A tightrope in heels: Comms advice for politically contentious times 

It’s practically impossible to encounter a space in which people aren’t discussing politics at the moment. Whether you’re setting policies around interpersonal workplace discussion or helping external comms professionals who work with your organization determine when, where and how to navigate choppy political waters, keeping your comms world steady is a tall order. 

There’s no sure-fire, one-size-fits-all way to ensure that tensions won’t flare whenever political (and politicized) topics arise — or that your organization won’t accidentally stumble into a political brouhaha in the public sphere.  

“Fair and consistent methods are ideal, obviously, but the legal and cultural environments that we’re in,” said Christina Frantom, internal communications lead at Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc., during a recent Ragan webinar. “It’s like you’re walking a tightrope in heels.”  

But Frantom also offered some practical, actionable advice for training your comms muscles to stay balanced in those stilettos. Read on for her best tips. 

Start with respect and clarity 

At Mercedes-Benz, a global organization with employees all over the world, comms is responsible for defining what respect looks like in the different cultural and political environments where its people and marketing appear. 

“This kind of information is really important, not only to have on the books, but also to communicate clearly and to make sure that you’re communicating in all of the different cultural and language areas that you need to be,” Frantom said. 

It’s not possible to get it right every time, to monitor and discuss behaviors in a wholly neutral way in every environment and interaction. But standardizing policy and procedure helps. 

“Having a general, respectful workplace policy is really important,” she said. And it must stay as adaptive as possible. 

Comms isn’t alone in this venture, and it shouldn’t be. Legal and colleagues in other HR roles should be treated as teammates to help comms leads iron out the different sensitivities across markets and business operations when developing and distributing policies that empower employees to remain informed and respectful. 

The power of memory and positivity 

Frantom recommends what she calls “remember campaigns” that raise visibility and awareness of important cultural moments and political issues that might impact employees or public discourse. It’s a reminder that “hey, we’re here and we’re committed to providing a safe and fair and respectful work environment,” as she puts it. 

Digital signage on comms platforms serves as a visually neutral, positive heads-up for employees that can incite congenial activity and celebration rather than rewarding conversations about news headlines or points of division. 

Frantom emphasized the need for positive reinforcement rather than punitive measures when possible. Rather than “making examples” out of people for less respectful and more harmful choices, try thanking and calling out people who show respectful behavior like celebrating others and navigating difficult topics with grace. Frantom also says it’s important to respect privacy, emphasizing that monitoring private channels is counterproductive unless a complaint arises. 

Of course, conflict has to be addressed when employees don’t respect others.: “Where we draw that hard line is with any kind of inflammatory, aggressive or threatening behavior,” Frantom added. 

Channel manager mentality 

Comms professionals are in the unique position to emulate and influence behaviors through example. While you might write and distribute policies, you’re not an enforcer — and that gives you the ability to connect with employees at their level. 

“The number one goal and the number one role of comms professionals: We are more channel managers than we are executioners of a particular policy or procedure,” Frantom said. 

That includes both internal and external social channels, intranets, newsletters, town halls, Q&As and beyond. 

“If you’re not engaged in social listening, then you’re behind,” Frantom said, and advised comms pros to ensure that social channels are monitored at least eight to 10 hours per day. 

Being that mediator and moderator can be tough, but she encouraged comms pros to take heart, because “there are ways to do it that everyone can get involved in where everyone wins.” 

Remember that most politically or culturally motivated disagreements stem from a lack of understanding and cultural differences rather than malicious intent. 

In case of emergency 

It’s impossible to avoid all politically motivated conflict in the workplace. When that happens, it pays to be prepared with templates and approved language that can be deployed for employees and for press at a moment’s notice. 

Employees can also be an asset in these scenarios. Having your brand’s priorities, position and mission articulated and aligned with employees ahead of time also can save you stress and minimize pitfalls. 

“Understand how you’re representing yourself as a brand, but more importantly, how your organization wants to represent itself to its employees,” advised Frantom, “then flip them to brand ambassadors so that they’re armed with the information they need in their communities or in their work environments.” 

Sometimes that alignment can ensure that employees know what the brand won’t comment on; other times it’s providing policy information.  

The bottom line 

Ultimately, voting is a right and employers must respect that. Unfortunately, the act of voting itself is sometimes a topic of contention around election days, but the best bet for any organization is to ensure that their employees have the space to make their voices heard. 

Encouraging voting participation means ensuring that everyone is aware that employees should have a lighter meeting load, flex time or a work-from-home policy on election days and whenever employees need to participate in their local election process. 

Post-election, join us during Comms Week at the Future of Communications Conference in Austin, Tex., Nov. 13-15, where we’ll host discussions and post-election reflections on lessons learned for tomorrow, and for the future.