Should Companies Ban Sports Talk Around the Office? If So, I Need New Material

Chartered Management Institute head says talking sports at work can alienate women who don’t know enough about it and lead to ‘laddish’ behavior.

Leave a Comment
Should Companies Ban Sports Talk Around the Office? If So, I Need New Material

Sports talk at the office could lead to "laddish behavior," one expert says.

My 10-year-old daughter knows how to keep score—and does it every time she goes to a Red Sox game, which is a lot more than most kids her age. And CI senior web editor Adam Forziati’s knowledge of what he calls “The Sports” doesn’t extend much beyond Larry Bird, Air Bud, and the Mighty Ducks.

Yet Chartered Management Institute head Ann Francke raised some eyebrows this week when she said sports banter can exclude women and lead to behavior that eventually turns to conversations about sexual conquests, so it’s a topic that should be avoided in the workplace.

In her interview with the BBC, Francke was specifically talking about workplace talk about soccer and cricket, but even in that case, it seems fairly irresponsible for her to say no women know enough about those sports to carry on intelligent conversations about them—or that all men do.

“It’s a gateway to more laddish behavior and—if it just goes unchecked—it’s a signal of a more laddish culture,” said Francke, noting it’s not unusual to escalate from talking about a ref blowing a call to discussions about the person’s recent sexual conquests.

As someone who routinely talks sports with my coworkers, especially when one of the Boston-area teams is doing particularly well or particularly bad, I can tell you I’ve never once seen this sports talk as an invitation to shift the conversation toward something so personal.

But maybe that’s just me.

Sports & Politics: Two Workplace Hot Potatoes

I don’t generally talk politics at work, but it’s not out of fear that someone else won’t understand what I’m talking about.

In fact, I feel like politics these days is an area that’s so divisive that when people hear who you support, they automatically attach several traits to you that might not fit.

Think of your first impression of someone when you find out they voted for Donald Trump for president. What about those who voted for Hillary Clinton and who support Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Andrew Yang or the myriad other Democrats still vying for their party’s nomination?

My feeling is sports—and politics—shouldn’t be barred from being discussed at the office, but you have to know what the blowback could be depending on your favorite team or candidate. To me, though, it has nothing to do with whether you’re talking to a man or woman.

Thinking that way is more offensive to me than finding out someone I like is a Yankees fan. Well, maybe not quite THAT bad, but you know what I mean—if you know anything at all about The Sports.

If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!