亲爱的安妮：我在一家大公司的一个小部门（20个人）里工作，部门老板在我眼里基本上是个好人。他是一个好父亲，对员工很公允，一般也很好相处。问题是他的政治观点非常极端，与之相比，极端保守派广播脱口秀主持人拉什•林堡也只能算是一个思想开明的人。这段时间以来，我俩几乎在从移民政策到医保改革所有新闻事件上都针锋相对。

    如果他不是一直高谈阔论政治话题，还试图赢得他人认同的话，倒也没什么。有几位同事，我碰巧知道他们其实属于温和派，但都假装同意他的观点，竭力巴结，讨他欢心，可我就是不愿这样做。不知道你或者你的读者能不能给点建议，如何能得体地清除这些聒噪之声，让大家重新投入到工作状态？——咬牙切齿

    亲爱的“咬牙切齿”：无论如何，你并不是唯一一个有这种困惑的人。近来其他很多读者也问到了如何说服同事不要将政治观点带进办公室。但问题是有些人相信根据《美国宪法》第一修正案他们有权在工作场所发表自己的观点。但其实我在2010年美国国会大选期间撰写的一篇专栏中就谈到过这个问题。你猜怎么着？私营部门员工在办公场所（以及上班时间）不享有第一修正案赋予的权利。

    “每到这个时候，政治讨论往往就会异常热烈起来，”明尼阿波利斯的沟通培训公司Roshini Performance Group 的主管以及《有话好好说!》（Communicate That!）一书的作者罗什尼•拉基库玛表示。“今年这个大选年略不同于以往，虽然罗姆尼领先，但并没有明显的优势。他的竞争对手有非常多的热心支持者，引发了很多讨论。”而且，她还补充说：“今年公开争论的一些问题非常情绪化，很多人似乎都有点走极端。”

    既然你说你是在一家大公司工作，肯定在什么地方，比如员工手册里，有书面规定，禁止因为外部事务（如政治讨论）分心，妨碍工作。“如果贵公司存在这样的政策，你就可以把这种情况告知人力资源部，”拉基库玛表示。“但这样做太极端了。”

    更好的做法是“与老板私下谈话时提起这项政策。不要在其他人面前提起，不要太对立或带刺。不妨这样说：‘我不知道您是否清楚办公室里的政治讨论让持有不同观点的员工感觉不那么自在。有没有办法，可以缓和一下呢? ’”

    保持冷静。“内心越平静，就越有说服力，”拉基库玛指出。不管是和老板，还是同事，不要说出那些除了平添伤害、毫无益处的话。“他人谈论政治话题或你认为不合适的话题时，保持沉默也没什么不妥，”她说。“如果有人问起你为什么不开腔，只要回答说正在忙着干活就行了。”

    如果有人（你可能不是）喜欢和同事谈论政治，拉基库玛有一些建议，如何让谈话保持心平气和。“政治谈话可能急转直下，”她说。“人们会根据你的观点来评判你。讨论是有趣的，但不值得为此搭上职业前途。”下面是需要注意的几点：

    Dear Annie: I work in a small (20-person) department of a huge company, for a boss who I think is fundamentally a good guy. He's a devoted dad, very fair to us employees, and usually a pleasure to be around. The problem is his political opinions, which are so extreme they make Rush Limbaugh look like a flaming liberal. He and I are on polar opposite sides of almost every issue in the news these days, from immigration policy to health care reform.

    That would be fine if he didn't insist on talking about politics all the time and trying to get the rest of us to agree with him. A few of my colleagues, who I happen to know are way more moderate than they're letting on, are kissing up to him by pretending to agree in order to get on his good side, but I'm just not going to do that. Can you or your readers suggest a diplomatic way to shut down all this yakking and let us get back to work? — Gritting My Teeth

    Dear G.M.T.: For what it's worth, you're not the only one wondering. Many other readers have been asking lately how to persuade colleagues to leave their political views in the parking lot. One issue is that some people believe they have a First Amendment right to spout off at work. But as I wrote in a column during the 2010 Congressional elections, guess what: Private-sector employees on company property (and company time) have no First Amendment rights.

    "Political talk does seem unusually heated this time around," says Roshini Rajkumar, head of Minneapolis-based communications coaching firm Roshini Performance Group and author of a book called Communicate That!. "It's a little different than in previous election years because, although Romney is ahead, he's not a clear favorite. His opponents have so many avid supporters that it opens up a lot of discussions." Moreover, she adds, "Some of the issues on the table this time are very emotional, and many people seem to be taking extreme positions."

    Since you note that you work for a huge company, there may be a written policy somewhere -- in the employee handbook, for example -- that prohibits outside distractions, including political talk, that get in the way of work. "If your company has such a policy, you could alert human resources to this situation," Rajkumar says. "But that would be a drastic measure."

    A better course of action: "Mention the policy in a private conversation with your boss. Don't bring it up in front of other people, and don't be confrontational or critical. Say something like, 'I wonder if you're aware that all the political discussion around here makes the atmosphere uncomfortable for people with different views. Is there a way we can all agree to tone it down?'"

    Stay cool. "The calmer you are on the inside, the more persuasive you'll be," Rajkumar notes. Whether with your boss or with coworkers, don't be drawn into arguments that are likely to produce nothing but hard feelings. "When others are talking about political subjects, or in fact any subject that you don't think is appropriate, it's perfectly all right to say nothing," she says. "Then if someone asks why you're not piping up, just answer that you're busy working."

    For anyone who (unlike you) actually enjoys talking politics with colleagues, Rajkumar has some common-sense reminders about keeping the discussion civil. "Political conversations can go downhill fast," she says, "and people may make snap judgments about you based on your views. Debates are fun, but they're not worth risking your career." A few pointers: