It’s almost over.
After over a year of debates, controversies, attack ads, memes, posts, and commentary, the election cycle of 2016 comes down to the final vote on Tuesday. Nobody knows what Wednesday will bring. Speculation runs from the candidates contesting the results all the way to the losing candidate calling to congratulate the winner. No matter what happens, each of us will have to go about our business on Wednesday morning and function regardless of how we feel.
The earliest election I can remember being interested in was between Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. My parents broke rank with their traditional Republican leanings and voted for Carter. The morning after the election, I remember as a 6th grader how my mom gleefully told me I should put a peanut on the desks of my classmates all of whom seemed to pull for Ford (Carter was a peanut farmer in Georgia) as a way to rub it in their faces. I didn’t. It just didn’t seem like the right thing to do.
People say this cycle has divided America but I think it’s always been divided, we just have social media to make our points known to more people. It’s certainly been the case this cycle.
Which brings us to what should happen on Wednesday.
It’s possible you’ve been quiet politically and if so, Wednesday just means you have the choice to just continue on quietly. But if you’ve been vocal, you WILL have some choices to make. May I suggest the following?
Your Side Lost. If your candidate lost, remember it was THEM that lost, not YOU. By coming to work pissed off, letting everyone know about it, and dragging your ass around all day in a funk, your credibility will instantly be impacted. Your boss doesn’t care that you’re mad, they want you to get your job done. Your customers don’t care that you’re mad, they want to be taken care of. Your candidate doesn’t care that you’re mad, they have their own future to worry about. Bottom line: Nobody cares that your candidate lost so don’t make it your business to make everyone miserable. Be professional and get back to work.
Your Side Won. If your candidate won, remember it was THEM that won, not YOU. By coming to work dancing for joy and spiking the football in everyone’s face, your credibility will be instantly impacted. The victory dance belongs to the winning candidate and the voters who voted them in, but doesn’t mean you need to bring it into work. Any disruption that causes friction between co-workers earns you the evil eye from the boss and probably your customers too. Bottom line: Be professional and get back to work.
If you’re reading this now, you still have some time to set up post-election Wednesday for a win. You might need to.
A few years ago, my mom, an avid Baltimore Ravens fan came over with my dad to watch the Superbowl game. My dad and I were 49rs fans from way back in the 1980s but my mom loved the Ravens, to the point of obsession, to the point of taunting her officemates on how the Ravens would smash the 49rs. For three quarters she annoyed the hell out of us. Then the 49rs came alive scoring 17 unanswered third-quarter points to cut the Ravens’ lead, 28–23, and continued to chip away in the fourth quarter. My mom quickly grew silent knowing what she’s face Monday at her office. When the Ravens managed to pull away with a 34-31 victory, she was ecstatic. I would have loved to see the office dynamic if the 49rs won.
If you’ve been busy running your mouth this entire election season, take the next couple of days to tone it down. Trust me, if your side loses, you’ll face a lot less ribbing. And if they win, you can be the bigger person by just keeping quiet.
As for me, I’ll look forward to having the political ads over with and maybe some semblance of peace for a while. Because I keep my politics to myself, I’ll have nothing to be nervous about on Wednesday. What about you?
