Saturday

Controversial Current Events will Disrupt Workplace Harmony if You Let Them

When it comes to discussing, listening to or spreading information about controversial topics at the workplace, you run the risk of angering management and co-workers.  For some workers, they are insensitive to the news they view at work and feel it appropriate to broadcast their personal views even if they come in the form of a video being played on one's computer.  It is best to keep your news to yourself!

Sometimes workers learn the hard way when approached about the content they are viewing or listening to.  "Could you please turn your radio down or off that news is just not good for business...Maybe it would be best to refrain taling about that topic, because things are starting to get heated around here...We have a job to do."  No matter how polite you say it, a person who could care less about the feelings of others will become defensive.  He or she may not want to talk to you anymore, act rudely or impersonal because of your warning.

An employee who may have had a long discussion about difficult subject matter related to current events with relatives and friends only the night before, might want to come to work without the pressure he or she had experienced at home.  However, Insensitive Nancy, Liberal Lee and Conservative Carl may want to bring up the latest media scandal.  By doing this, all three may end up being a disruption to workflow which may result in future discord between staff members.

Save the drama for mama! Put off discussion about the latest controversial discussions for outside the workplace--that is if you want to keep good relations between team members.

Nicholl McGuire

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