How to know when to get involved in the big issues of today 🌏 🧭

Navigating different opinions can be challenging, especially when you want to do right by your team and community. But the best answer I’ve found to the question, “Why don’t you do that? It’s important.” is:

“I’m here to do this. It’s important.”

We lead a Veterans Day campaign for companies across the US and Canada, and this year, a gym owner asked me how to navigate her desire to support veterans, while her gym members were concerned about the Israeli-Palestine conflict.

This conversation highlighted the importance of having Company Impact Guidelines. When you clearly define what your company stands for, it becomes easier to make decisions when new topics arise.

1️⃣ Know Your Core Company Cause(s)
You can choose a cause directly tied to your product or service like a clothing company supporting the environment with sustainable materials, or you can support adjacent causes, such as:
🔵 Causes related to the owner or founder’s background and personal interests
🔵 Causes that your employees or team are passionate about
🔵 Causes that align with your clients’ values or the community you serve

2️⃣ Build Guidelines Around How You Support These Causes
❓Do you want to make a donation for every service or product sold?
❓Will your team donate time through volunteering or vote on causes to support?
❓Do you support the same cause each year, or rotate it seasonally?
❓If clients or customers are involved in giving, can they choose any cause, or will they select from a curated list?

3️⃣ Evaluate New Issues Based on Your Guidelines
🧐 Does getting involved or making a statement align with your company’s cause? Or does it divert energy away from the impact you're trying to make?

I asked the gym owner what she wanted her business to be involved in and how she wanted her personal causes and company causes to overlap, if at all.

These can be tough to answer, but we’re here to help if you need any impact guidance.