When to take a stand on issues or lean into strategic silence

According to a recent survey (link below) about three in five CEOs and communications professionals believe organizations should generally take a stand on issues of public interest.
 
However, while taking a stand can enhance your reputation, there are also times when strategic silence is the best option. Use the following to guide your approach.
 
1️⃣ Don’t spread yourself too thin
Responding to every crisis just for the sake of responding is a recipe for disaster and risks your organisation coming across as disingenuous.
 
If there is an issue that stakeholders are passionate about, then look at it through the broader lens of the company and evaluate if it makes sense to engage or not.
 
Most organisations are simply not capable of responding to the variety of issues out there. Pick your battles.
 
2️⃣ How to pick your battles
As your organisation considers what to weigh in to and how to weigh in, you really have to figure out what is your north star. You have to decide what is going to make sense for your business or brand and what feels authentic.
 
Look at what issues the brand already engages in and what will really come across as sincere.
 
If you try to respond to every issue and every new dynamic that comes up, at some point you’re going to get caught in a situation where what you say or what you do does not align with things that are actually true to your organisation. And may lead to you coming across as hypocritical.
 
3️⃣​ Mind the (comms) gap
Which brings us to the final point. Beyond how you engage about issues, as an organisation you need to be clear on what action is done to back up your talk.
 
You should have real examples of what your organisation is doing around that subject. And trained spokespeople (at various levels of the organisation) who can speak with authenticity on the topic.
 

📷  Markus Winkler at Unsplash
 
 
For more tips and examples click here.