Tag: Jonas Kaplan

Subscribe to E-news USC Dornsife experts explain how growing polarization in political and religious beliefs have made traditional holiday gatherings a challenge for families to navigate, and how to avoid a big blowout. Bitel notes that religious beliefs often overlap with political viewpoints. But public opinion surveys by the Pew Research Center have indicated that thread is fraying. Nearly a quarter of American adults in the most recent survey, released in 2015, had no religious affiliation, up from 16 percent in 2007. Politics is so much a part of the conversation these days. We should direct our anger towards things that actually deserve it.” Ever since that study, Kaplan has pondered how to prompt a change in the brain’s responses to bring people together. “What is your personal priority for this family gathering?” Margolin says. “Do you want to have a political discussion with somebody who sees things differently and turn this into an opportunity to learn something new? Or talk with new family members about their family traditions growing up?” Margolin says that even if someone else brings up divisive political issues, “be aware of your own hot buttons and don’t get drawn in on those discussions if you don’t want to have a political argument. You can think in advance about ways to sidestep the argument and guide the conversation in directions that you want it to go.” Ultimately, Margolin says, family gatherings over the holidays are intended to maintain family ties and history across generations.

A recent study by Randstad U.S. shows that the political climate is impacting stress at work as well as employee engagement and retention. Randstad U.S. found that 64% of people say political discussions at work have grown more heated over the past five to 10 years and 72% feel stressed or anxious when heated arguments occur. Here are a few ways to navigate the stress of politics in the workplace: Get clear on your work When things get heated, minimize other common causes of job stress and burnout. More than 35% of employees say they don’t know what’s expected of them at work. The power of sleep is one of the many reasons I’m so passionate about bridging the gap between sleep and career development in the theory and practice of career coaching. Think about how the disagreement relates to an area of your career development plan. If you don't have a career development plan, then it's time to get one to give yourself direction for the remainder of the year and into 2019. Working with a coach is an efficient way to develop self-concepts and research how your values align with company values. Heated political discussions can also turn individuals into office bullies and even cause you to feel undermined. The goal of career burnout coaching is to help you address your cause of burnout by implementing coping mechanisms that are proven to improve the way you think, feel and perform at work.