Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash
TechCrunch recently published a roundup of statements from global tech giants condemning US public policy leading to families separated at the border. Responses were published as expert interviews in national newspapers, formal statements on corporate blogs, and, of course, 280-character long tweets.
Consumers have come to expect that the more well-known entrepreneurial tech leaders of the world like Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Brian Chesky of AirBnB to take a stand on issues of moral concern, particularly when the issue directly involves their company. Zuckerberg recently came under fire after a voter targeting firm utilized private data from 50 million Facebook users without their consent. You may also recall Chesky’s creation of an anti-bias policy in 2016 after receiving complaints from black travelers who experienced racism while choosing an AirBnB host.
But how do we, as entrepreneurs, respond to political issues that don’t involve us directly, but rather force us to question our morals? Business networking and consumer sales best practices tell us to shy away from politics, religion, and other controversial issues that can create unnecessary divisions between employees and customers. But how do you, as a leader, decide when it is appropriate to speak up? Take a few hints from these global tech leaders.
Stand on your company values, not political debates.
According to Harvard Business Review, it’s important for entrepreneurs to have a clear value statement that resonates with their consumers for purposes of brand recognition and relationship building.
For example, one of Airbnb’s values starts with making people feel like they belong.
Ripping children from their parents’ arms is cruel. This policy must end. pic.twitter.com/R2b3FXtxqU
— Brian Chesky (@bchesky) June 18, 2018
For Chesky, belonging is not just an Airbnb value; it’s an American ideal that should be honored by all. Notice how he stays away from condemning the president as a person, and instead calls on the US government to do what is right. Chesky isn’t afraid to talk about what he sees in the news and social media — “(r)ipping children from the arms of their parents…” He’s letting his followers know that belonging is more than just a boring values statement; it’s a value that stems from a personal, moral conviction to do what is right. Furthermore, Chesky turned the tweet into an official statement by attaching an image that is signed by his fellow co-founders and stamped with the Airbnb logo.
Communicate using your personal social media account of choice.
In a world where social media moves faster than official news outlets, entrepreneurs have to remember that there is no separation between you, the person, and your business. If you have ever been confused about whether to post on Twitter or elsewhere as yourself or your company, this piece of advice should make the decision easier for you.
Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube, uses her personal Twitter account to point her followers to organizations that are working on the ground with migrant families. YouTube has a main Twitter account and several hub accounts that focus on different arms of the company. At the time of writing this article, Wojcicki chooses to keep her political viewpoints on her personal Twitter account while other YouTube accounts focus on YouTube related projects.
Regardless of your politics, it’s heartbreaking to see what’s happening to families at the border. Here are some ways you can help: https://t.co/IFVG6g8AKO
— Susan Wojcicki (@SusanWojcicki) June 19, 2018
Make it personal. How does the issue affect you, as a human? Your employees? Your customers?
Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, takes a slightly different approach to his tweet by utilizing part of his personal story.
As a father, a citizen and an immigrant myself, the stories coming from our border break my heart. Families are the backbone of society. A policy that pulls them apart rather than building them up is immoral and just plain wrong. #KeepFamiliesTogether https://t.co/g2Cu40zvcX
— dara khosrowshahi (@dkhos) June 19, 2018
Khosrowshahi is more than just the leader of a tech company. He says he’s responding as “a father, a citizen immigrant…” He links to a Washington Post story where the leading image is of a crying migrant child looking up at two adults. The photo is taken at the child’s eye level and it seems that the two adults are carrying on a conversation, unbothered by the crying toddler. It’s not hard to see that this issue hits home for this tech CEO.
Another point to note here is that your story as a CEO may very well reflect that of your employees and customers. Not responding to issues such as this may alienate some of your employees, making it difficult for them to be productive. The same goes for your customers. Choosing to be proactive on your response to political and controversial issues reinforces your customers’ loyalty to your brand.
Focus on actionable steps to solve the problem.
Look at John Zimmer, co-founder of Lyft, as an example of taking appropriate action that also happens to promote the company’s service. Zimmer used his personal Twitter account to share how Lyft is offering free rides to those directly involved with organizations who are on the front lines of supporting migrant families in need.
As a father, a citizen and an immigrant myself, the stories coming from our border break my heart. Families are the backbone of society. A policy that pulls them apart rather than building them up is immoral and just plain wrong. #KeepFamiliesTogether https://t.co/g2Cu40zvcX
— dara khosrowshahi (@dkhos) June 19, 2018
If you take the time to review Zimmer’s Twitter account, you will find that this kind of community involvement at Lyft is business as usual. He makes it clear that he, and Lyft as a default, actively supports quality causes that celebrate the spirit of community.
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg made a donation to his preferred organizations from his own pocket and asked that others in the Facebook community to follow suit.
Organizations like Texas Civil Rights Project and RAICES are doing great work helping families at the US border get…
Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Attract top talent by putting your values in motion.
These tech leaders demonstrate that your company values should never be reduced to a cold statement buried in your website. Your company values statement should be a living, breathing document, exercised daily and captured in various forms of media for all to see. Not only is it good for business, but it can also attract top talent.
SHRM cites a study that says your values are a permanent part of your company culture, a plus when it comes to attracting new employees. This finding is a departure from past studies that placed company benefits as the primary reason why job seekers flock to a particular company. Millennials, in particular, are looking for a company they can feel good about working at. So don’t be afraid to take a stand on issues it makes most sense for you to address directly.
Halona Black
Latest posts by Halona Black (see all)
- 3 Ways Establishing a Writing Practice has Improved My Self Awareness - September 1, 2020
- How to Write Client Attracting Blog Posts — The Easy Way… - January 19, 2020
- Will Writing a Book Help Me Build My Credibility as an Expert? - January 19, 2020
