Politics happen inside and outside organizations. With the mid-term elections in less than 60 days, the current political climate in the US is rife with divergent views and, too often, toxicity. Virtually everyone has an opinion, or an opinion about those who have their opinions.

Studies have informed us that more and more employees are openly expressing their political views at work. Often it doesn’t go well. HR has been called in because of bullying from all sides of the political divide. Those holding a different or minority set of views and values are often quietly resentful. This can lead to a lack of focus on the core work needing to get done and create a psychologically unsafe culture.

That’s not to say politics are not important for our democracy to thrive. However, the healthy debate I hear organizations want is debate that’s not about candidates, but about the core tenets of the mission and business. If the organization’s mission and business are not aligned with an individuals values, which may be reflected in their politics, then the choice to move on may be wise.

Of course, I have my opinions and politics. I avoid sharing them when coaching executives and teams. My job is to create a safe enough container for all values to be reflected on and viewed against the backdrop of the work that needs to get done and the culture that needs sustaining.

The greatest danger I see is when we label each other and close our minds to each other’s perspectives. This is the hard work of really listening and being open to change. Let’s take a lesson from the humorist and actor Robert Benchley: “There may be said to be two classes of people in the world; those who constantly divide the people of the world into two classes, and those who do not.”