??Should Employers Engage With Their Workers When They Participate in Activism???

Dear Leaders,

Employee activism is now rife in workplaces due to changes in the work environment of the current world. Sometimes, it is not easy to know when and how to respond as a senior leader when your employees give opinions on political and social issues. It would be helpful if we can always take five seconds with your leadership team before making a public statement.

??? Authority: Measuring your impact?

Questions to Consider:

• To what extent are we in a position of authority, or power or prestige relative to others in the larger organizational field comprising employees, customers, suppliers, and investors?
• In what ways do we wish to employ that power?

Example: If you act as an authority in a certain field, then what you say becomes a standard. Think about previous examples of such businesses as Patagonia that use the power and popularity of their brands to make people change.

?? Concern: Identifying the Interest of The Stakeholders

Questions to Consider:

• Is this issue relevant to ourselves or to our stakeholders?
• Can we really understand the level of their interest towards this topic?

Example: Carry out sample polls or interviews in order to determine how worried your stakeholders are. When Nike sponsored Colin Kaepernick they were fully aware of the stance of the masses on social justice issues.

?? Theory of Change: Evaluating Your Contribution

Questions to Consider:

• Do we believe that it is within our capabilities to change the world?
• Beyond that, do we think we can immune ourselves from change in this ‘outside’ world, or do we understand how we are part of it and how it shapes us, too?
• What do we think we can do to shape change that is required in this country?

Example: Take Ben & Jerry’s for instance who often come out with political statements on various issues. They have their theory of change as they think they can bring the desired change through their brand.

??? Identity: The first step here is to determine and clarify your standpoint.

Questions to Consider:

• Are we activists?
• What are the principles that define us, and what aren’t we about?

Example: Consider your company’s mission statements and other related statements. When Starbucks reacted to social issues, it associated their statements with anti-discriminatory and diversity policies it has been implementing for years.

?? Field: Understanding your Actions in Context

Questions to Consider:

• What is going on in the organization, business, country and globally that affects the action we think we ought to undertake?
• Is this issue currently being reported in the media? Are our competitors acting?

Example: See how other players in the same industry approach it. The reason behind many companies coming out to display their support during the Black Lives Matter movement was because it was a social justice issue affecting the world.

Putting It All Together: To be precise, a thoughtful approach.

Acknowledging employee activism is not by providing a statement it is providing strategic management decisions for a more socially responsible organization. Here’s a step-by-step approach:

• Pause and Reflect: It is wise to spend some time in consultation with other leaders in your organization to analyze the situation.
• Gather Data: Identify stakeholders’ concerns by employing questionnaires and face-to-face meetings.
• Define Your Role: Establish the role you are willing to play and your attitude towards the issue at hand.
• Evaluate the Context: Take into account the relationships between social systems and the business.
• Communicate Clearly: If you decide to reply, make sure the communication you sent is concise, consistent with your beliefs, and backed by behavior.

Conclusion

To manage it, one needs to be understanding, think through the actions, and establish clear policies and procedures. Therefore, if you are considering these five factors, you can come up with better decisions that involve your employees’ input without compromising the vision of the organization.

I for one don’t want to stop the leadership with wisdom and compassion, yet we should keep on doing it.

Aashish Singhal

Founder, Navigating Leadership with The Financial Soul

Follow me on LinkedIn? Aashish Singhal

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