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- September 15, 2008
Mixing Politics with Business
As a journalist who spent more than 25 years in Corporate America, one of the topics that drew some of the most heated discussions and debates was politics. Sure, we were supposed to be objective when we hit the airwaves but behind the scenes we were highly opinionated.
This is the season where political views are hot and heavy all over the place—especially in the workplace. Everyone feels they have a stake in this election and some people are doing their best to persuade others to their political side. According to the American Management Association, nearly 40 percent of companies have written policies prohibiting workers from handing out literature endorsing political parties or candidates. But that certainly doesn’t stop folks from huddling together in their cubbies or gathering around the water cooler to express their opinions.
As a business woman who is active in online business and social networking, I have seen many comments of late about the upcoming presidential election. Some people I have had the utmost respect for in the social and business community have suddenly turned into vicious supporters of one candidate over another.
Now I’ll admit that I have added my own two cents on the subject of Sarah Palin and her pregnant teenage daughter. Why? Because she and I share that fact in common.
Bringing your political thoughts into the business arena can be risky, especially if others have strong opposing views. Certainly no one can stop you from making your political thoughts known, but you could lose friends and valuable business contacts because of your beliefs.
How many times have you heard someone say they want to network with “like-minded people?” So now what does that really mean? Is it important for you to know the politics of a fellow business networker? If you say no, then what happens when you find out and discover their views are radically opposed to yours? Do you stop socializing with them? Can you do business with someone who doesn’t share your political views?
Just where do you draw the line?
3 Responses to “Mixing Politics with Business”
Personally, I think it’s a bad idea to bring up politics in business situations because one never knows where someone else stands on the issue, or just how much passion they have towards that issue. I would hate people going back to the days where, like my grandfather, they belong to a political party they don’t believe in just to get business.
By Mitch on Sep 15, 2008
There are actually law about what you are talking about. An employee can not discriminate on political beliefs and hirer only a certain relegion although make not mistake it happens. There are all psychic companies also or companies who are all into some kind of new age philosophy. My take on it as a Christian is that I would rather line up with a company that has God at the heart of it in the CEO. The times or good and evil are too critical and there is a dividing line some what for me. Now do I judge Sarah Palin for the actions of her daughter? Certainly not. That is for God to judge and we all are not perfect. We are all sinners and cast the first stone please if you are not. But if you are a company with an agenda like mind control of the staff through humanistic development training techniques instead of God driven biblical coaching.. Something I was exposed to on a large scale in the business world before knowing that these cources have an agenda all their own…No. There are too many strange people out their into all kinds of dark stuff. I want to know where people stand around me and who they are voting for is sometimes.. not always… a meter on their societial values at least to some degree- it says something about them. Will I do business with them? Probably not since I’m a biblical coach and most all of those who do believe in abortion are not going to come my way but if they truely want on board sure I will welcome them. Like I said, lines are being drawn and you have to know to a degree what and who you are dealing with because it is reflective of their moral positions.
Paula
By Paula Mary on Sep 24, 2008
It is really improper to mix business with politics, it is like two different poles, North and South, East and West, but there are numbers of politicians all over the world that are practicing this very bad habit and the result is cathastropic. Self serving and greed.
By big brother on Oct 13, 2009