The importance of jobs amid the political divide

As Americans endure a barrage of political ads, Facebook posts, and cable news commentary typical of election-year politics, workplaces often go unnoticed as vital places of respite from political division. However, it is imperative that employers foster a sense of community through the design and management of workplace experiences if these environments are to remain neutral ground for bringing together divided Americans after everyone’s votes are cast.

Amid extreme political polarization in America, workplaces can provide unique and beneficial spaces for people to come together. It is here that people with diverse political views of the world can identify with a shared mission, find common ground and achieve goals as a team. As people increasingly self-select communities of like-minded individuals into their neighborhoods, schools, places of worship, and digital social circles, they must also contend with co-workers whose beliefs they may not share.

In his 2000 book Sun BowlingHarvard University professor and political scientist Robert Putnam introduced the term “bridging social capital” to refer to the beneficial connections that are established between people of different backgrounds. In the workplace, this includes people in different roles, such as those with different types of work or levels in the organizational hierarchy, as well as people from different social, economic and political backgrounds. Our physical workplaces can be powerful spaces to overcome these differences.

Tarun Galagali, CEO of leadership development firm Mandala, shares, “In America, workplaces may be the last remaining refuge for healthy political dialogue for one reason and one reason only: economic incentives they require people to be civil.” He continued: “You might be comfortable being scornful on Twitter, but in a conversation with a co-worker, you’re more likely to consider a good, thoughtful citizen sitting on the other side. It’s hard to demonize someone you’ve of working on a project; you both need the paycheck to support your family, and few problems will be more important than that.”

To foster healthy experiences in the workplace, workplaces should not be seen only as spaces for performing individual tasks or operations. Leaders need to recognize their critical role in managing communities, because that’s what businesses are. The spaces in which employees gather and how they spend time together have a significant impact on the health of these communities. In recent years, workers have experienced increased social isolation and burnout, which can be exacerbated by political tensions in our society, but these issues can be mitigated through meaningful face-to-face interactions.

Spaces that may be considered of secondary importance, such as break rooms and cafeterias, can provide opportunities for people from different teams to meet and learn about each other’s roles if they are designed for this purpose. Private office design can encourage connection across organizational hierarchies rather than emphasizing status. Workspaces can convey a sense of supervision or empowerment; environments that promote connection and belonging are most beneficial in fostering a healthy community.

However, while the workplace serves as a common ground for community building and shared achievements, it must be protected from the negative effects of political division. In a recently published report titled The focused organizationHR consultancy BetterUp found that increasing political division is increasingly harming organizations due to increased employee stress and decreased trust and collaboration. Therefore, it is imperative that leaders take steps to promote positive employee experiences and preserve the workplace as a neutral place to achieve important business results together.

Promoting casual socializing and team building is critical to doing this. Using the workplace as a place for team updates, volunteering, social outings and organizational celebrations can foster positivity and improve social capital. Likewise, a focus on mentoring, coaching, peer learning, and employee development builds a higher degree of trust and appreciation among employees whose worldviews may differ, but whose goals are closely aligned.

In the coming months and years, leaders should be determined to leverage their workplaces as tools to advance community. The space that employees occupy together throughout the working day represents one of the few areas of commonality in a society that struggles to find unity.