The federal election is upon us and an expert warns of falling into the trap of talking politics, whether at work or at home, citing different opinions and views.
You should never assume others have the same views as you, etiquette expert Julie Blais Comeau told CTV Morning Live Thursday.
She shares few tips:
At work
When you’re at work, she says it’s important to keep election talks respectful.
“(For example), your colleague could say something like: ‘You know what, I’m so excited, I just gave money to the Poilievre campaign.’ And so, our tip here is going to be a comment that’s neutral, yet positive. And we’re going to find that exit to get back to work,” she said.
“It could be like: ‘You know I love how everybody is motivated this year and quite engaged in the campaign. And I’m looking forward to seeing the results, but you’ll have to excuse me I have a meeting coming up.’”
If a debate gets heated, she says you should remain rational, citing the importance of being reasonable. Comeau also notes that you must be the peacemaker and direct in a workplace setting, while giving the following example:
“One colleague says one thing about a leader and a party and then (another) colleague says something about another one,” she said. “And you could come in and say: ‘You know, I love how the team is so diverse, and I guess that’s why the team is so good at brainstorming, like what we’re going to do this afternoon. So, what I propose is that we put a pause on politics, and we keep diversity to brainstorming session.’”
Family dinner
Comeau says that even at home, you must be able to recognize diversity and change, citing diverse opinions and views. She suggests redirecting the energy and asking open-ended questions respectfully, without turning the debate into a shouting match at the dinner table.
“What would you do if you were prime minister tomorrow? What’s one thing you would put into action no matter what party, or no matter what side you’re on? So, you’re opening up the conversation, making it a discussion, and you’re going to be able to hear what grandpa has to say and also what teenagers have to say,” she explained.
Community event
At a community event, and when you must deal with a curious neighbour, she suggests saying how much you love that everyone has their own values.
Comeau suggests telling your neighbour that “it’s a luxury to be able to vote.”
“So, you highlight that we have the privilege of voting and that is a personal choice,” she added.
Bringing a little bit of humour into that conversation is never a bad idea, according to her. She says saying something like “I’m going to listen to my parents” who told me that it’s not a good a idea to speak about politics.
“So, let’s keep it neutral,” Comeau said.
Online group chat
She notes that comments you write online could be there forever, adding that social media platforms are for everyone.
“So, you may want to be the peace moderator. You can say: ‘Guys I want to remind everybody that we are diverse here and we want to keep it respectful,” she said.
Briefly, you should remind everyone that they are able to voice their opinion, but respectfully.
More information is available at www.etiquettejulie.com.
Election day is on Monday.
