All of a Sudden
Watch a brief overview video of this blog.
When customers decide they care, will you be ready or will you be scrambling to convince them you do?
Because when it matters, it REALLY matters! Recent events have demonstrated how quickly a mention can become a movement. Are you ready?
Consider the levels of consciousness that can suddenly arise like we have seen in the spring and early summer of 2020. Let's look at two examples: COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter.
The cleanliness of a business's operations is a perfect example of something that may not come up often as a key factor in choosing a brand. And even when it does, many have fallen short. Either way, when the pandemic spread, just about every company in existence, especially those in hospitality and retail, came out with a statement about their cleaning standards.
I stopped into a coffee shop the other day. First time I've been in one in 3 months. I miss coffee shops dearly!!! I put on my mask and went in to place my to-go order. The clerk who took my order was wearing her mask low on her face so her nose was exposed. That chain (a small local one) lost some trust points with me that day.
This scene is playing out thousands of times per day around the world as people attempt to get back to some normalcy and brands struggle to maintain consistent practices that convey, and indeed, achieve, cleanliness. Suddenly it matters! In a way it hasn't for the masses. Sure, there are those customers who publicly trash an airline or hotel for a dirty seat or room, but hygiene and sterilization were not things we looked closely at just 6 months ago.
Let's look at another seemingly sudden consciousness. The Black Lives Matter movement has regained steam and people who were previously blissfully ignorant are now awakened to injustices and racism that have existed for far too long. Companies are issuing statements left and right to convince you that they are not tolerant of racism. Entire product lines are getting a brand makeover.
Do you think that all of a sudden customers didn't want these racist images and tendencies from companies? Have people been saying for years "I would buy your pancake syrup if only you would remove that inappropriate brand representation."? This probably didn't seem like much of an issue until all of a sudden but we also all now recognize these changes have been a long time coming.
A friend recently shared that initiatives her employer has been involved in have, for years, been given terms to avoid calling them what they really, or also, were. What used to be called "economic development" or "closing the technology gap" and "diversity advancement" were, in part, designed to address racial inequities and injustices. As she put it, those programs couldn't get funded if they specifically called out the race factor. Now, suddenly, it's fashionable to call these programs by names that invoke racial justice.
Companies are clambering to shift their narrative. It's great that they're waking up and catching up, but wouldn't you rather be ahead of the curve and leading the conversation than to have an awkward, canned, and reactive approach?
Both COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter are examples of the need for constant care. Care for staff, customers, community, planet. What element of care will matter next? Where do you stand on those that were already gaining traction before COVID-19 hit (and believe me there's a community of people out there fighting to make these things front and center again), such as, climate change, waste (particularly food and single use plastics), and human trafficking?
Recent events have demonstrated how quickly a mention can become a movement. Are you ready?
A genuine, holistic, and integrated culture of care readies your organization in three ways:
Where do you stand?
First, a culture of care helps you avoid being on the wrong side of issues when they arise. Don't get me wrong, I'm not so naïve as to think that there is a perfectly clear right and wrong of every issue. And the solutions to issues can be nuanced. What's the most effective strategy to combat racism? Climate change? Human trafficking? Well, these can be debated, but your basic stance on these issues should be known by all in your organization. Are you for it or against it?
Clearly these are complex issues so it's not as much about a definitive and staunch position as it is about learning all you can and having thoughtful communications about where you stand, and more importantly, your willingness to change position as the research and insights demand.
For a list of issues you might consider your stance and actions on fill in the form on this page to receive a free toolkit.
Many Voices Make a Beautiful Choir (or Don't Fear the Cacophony)
Second, if you follow sound principles of sustainability, you will employ a stakeholder driven process which will likely alert you earlier to potential issues impacting your industry and the communities in which you operate and serve customers. How often do you speak with your staff about sensitive issues that trigger discomfort (theirs, not yours) and ask for their direct input on the solutions? What sort of conversations are you having with your customers? Are you just asking them to focus groups with questions that are largely fashioned for confirmation bias or are you opening up a dialogue that generates potentially painful but cathartic revelations?
People often fear that broad stakeholder inclusion because they equate consensus with permission. They fear lack of control or that "you can't please everyone." It is true that you'll never please everyone. Lots of voices do not immediately harmonize. It takes practice and time but with appreciation of each voice, you can make beautiful music. Music that resonates and draws in, songs that soothe and heal and move your audience.
And you may have to give up some control if you invite others into your decision-making process. But I think it's safe to say, in light of recent events, that's better than suddenly having to justify why your brand has persisted with a racially stereotyped image for more than a century!
Practice What you Preach
Third, it will ensure a more congruent message when you need to have a position on an issue. I must admit that it's hard to take airline messages about cleanliness seriously when I think about the disgusting, sticky mess I almost always encounter when I board a plane. While I do believe that right now they are cleaning more often, I fully expect them to go back to the same nasty conditions I encountered before. Why? Because they have not demonstrated to me a consistent culture of care that would make me believe they would do something they don't have to.
If you want to ensure your practices align with your messages, you need the full suite of learning & development, technology & systems, investment criteria, and organizational culture to back you up. This advice seems like such a 'no duh' thing. I mean, doesn't every college student in a business program learn about the importance of something like culture? Doesn't every company and organization have some sort of statement on their website attesting to their care for their staff and customers and community and how their processes and operations comply with this commitment? Yes, pretty much; however, despite the lip service many companies pay to such commitments, the reality is an entirely different thing.
One of the best ways to ensure every department and every level of the organization is committed, consider how you can weave these threads through the tapestry of your organization. And start a green team. Not just a green team, but many if you are a multi-location or virtual organization with a dispersed and large national or global team. Learn more about starting a green team here.
Aim to have an authentic brand of care for people and planet. If your brand and culture are truly a reflection of care, you will at least come from a position of trust when you engage in the trickier part of solving the problems.
