When crisis strikes, how can organizations respond the “right” way?

Welcome to Lead With Inclusion! This weekly newsletter is a resource for EVERY professional. Whether you’re a manager ready to be a more inclusive leader, or an employee ready to be a DEI champion in your workplace, inclusive actions lead to inclusive outcomes. Leading with inclusion simply means starting with inclusive actions in everything you do. It means identifying the areas where bias is at work, and shifting mindsets to make change. 

If you’re not sure where to begin, start here.

How does your organization respond in times of crisis?

It goes without saying that we’re currently living through some pretty unprecedented events, from the war in Ukraine, to the current conflict in Gaza, these events have real and traumatic impacts on countless people. And some of those people impacted may be your employees.

So, how should organizations respond? Is there a guidebook somewhere that provides the answers?

Not quite. But what we can do is look at what has and hasn’t worked well in the past. Plenty of large companies have recently come under fire for attempting to do the “right” thing during a crisis (if you’re not sure what I mean, take a look at the examples here, here and here). Employers often get themselves into trouble when trying to “take a side” on a particular issue, often by donating their money. And don’t get me wrong, donating money isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But when it comes to corporate social responsibility, the question is: why are you doing it? Who are you donating your money to, and what are you signaling when you do so?

Unless your organization’s identity is built on social activism, trying to take a stance on a complicated social issue will likely come off as performative and inauthentic. In my book Unbias, one example I talk about is Ben & Jerry’s - whose organization has always taken an active stance on social justice issues. But this is more of an exception than it is a rule. The difference here is that social justice is just part of their values as a brand; their company was founded by social activists. But unless that’s the case for your organization, attempting to take a stance on these very complicated issues often ends up feeling tone deaf and out of touch.

So, what’s an organization to do about all of this? Here’s where I’d recommend you put your focus:

Be an Inclusive Leader

Know what your values are as an organization. For example, let’s say you’re a large corporation in the agriculture sector who wants to find a way to support communities impacted by a crisis. Before you start trying to take a stance, ask yourself: what are your values? What’s important to you as a company? Perhaps you really value environmental sustainability, so rather than just donating money without having a goal in mind, use your values to guide you through. You might ask: how does this crisis affect the people in that area? How does it affect logistics of farming and agriculture? How does it affect the rainwater? Are we polluting? Once you know what your values are, your stance on any given issue is going to be extremely clear - because it’s tied to who you are and what you do. 

At the same time, you can also ground yourself in focusing on one of your most important groups of stakeholders - your employees. How are you supporting your employees through this time? Your team members likely come from all kinds of backgrounds and experiences, and will be impacted by these issues in completely different ways. How can you as an employer best support all of your employees through these times of need? Are you offering time off or relocation assistance for employees impacted? What is your policy around leaves of absence? What benefits are you providing to employees to support them through a crisis? If you’re doing these things, that’s all the stance you need to take. You don’t have to try to be on the “right” side of the issue; you just need to be on the side of your employees. 

Lead With Inclusion

Similarly, what are your own values as an individual, and how do they align with the values of your organization? If possible, start paying attention to this as early as you can - ideally while you’re first looking for a job. So often, we don’t notice that we have a values misalignment with the organization where we work because we’re ignoring all the little signs along the way. It’s often only in these times of crisis when we have that wake up call and realize that our values are not aligned. 

Ask questions when you’re interviewing with a new organization, and do some research on the companies you’ve applied to. Even if you’re not currently looking for a new job, it’s never too late to start asking these questions at the organization where you already work. We all want to contribute to an environment that supports our values. But in order to do that, you first have to know what your own values are. What’s important to you, and how can you use this to guide your actions?

If you’re ready to discover your values, I have just the resource for you. My Why of DEI course is all about understanding your own values, and learning how to lead authentically in this work. If you’re an organization who’s struggling to find your footing in this ‘cancel culture’ landscape, give us a call. If you’re ready to have a conversation about how to reestablish your values in 2024, let’s chat. Check out the Why of DEI course and see what else the Rework Workspace has to offer you today. 

About Stacey Gordon:

Stacey Gordon is Executive Advisor and Founder of Rework Work where she and her team coach and counsel executive leaders on DEI strategies for the business, while offering a no-nonsense approach to unconscious bias education for the broader employee population. As a global keynote speaker, Stacey is a Top Voice on LinkedIn and a popular LinkedIn Learning [IN]structor with nearly two million unique learners enjoying her courses. 

Want to hear Stacey live? Consider booking her for your next keynote or workshop.