Did you see recently that popstar Chappell Roan made headlines for saying that popstars aren’t politicians and questioning why people look to non-political figures for political answers?

Well, many business leaders have asked a similar question. Why do people, particularly their employees – and especially Gen Zers – expect public declarations on the big issues of the day? Because it seems to be a given now. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, 54% of employees globally believe that CEOs should speak publicly on political and social issues.

But how do organisations know which issues to talk about, and which ones to politely side step? We’ve combined our experience with advice from other industry experts to give you our top five tips for deciding when to speak and when to stay quiet.

1. Start with three questions

   Paul A. Argenti, an author and professor of Corporate Communication, says that in his extensive experience, organisations should start by asking the following questions:

   • Does the issue align with your company’s strategy? Otherwise, you could appear inauthentic.
   • Can you meaningfully influence the issue? Are you willing to put your money where your mouth is?
   • Will your constituencies agree with speaking out? The likes of customers and investors.

   If your answer is ‘no’ to one or more of these questions, it’s likely that you should keep quiet.

2. Accept there are limitations

You’re not going to please everyone all of the time – particularly with divisive issues. You must accept that people are going to have different opinions, and lean on some conflict management techniques to help navigate difficult discussions.

3. Be prepared to explain

With the above in mind, you need to be prepared to explain and defend your position. This is why it’s so important that you’re certain that this issue aligns with your company’s strategy, mission and values. It gives your argument a solid grounding.

4. Involve employees

Where you can, involve your people in setting your social and environmental goals and priorities. They’ll likely feel more accountable for them and so you’ll be better set up to achieve them. It will also give you a clearer idea of what your people expect you to speak out about, and what they don’t.

5. Make sure you’re listening

We’ve heard from leaders who are scared to ‘open the floodgates’ on asking for opinions or feedback on social or environmental issues at work. And we’re not suggesting it’s appropriate in every situation (think about aligning with your values again). But as a general rule, if you create a listening culture with the likes of open discussions and free text answers, rather than ‘agree/disagree’ tick boxes, you’ll really help people feel valued.