Sex, religion and politics; these are the big three topics that conventional wisdom says should never enter into workplace conversation. The problem is that most workplaces are full of people; and people love to talk about sex, religion and politics…

…and they spend a lot of their time at work!

We’re in the middle of one of the most contentious political campaigns in memory. Should you just issue a policy banning all political conversations from the office? This wouldn’t be a practical or easily enforceable policy!

Can people discuss politics in the office without tearing each other without disrupting productivity, causing office discontent or punching one another’s lights out? Yes; but they will need some direction and at times may need a reminder that above all, people are at work to work!

The most important thing to remember in any conversation is to always observe the Rule of Respect. The Rule of Respect I use was taught to me by an elementary school student who defined Respect simply as “taking care of one another.”

Simple, elegant and to the point; this young person really understood what it takes to get along without compromising your personal beliefs. If we approach the subject from the back end, most arguments are not caused by a difference of opinion; they’re caused by one person refusing to acknowledge or “take care” of the other persons right to his or her opinion. Disagreement doesn’t need to be disrespectful or personal in most cases. On the other hand, polite acknowledgement does not always indicate consent.

You should be passionate about your political beliefs and opinions. Your right to these opinions has been paid for again and again with blood and treasure. You don’t need to be disrespectful or allow your passion to boil over to personal attacks. Likewise, you don’t need to stand for a personal or disrespectful attack; but as soon as you realize that a difference of opinion is not going to be resolved, it’s time to walk away.

Ultimately, you’re not at work to solve the problems of the government or of the world. There are vast issues, conditions and circumstances that you’re not going to personally change; at least not today and not while you’re trying to earn your paycheck and help your company earn a profit.

Still, most of us will spend more than a third of our lives at work. It would be a shame if we just issued a gag order on topics that are meaningful and important to all of us. We can have reasonable dialog while still doing our jobs and we can have business relationships and friendships with people whose opinions and feelings are different from ours.

Join me on BusinessExpertsWebinars.com Wednesday, August 6^th at 1 pm Eastern Time and I’ll share:

• The 3 Guidelines for Respectful Office Conversations
• The 5 AssUmptions ™ You’ve GOT TO Make
• The Top 10 Things You Should NEVER Do or Say in Office Conversation

You can apply these concepts in personal life too!

To host a live presentation of Taboo Topics: Talking Politics in the Office visit

JimBouchard.org!