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????親愛的安妮：我在一家大公司的一個小部門（20個人）里工作，部門老板在我眼里基本上是個好人。他是一個好父親，對員工很公允，一般也很好相處。問題是他的政治觀點非常極端，與之相比，極端保守派廣播脫口秀主持人拉什?林堡也只能算是一個思想開明的人。這段時間以來，我倆幾乎在從移民政策到醫保改革所有新聞事件上都針鋒相對。 ????如果他不是一直高談闊論政治話題，還試圖贏得他人認同的話，倒也沒什么。有幾位同事，我碰巧知道他們其實屬于溫和派，但都假裝同意他的觀點，竭力巴結，討他歡心，可我就是不愿這樣做。不知道你或者你的讀者能不能給點建議，如何能得體地清除這些聒噪之聲，讓大家重新投入到工作狀態？——咬牙切齒 ????親愛的“咬牙切齒”：無論如何，你并不是唯一一個有這種困惑的人。近來其他很多讀者也問到了如何說服同事不要將政治觀點帶進辦公室。但問題是有些人相信根據《美國憲法》第一修正案他們有權在工作場所發表自己的觀點。但其實我在2010年美國國會大選期間撰寫的一篇專欄中就談到過這個問題。你猜怎么著？私營部門員工在辦公場所（以及上班時間）不享有第一修正案賦予的權利。 ????“每到這個時候，政治討論往往就會異常熱烈起來，”明尼阿波利斯的溝通培訓公司Roshini Performance Group 的主管以及《有話好好說!》（Communicate That!）一書的作者羅什尼?拉基庫瑪表示。“今年這個大選年略不同于以往，雖然羅姆尼領先，但并沒有明顯的優勢。他的競爭對手有非常多的熱心支持者，引發了很多討論。”而且，她還補充說：“今年公開爭論的一些問題非常情緒化，很多人似乎都有點走極端。” ????既然你說你是在一家大公司工作，肯定在什么地方，比如員工手冊里，有書面規定，禁止因為外部事務（如政治討論）分心，妨礙工作。“如果貴公司存在這樣的政策，你就可以把這種情況告知人力資源部，”拉基庫瑪表示。“但這樣做太極端了。” ????更好的做法是“與老板私下談話時提起這項政策。不要在其他人面前提起，不要太對立或帶刺。不妨這樣說：‘我不知道您是否清楚辦公室里的政治討論讓持有不同觀點的員工感覺不那么自在。有沒有辦法，可以緩和一下呢? ’” ????保持冷靜。“內心越平靜，就越有說服力，”拉基庫瑪指出。不管是和老板，還是同事，不要說出那些除了平添傷害、毫無益處的話。“他人談論政治話題或你認為不合適的話題時，保持沉默也沒什么不妥，”她說。“如果有人問起你為什么不開腔，只要回答說正在忙著干活就行了。” ????如果有人（你可能不是）喜歡和同事談論政治，拉基庫瑪有一些建議，如何讓談話保持心平氣和。“政治談話可能急轉直下，”她說。“人們會根據你的觀點來評判你。討論是有趣的，但不值得為此搭上職業前途。”下面是需要注意的幾點： ??? |
????Dear Annie: I work in a small (20-person) department of a huge company, for a boss who I think is fundamentally a good guy. He's a devoted dad, very fair to us employees, and usually a pleasure to be around. The problem is his political opinions, which are so extreme they make Rush Limbaugh look like a flaming liberal. He and I are on polar opposite sides of almost every issue in the news these days, from immigration policy to health care reform. ????That would be fine if he didn't insist on talking about politics all the time and trying to get the rest of us to agree with him. A few of my colleagues, who I happen to know are way more moderate than they're letting on, are kissing up to him by pretending to agree in order to get on his good side, but I'm just not going to do that. Can you or your readers suggest a diplomatic way to shut down all this yakking and let us get back to work? — Gritting My Teeth ????Dear G.M.T.: For what it's worth, you're not the only one wondering. Many other readers have been asking lately how to persuade colleagues to leave their political views in the parking lot. One issue is that some people believe they have a First Amendment right to spout off at work. But as I wrote in a column during the 2010 Congressional elections, guess what: Private-sector employees on company property (and company time) have no First Amendment rights. ????"Political talk does seem unusually heated this time around," says Roshini Rajkumar, head of Minneapolis-based communications coaching firm Roshini Performance Group and author of a book called Communicate That!. "It's a little different than in previous election years because, although Romney is ahead, he's not a clear favorite. His opponents have so many avid supporters that it opens up a lot of discussions." Moreover, she adds, "Some of the issues on the table this time are very emotional, and many people seem to be taking extreme positions." ????Since you note that you work for a huge company, there may be a written policy somewhere -- in the employee handbook, for example -- that prohibits outside distractions, including political talk, that get in the way of work. "If your company has such a policy, you could alert human resources to this situation," Rajkumar says. "But that would be a drastic measure." ????A better course of action: "Mention the policy in a private conversation with your boss. Don't bring it up in front of other people, and don't be confrontational or critical. Say something like, 'I wonder if you're aware that all the political discussion around here makes the atmosphere uncomfortable for people with different views. Is there a way we can all agree to tone it down?'" ????Stay cool. "The calmer you are on the inside, the more persuasive you'll be," Rajkumar notes. Whether with your boss or with coworkers, don't be drawn into arguments that are likely to produce nothing but hard feelings. "When others are talking about political subjects, or in fact any subject that you don't think is appropriate, it's perfectly all right to say nothing," she says. "Then if someone asks why you're not piping up, just answer that you're busy working." ????For anyone who (unlike you) actually enjoys talking politics with colleagues, Rajkumar has some common-sense reminders about keeping the discussion civil. "Political conversations can go downhill fast," she says, "and people may make snap judgments about you based on your views. Debates are fun, but they're not worth risking your career." A few pointers: |
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