Politics and Your Business: Surviving an Oppositional Climate

In recent years, politics has become a more prevalent part of many people’s lives. No longer a privately held opinion, a greater number of people are making their political stance known publicly, impacting their decisions on how they vote, with whom they socialize, where they shop and with which companies they do business.

There are countless examples in recent years - on television, in social media, in local neighborhoods and homes - of how businesses have been impacted - for good and for bad - by decisions they’ve made which are perceived to support a particular political ideology. Whether the issue is the environment, immigration, infrastructure, inequality, employment, social programs, violence, international affairs or any of the other divisive topics impacting the world today... everybody’s taken a side and it seems if they agree, you gain loyal customers; if your opinions differ from theirs, you become immediate adversaries and will "vote against you" by doing business elsewhere.

In some cases, a company decides to live out its values and make a policy or decision that, while praised by some, alienates others. Other times, the decision isn’t even based on company values but is merely a bottom-line building strategy, yet it’s perceived by the public as making a choice of one ideology over another. As a business owner, you may be frustrated, confused and hesitant to make certain critical decisions in this seemingly can’t-win social climate. With this reality upon us, however, you certainly don’t have the luxury of burying your head in the sand or being paralyzed with fear. Even if you don’t think your business is "political," the times we live in call for you to accept the fact that nearly everything is seen through a "left" and "right" lens. It’s incumbent upon you to take a stand for the sake of your business, lest you be pushed by the activism of the times into a fight you’re ill-prepared to withstand.

How can you be certain you can be true to yourself and your business’ values without being concerned by those who may see your policies as catering to the "other side?" It’s a valid question to ask in these unprecedented times.

These are some considerations when juggling political ideology with the demands of business in such politically-charged times:

Company soul-searching - determine, shore up and articulate your business’ core values. After all, if you can’t - or don’t - identify what your business stands for, you’ll end up alienating nearly everyone eventually. This exercise unearths your "north star" to which your actions and decisions, based upon your values, should ideally point.

Make your values, i.e., your company mission known - Like-minded customers and employees alike will be attracted to your values and get on your train. A clear and concise statement of "this is what we stand for as a company" is strong advertising indeed for your brand. Additionally, it is much easier to defend a point of view or stance when you’ve previously stated it to be in alignment with your company values.

Research your options before taking action - Every action, every stance, every advertising campaign should be carefully considered before implementation. There are often obvious potholes that can easily be avoided with some due diligence. Ask yourself questions like these when you choose to make a stand: Who will be impacted by the decision, and how? How will supporting unions impact your suppliers? How will supporting a local low-income project impact local property values? Who is privy to your company-right actions?

Consider and weigh the ramifications - If you should happen to alienate a significant number of potential clientele with a stance on a political issue, how much will that hurt you? How "boycott resistant" are you? Is that a hit you’re willing to take in support of your company mission?

Choose your battles wisely - The bottom line is, there is no pleasing everyone, so you might as well be true to your company mission whenever possible. Bigger companies than yours have come to those difficult decisions and decided that all divisive issues are not divisive in the same way - or to the same extent. Other times, they determined that the values they were standing up for were more important than the hit their business took because of their decision.

Even if you think your business is not - or should not be - political, these days, whether you want it to be or not, it is. The best course of action is to discover what your company stands for and make thoughtful decisions accordingly, trusting that, although your choices may be unpopular with some, there is enough support to grow your business among those who agree with your company mission.

How are you standing up for your business’ values in these oppositional times?