Take A Stand: 8 Strategies To Navigate Transparency In Global Workplace Statements
Leaders need to be inclusive and cautious in official statements. (Photo By Sergey Nevins.)
Colleagues, teams, clients, customers and mentees are looking to leaders now for direction in difficult global times. The words and phrasing all leaders and managers use in every discussion at work and in public statements are of crucial importance. Reactions can lead to firings, resignations—or support.
“The words and phrasing all #leaders and managers use in every discussion at #work and in public statements are of crucial importance. ”
Care and fairness is critical. This is where leadership can shine or dissolve.
University of Pennsylvania President Elizabeth Magill, who in her testimony to Congress upheld freedom of speech and suggested that calls for genocide of Jews does not violate the university’s code of conduct, was forced to resign.
Yet, more than 500 faculty members at Harvard University signed on for support the Harvard President Claudine Gay while protesters on campus called for her resignation. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sally Kornbluth was supported by MIT leaders.
Listen to Gloria Feldt for advice on managing crisis
The Hill reports, “The MIT Corporation chose Sally to be our president for her excellent academic leadership, her judgment, her integrity, her moral compass, and her ability to unite our community around MIT’s core values,” the Executive Committee of the MIT Corporation said in their statement after the investigation was announced.”
Beyond higher education, all industries, niches and organizations require leaders to carefully craft statements of grave concern in ways that do not marginalize, offend or cause disruption. How is that possible in a polarizing culture?
“#Leaders must carefully craft statements of grave concern in ways that do not marginalize, offend or cause disruption. #crisismanagement”
According to a report from The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, “The American public is affectively polarized today, and affective polarization has been increasing steadily since the 1980s and possibly earlier, depending on the measurement used.”
Read more in Take The Lead on women leaders speaking out
The culture of political polarization created a problem beyond office politics; it was politics and the office mix that can be problematic for the workplace culture.
A 2021 study shows, “In situations requiring an immediate response, the dual threats of urgency and unpredictability become cognitive blinders, preventing organizations from pursuing new opportunities, exposing firms to the risk of being too slow, eroding their competitive advantage and, ultimately, going out of business.”
It is a tenuous and difficult path that can be fruitful and a path forward.
The New York Times reports, “Company executives have, over the past month, faced a dilemma that they’re by now well practiced in confronting: whether to engage with a large humanitarian or social issue, in this case the war between Israel and Hamas. This time, many say, responding — with a public statement, internal discussion, a donation or even social media parameters for staff members — presents complexities that they have not experienced when wading into other recent social crises.”
According to a Yale University study, hundreds of top leaders have issued key statements damning the Israeli attacks, including leaders such as Julie Sweet, Chair and CEO of Accenture.
Clare Boyle, Director of Issues Management at Johnson & Johnson shared an internal email of the company response. In addition to condemning all violence, Boyle writes: “The well-being of our employees is our top priority and we are ensuring they have access to support through an Employee Assistance Program and CARE services for confidential, personal counseling and resources for them and family members.”
Read more in Take The Lead on managing crisis
Navigating statements that acknowledge mission and serve the organization needs to be well-vetted. Whether they are announced on LinkedIn, Instagram, interoffice email, other social media—or all of the above, leaders need to produce timely statements carefully crafted.
This affects the future of the organization. Fortune reports, “Employees are 10 times more likely to accept employment at firms where CEOs speak out on global human rights matters. To those cynics who tell CEOs, “stay in your lane” and disparage them as woke, we ask, “What lane do you mean? The breakdown lane?’”
Consult with leaders inside and outside the organization before posting. No rash, emotional statements or vapid wording written in haste. The New York Post reports, ”Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch is scrambling to calm furious staffers after the magazine giant’s human resources department sent a vague, wishy-washy memo that failed to condemn Hamas’ terror attack against Israel that killed more than 1,200 people, including at least 22 Americans.”
“Consult with leaders inside and outside the organization before posting. #leadership #socialmedia”
Connect to the mission of your organization and state actions. Novartis issued this statement: “Novartis condemns all acts of terrorism and violence. Our thoughts are with all those affected by the tragic events that continue to unfold in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. Violence against innocent people runs counter to our work to improve human health and to our fundamental belief in and respect for our common humanity.
We are monitoring the situation and remain committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our associates and to providing access to medicines to patients in every country in which we operate. We are evaluating the best way for Novartis to support the much-needed humanitarian relief efforts.”
Respond personally with sincerity. Inauthentic communication is easily visible. Honesty and transparency is essential. Albert Bourla, chair and CEO of Pfizer, shared this message on X (formerly Twitter).
“Respond personally with sincerity. Inauthentic communication is easily visible. Honesty and transparency is essential. #professional #communications”
“As the days have passed, the scope of the atrocities carried out against Israel and its citizens have become clearer and more horrific. It is not enough to condemn terrorism and the intentional targeting of civilians—we ourselves must take action. So to help support emergency and humanitarian health needs in the region, The Pfizer Foundation has launched a donation campaign to support several key organizations that are providing critical emergency assistance in the region, and Pfizer will match all donations.”
Be specific and direct about actions and pledges of donations. On LinkedIn, Ziff Davis announced actions on donations. “The brutal and heinous terrorist attacks in Israel this past weekend have regrettably caused a surge of anti-Semitic violence and sentiment, with Jewish people in all parts of the world facing increased threats. Here at Ziff Davis, we do not tolerate hatred against any individuals or groups. We have signed the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Workplace Pledge to Fight Anti-Semitism, joining the many who are affirming their support of Jewish people around the world and are committed to rooting out hateful rhetoric and actions against them.”
“Be specific and direct about actions and pledges of donations. #leadershipadvice #transparency ”
Make a succinct statement. Too much verbiage can be confusing and amorphous. Warner Music issued four sentences on Instagram, closing with, “we are against all forms of discrimination and racism. We wish peace for all people.”
Involve the team with inclusive language. Walmart Inc. President and CEO Doug McMillon shared on LinkedIn: “Everywhere I go I see our diverse teams of associates working together well and building strong, caring relationships with people. Associates let’s keep doing that. Keep showing customers and members that we have so much more in common than we do differences.” He continues, “After the news of the attack on Israel by Hamas last weekend and seeing an increase in antisemitic speech and hate crimes, the Walmart Foundation will donate $1M to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to support outreach programs to educate about the history and lessons of the Holocaust and the dangers of antisemitism in order to inspire people to confront hate and promote human dignity.”
Act quickly to align with the legacy of your community mission. UN Women issued this, “UN Women condemns the attacks on civilians in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and is deeply alarmed by the devastating impact on civilians including women and girls…UN Women has been supporting Palestinian women since 1997 to achieve their social, economic, and political rights. We remain present on the ground to provide support and assistance and will do so for as long as it takes.”
“Act quickly to align with the legacy of your community #mission. #leadership”
Seek resources and expertise to craft statements. According to the ADL site, “ADL calls on all workplaces to update their policies, procedures, and practices to address antisemitism at work and in society. There has been an increase of antisemitism across the United States and abroad and a surge of antisemitism around the world in the aftermath of the terrorist massacre of at least 1,200 civilians in Israel.”
The site states the availability of “the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism by incorporating antisemitism in DEI efforts, updating religious accommodations, and supporting the development of Jewish employee groups in corporate, non-profit, and government workplaces. As demonstrated by the Shine A Light campaign, workplaces are beginning to recognize the need to address antisemitism, and we ask them to take this pledge.”
The Carnegie Endowment report shows that even in a polarizing culture, it is possible to have a “salience of a common identity.” Multiple studies suggested that efforts to create a ‘superordinate identity,’ or a common, overarching identity, could reduce affective polarization. The one-group model emphasizes a shared identity that encapsulates members of all groups.
A 2023 Crisis Leadership report states that the onus is on the leader for communication and coherence in the organization in order to move forward. “Knowing that crises involve active, if sometimes unconscious, processes of sensemaking can help leaders stay open to different interpretations of events and information and allow them to think, decide, and act more wisely. Importantly, leaders need to ensure that followers share their understanding of the crisis—its causes and consequences and the way forward.”
“A 2023 Crisis Leadership report from @AnnualReviews states that the onus is on the #leader for communication and coherence in the #organization in order to move forward. ”
Leadership Takeaway of The Week:
“Children must be protected. Stop the war on children.”
— Inger Ashing, CEO of Save the Children
