidate.

2. “Who do you think won the debate?”
You and your colleague may have very different opinions about who answered the questions effectively or who looked good behind the podium. Arguing the points will usually not resolve them. If a colleague keeps pushing his/her opinion, you can say, “Let’s agree to disagree.”

3. “How can you possibly vote for____?”
Asking this question is not just commenting on the person’s choice, it is putting the person down. Discussions can quickly become ugly after that!

4. “Don’t you think the candidate’s stance on ______ is outrageous?
Using strong negative language to discuss an issue can become fighting words to people. If you want to comment on an issue, a better way to word your disagreement is, “I disagree with the candidate’s position on _____because of_____.”

Others may ask these questions of you to draw you into a political discussion. Remember you don’t have to answer every question asked of you. Quickly excuse yourself or change the topic. You can also be assertive and politely tell the person, “I’m uncomfortable discussing this at work. Let’s get back to business.”

Barbara Pachter is a speaker, coach and author of numerous business books, including NewRules@Work: 79 Etiquette Tips, Tools, and Techniques to Get Ahead and Stay Ahead, ($15.00, paperback, Prentice Hall Press). Her ninth book, Greet! Eat! Tweet! will be published in December, 2010.

Pachter specializes in business etiquette and communication. Her client list features major organizations worldwide, including Microsoft, Pfizer, Chrysler and Con Edison.

To subscribe to Pachter’s free e-newsletter, “Competitive Edge,” or her Blog, go to www.pachter.com.

So much for not causing a commotion

admin — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 15:24:10 +0000

So there we were, presenting to a group of about 20 or so. We were tasked with solving a company’s core Marketing issues and presenting them with possible opportunities to rectify their problem areas. Each member of our team had various sections throughout the presentation that they owned. After weeks, possibly months of preparation, I was confident that we would knock this out of the park. My portion of the presentation came and went as smoothly as I had hoped. Here’s where it gets interesting.

As I stepped aside to let the next person on my team give her portion of the presentation, I suddenly felt light-headed, as if all the blood was rushing out of my brain. As someone who has fainted before, I knew the telltale signs of when a fainting spell was about to occur: dizziness, muffled hearing, tunnel vision, cold sweats. Determined not to go down and detract from our group’s efforts, I did what I could to stay vertical. I recalled all of the lessons I’d learned through the years on how to combat fainting. So, as I stood off to the side of the front of the room, I leaned over as if I were tying my shoes (I think I may have been wearing slip-ons!) to get the blood back to my head.

That didn’t work. I squeezed my butt cheeks together to help the blood circulation as my aunt who is a nurse often recommended. That too, didn’t work. I wasn’t going to cause a commotion, so I made the decision to walk off to the side and sit down. As I turned, I bumped into one of our prop boards and it began to fall. I quickly turned back and caught the board with both hands. The next thing I knew, I was on my back still holding the board with both hands. I can’t believe I fainted. In front of everyone. I was so embarrassed. It got worse.

A close personal friend of mine was in the crowd and after he saw me go down he jumped out of his chair, ran across the room and yelled, “He’s seizuring! He’s seizuring!” So they called an ambulance, stretcher and all. After the paramedics were done with me and after I explained for the ump-teenth time that I had just fainted and didn’t go into an epileptic seizure, I made the long, painful walk in front of the whole room to a chair in the front row. So much for not causing a commotion.”

Kevin, Marketing Planning, MN

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Don’t Ask That! 4 Political Questions To Avoid At Work

So much for not causing a commotion