Greentarget

Executive leadership

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The public tends to trust businesses and CEOs more than NGOs, government, and the media. That trust is fragile, though. And in the wake of headlines about everything from social issues to geopolitical conflicts, the way executive leaders navigate the pressure to speak out can either strengthen or undermine their stakeholders’ trust in them.

Entering the fray is not without risk, and it’s all too easy to make a PR misstep. That’s why so many executive leaders struggle to know when to make a statement — and what to say if they do.

In our recent webinar, Greentarget’s Executive Positioning experts — Vice President Abby Aylman Cohen, Director of Content & Editorial Strategy Jennifer Smith, and former Senior Vice President Steve DiMattia — laid out a compelling argument for why leaders can’t afford to be caught unawares by the issues that make headlines. Then, they offered practical advice to help firms protect their reputation and maintain trust with their audience in an age rife with polarization and unrest.

Here are three takeaways from the event.

1. Your Authority Hinges on Proactive Communication Planning

Of the respondents who participated in the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer survey, 62% said they expected CEOs to actively communicate around changes occurring in society as a whole, not just those affecting their businesses. Gen Z employees in particular said they value CEOs who speak out about societal issues.

But considering how fraught and emotional the landscape of public discourse is, it’s easy for executive leaders to fall into one of two camps: Ignore the headlines completely and focus solely on the issues that directly affect the business, or release statements that attempt to please everyone but say nothing meaningful.

Furthermore, it’s common for unprepared leaders to lose control of difficult conversations, especially if they’ve never practiced talking to the media and other stakeholders about challenging topics. When executives are unable to navigate all-eyes-on-them moments, they risk undermining their own authority and harming their organization’s reputation.

For example, the acute need for proactive communications planning was never more apparent than in 2022, when the Supreme Court’s draft Dobbs v. Jackson decision leaked. Between the time the leak made headlines and the final decision was announced, corporate and firm leaders had about five to six weeks to think about how they were going to communicate with their audiences. Yet very few did.

Unlike Dobbs v. Jackson, most events hit the news cycle without warning. But even so, it’s possible for leaders to create a framework that guides if and how they respond. This can underscore their authority and build trust with stakeholders — if they take the time to develop a smart, informed, and flexible communications platform long before there’s a breaking news story.

2. Don’t Scenario Plan for Every Possible Communication Challenge

Over the past several months, Greentarget’s Executive Positioning team has identified some of the top threats we predict will cause communication conundrums for executive leaders. You can do a deep dive into each of these topics by downloading our Executive Positioning Guide or by perusing our blog.

Our guidance has covered topics such as:

  • Polarized rhetoric around DEI and ESG
  • The promise and peril of artificial intelligence
  • Seismic generational shifts in the workforce
  • The 2024 election cycle and social unrest
  • Geopolitical conflicts

This list is by no means exhaustive because the world is always changing. But the good news is there’s no need to create a specific communication plan for every conceivable headline, world event, or threat to your firm’s reputation. 

The crux of our advice around responding to issues like those above is this: Think about how your firm will respond to a crisis. Which stakeholders will you need to consult? How will you develop a response that aligns with your firm’s values?

By doing so, you can turn tense situations into an opportunity to engage your employees and clients and strengthen your firm’s position as a trusted authority. When you do this, you take an important step toward building a flexible framework that will guide when and why you respond to any issue.

3. Now’s the Time to Develop an Executive Communications Platform

The news cycle moves at warp speed, and you can’t afford to be reactive when weighing in on the issues that matter most to your audience. Foresight, forethought, and careful preparation are key.

By taking time now to decide how and when your firm will respond to salient issues, you can ensure your messaging lines up with your firm’s priorities and reinforces your position as an authority worth heeding with the audiences that matter most.

Our Executive Positioning Guide provides in-depth advice on how to get started, but it comes down to taking the following steps:

  • Consider your audience, and the best channel(s) to reach them
  • Invite a diverse cross-section of stakeholders into the process
  • Get clear about your firm’s values (and make sure your messages align with what your firm stands for)
  • Make your firm’s approach to deciding how and when to speak out public — and communicate your “why”
  • Embrace a commitment to authenticity (i.e., walk the walk of whatever you speak out about; don’t just talk the talk)

Engaging Greentarget to lead you through a rigorous planning process can bring significant clarity here. Entering into this process now — before an urgent PR situation occurs — gives you time to thoughtfully consider all the angles and arrive at a position that’s authentic, well-reasoned, and nuanced.

Want to Learn More About Greentarget’s Executive Positioning Practice?

Exemplifying our commitment to being a trusted advisor to clients, Greentarget’s Executive Positioning team provides C-suite executives (managing partners, CEOs, executive committees, and boards) with insights to anticipate, understand, and respond to important global and social developments—as well establish proactive internal and external communications campaigns around other pivotal moments, be they related to company purpose, talent initiatives, succession plans, and more.

We’ve helped clients navigate how to communicate about racial justice, the invasion of Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war, the repeal of Roe v. Wade, artificial intelligence, and so much more. We’d love to help you, too — so let’s talk.

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Recent headlines have laid bare the many challenges facing management consulting firms. From reports of partners infighting over profits and ousting their leadership to clients expressing skepticism about consultants’ value and AI’s potential to replace lucrative consultant-driven analysis. It’s all contributing to a widespread image problem as slowing demand reverses the pandemic-era consulting boom.

What is currently an image problem could easily become a talent problem if reports of financial, cultural and reputational woes drive current or aspiring consultants to conclude that the management consulting industry’s entire value proposition (ironically, a term coined by McKinsey itself) is broken. 

Take this piece that ran last month in The Wall Street Journal: “Consultants Are Paid to Fix Businesses. Why Can’t They Fix Their Own?” The story’s provocative title is just the beginning of a sharp, unflinching indictment—one that continues in the more than 400 reader comments that follow.

All this comes as consulting talent is placing more importance on factors like company culture and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives—especially those at the start of their careers. Capitalizing on this shift, the up-and-coming management consulting firm Embark recently ran a series of full-page, canary yellow WSJ ads declaring “consulting is dead.”

Embark’s value proposition? “People do their best work when they’re happy. And happy consultants make happy clients.”

It’s a powerful sell at a moment when many consultants appear ready to jump to new opportunities—in fact, a recent survey from recruiting firm The Barton Partnership found that more than one-third of respondents in consulting expect to move companies in the next 12 months.

Why Junior Talent Is Management Consulting’s Most Important Stakeholder Group Right Now

Make no mistake about it. If you’re a leader at a management consulting firm, the public’s negative perception of your industry is a vulnerability — one that emerging competitors like Embark are poised to seize upon. 

Your instinct will undoubtedly be to manage clients closely and devote extra attention to assuring them of your value. 

But if you “over-rotate” to that, you’ll miss something critical. Existing and future junior talent are the lifeblood of your firm. They drive value and increase profit margins, especially in times of slow economic growth (like now). And the affordable labor they provide is where your leverage and profitability lie.

Do you think your junior talent is happy? Are they appropriately challenged and fulfilled in their current roles? Is this a priority among your partnership?

It should be your only priority right now.

3 Messages Young Management Consulting Professionals Need to Hear

Management consulting has long been an attractive career option for ambitious young professionals willing to pay their dues in exchange for resume-building connections and the promise of high income down the road. But recent and emerging MBA grads are increasingly questioning and rejecting long-held norms in favor of roles that offer work-life balance and purpose-driven work.

Over the next fifteen years, the American workforce will undergo a sea change as Gen Z (those born between 1996 and 2010, currently 14 to 28 years old) come to make up the lion’s share of your talent pool. For Gen Z, flexible hours, a full life outside of work, and high pay are table stakes. They also want to work for organizations that align with their values and ideals.

It’s tempting to ignore these trends and expectations, especially if long hours and intense travel schedules have always been the price of entry at your firm. However, we believe that of all the disruptions currently facing the management consulting industry—overall economic conditions, reduced corporate spending, and efficiencies from AI— the potential for disruption within your talent pipeline should be among the most concerning.

Here are three core messages your junior talent needs to hear and, most importantly, believe.

1. We’re Listening to You

Do you care about the needs and desires of junior talent? Do you provide junior talent with forums through which to share their perspectives? Are you regularly asking for their input on the business, its goals and your culture? And do you understand what they’re looking for in a career? Most importantly, how are you applying all of this information?

To formulate an internal communications strategy that resonates with Gen Z, ask current employees to respond anonymously to questions like:

  • What are the first three adjectives you would use to describe the firm?
  • What do you like most—and least—about working here?
  • What is a work example or experience that made you proud to be part of the firm?
  • How would you rate your experience as an employee at our firm?
  • What are the reasons for your score? 
  • Would you recommend this workplace to a friend? Why or why not? 
  • What could we do to improve the employee experience? 

If some of these questions sound familiar, it’s because they’re borrowed from the classic “Net Promoter Score” playbook, used to gauge the loyalty and referral potential among existing clients. It’s time to pivot this emphasis toward your aspiring talent.

By gathering candid feedback and looking for opportunities to evolve in response, you’ll give junior talent one of the things they want most in their professional life: a voice.

2. You’ll Be Doing Meaningful Work (Not Sitting Idle)

Junior consultants, often hired straight from prestigious universities, are increasingly finding themselves in a value paradox. Despite their impressive academic credentials, they don’t yet know what it takes to deliver tangible value for clients. And too often, firms leave them sitting idle on the proverbial bench for weeks or months until there’s a client assignment available for them. Then these inexperienced junior consultants are expected to be ready to go, suitcases packed and passports in hand. 

It shouldn’t be this way. But if temporary bench time is unavoidable, your junior talent needs to know how you do plan to give them work experience and training. Some firms are creating rigorous, MBA-like development tracks specifically geared toward teaching new professionals the ropes with an emphasis on what matters most to clients: industry knowledge and POV. Others are setting KPIs to incentivize senior consultants to mentor junior staff.

Whatever the case, it’s critical to communicate that your firm has developed pathways for meaningful training and engagement. Tell the stories, internally and externally, that emphasize how quickly new hires are brought on to substantive projects that provide a sense of purpose and challenge.

3. You Have Flexible Options for Career Advancement

Junior consultants want to do challenging, interesting work—but they also want to enjoy rich, full personal lives. Many are no longer willing to be away from home to stay on-site with a client Monday through Thursday, week after week. 

Does your firm offer opportunities for growth for employees who don’t want to follow the traditional consultant-as-road-warrior trajectory? For example, some firms have recently started offering flexible pathways for growth and advancement for young associates uninterested in pursuing the traditional partner track. Management consulting firms with similarly innovative playbooks should be shouting from the rooftops about their programs offering junior consultants grind-free options for growth and development.

If it’s absolutely essential for junior talent to pay their dues with long hours and demanding travel schedules, focus on the creative ways your firm has built programs to incentivize them. Sabbatical programs, remote work options in between offsite assignments, expedited non-equity partner tracks and travel perks all make the road warrior life more appealing. 

Now’s the Time to Communicate a Path Forward for Junior Management Consultants

Management consulting leaders who proactively evolve their cultures to meet the expectations of junior talent will position themselves for long-term success. By contrast, those who cling to antiquated norms may find themselves struggling to secure the talent pipeline they need to drive future growth.

The choice is yours.

Provide junior talent with a consistent communication platform (town halls, online forums, etc.) and listen attentively. Tell current and future hires about the training and meaningful work they can expect from day one. And promote your firm’s flexible pathways for building a rich and fulfilling career.

When you do, you can position your firm to not only overcome the industry’s negative image problem, but to lead in service to the young, bright minds that will determine your organization’s future success.

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Over the next fifteen years, the American workforce will undergo a seismic shift. Baby Boomers will fully retire, and Gen Xers won’t be far behind. And that means Gen Z (those born between 1996 and 2010, currently 14 to 28 years old) will soon make up a significant share of your prospective talent pool.

Is your professional services firm ready for this inevitable sea change?

Gen Z has been shaped by vastly different cultural contexts than previous generations. Two events in particular — Covid-19 and the Great Recession — have influenced how members of this emerging generation approach their professional and personal lives. Whereas older generations considered things like flexible hours, work/life balance, and high pay to be hard-won rewards, Gen Z expects them as a given. What’s more, Gen Zers care deeply about working for organizations that meaningfully align with their personal values and ideals.

These realities create risk for firms like yours, especially if your current culture doesn’t match Gen Z expectations. Many Gen Zers are uniquely uninterested in chasing the proverbial brass ring. They want to do good, interesting work — but they also want to enjoy rich, full personal lives. If these priorities appear to conflict, conventional wisdom predicts a crisis for professions that serve the most challenging and sophisticated clients. Managers are fearful that a refusal to bend on cultural change will drive talent away.

Gen Z is an Executive Positioning Challenge

Much of our recent guidance on critical issues – whether it be geopolitical conflict, AI, DEI and ESG backlash, the 2024 election – is rooted in this assertion: if you are clear about what your firm stands for and can demonstrate how its values and expectations are in alignment, you will have an easier (or at least less fraught) time communicating controversial topics or positions that can create misunderstanding and conflict and damage the firm’s reputation. This is also true of the Gen Z challenge, and you can address it with the following steps.

1. Define your audience – You may only want Gen Zers who still aspire to the brass ring – they exist, no generation is a monolith. But focusing on that cohort may turn away the best talent and limit the diversity and alacrity of thought you can access. Either way, the first step is to define the audience you want to attract and retain. Then gather information about what they care about most and react to workplace culture.

2. Create a feedback loop – Effective communication requires a feedback loop. This can include formal and informal channels through which you gather input from your audience, identify expectations, and measure whether your messages are landing as intended. Regular contact with affinity groups, associate committees, or trusted intermediaries can inform your approach.

3. Declare what you stand for – We’ve written elsewhere about the University of Chicago’s Kalven Report. Create a process that is open to a diversity of stakeholders and engage them in a conversation about the values and principles that drive behavior at your firm. Clarify how you will make decisions that impact all the generations in your workforce and publish your guidelines for all to see. Going forward, your decisions may not make everyone happy, but they shouldn’t be surprised.

4. Reiterate and reinforce –If you can identify and occupy the space in which the firm’s priorities and expectations overlap with your audience’s values and aspirations, then you can alter your culture to encourage greater engagement. With every alteration you make to workplace culture, reiterate, and reinforce the values that drove the decision.

Meaningful Work and a “You Belong Here” Culture

What sort of alterations are appropriate? Corporate Counsel underscores the need to move beyond “no-meeting Mondays and free-pizza Fridays.” Such perks simply don’t go far enough to create the kind of culture that appeals to Gen Z. While aspects of your firm’s culture may be difficult, if not impossible, to change, there is room to maneuver within the “softer” elements of your culture that you can control.

McKinsey’s research findings show that Gen Z is passionate about:

· Advocating for social, racial, and environmental justice issues

· Finding purpose in their life and work

· Experiencing a sense of belonging within the context of a supportive community

· Expressing themselves individualistically

Considering this, you may need to formalize regular communication regarding:

· Your firm’s mission and values. What do you stand for and what is the impact your firm is making on your community, the nation, and the world, and well as on your clients and profession?

· Your firm’s commitment to DEI. What steps have you and are you taking to make your firm an authentically diverse, equitable, and inclusive place?

· Opportunities for meaningful work. What stories can you share about the ways colleagues are able to immerse themselves in work that has influence in their field, or to society as a whole?

· The global and social issues you support. Are there unique positions of authority your firm can hone to participate skillfully in the conversations that matter most to Gen Z?

Don’t Underestimate Gen Z’s Impact on Your Professional Services Firm

There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for making your professional services firm an employer of choice for Gen Z. And you certainly won’t be able to flip a switch and get where you need to be overnight.

But even today, you can start doing the work of understanding what motivates and drives Gen Z. And you can begin communicating in ways that will pay dividends in the future.

Though urgent issues undoubtedly occupy your attention on a day-to-day basis, getting ahead of the coming generational shift is vitally important. By making this a priority now, you can future-proof your firm and set yourself up for continued success.

Need some help directing a smarter conversation with Gen Z? Let’s talk.

About the Executive Positioning Practice

Exemplifying Greentarget’s commitment to being a trusted advisor to clients, our Executive Positioning team provides C-suite executives (managing partners, CEOs, executive committees, and boards) with insights to anticipate, understand and respond to important global and social developments, analyzing key issues that can impact reputation and compel leaders to communicate.

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How should professional services organizations talk about DEI at a time when even the acronym itself has become a lightning rod for controversy?

DEI programs in business and academia have been under the magnifying glass since the Supreme Court struck down race-conscious admissions at Harvard and the University of North Carolina last year. The watershed ruling emboldened DEI critics who equate efforts to increase racial diversity in the workplace with reverse discrimination.

Now the backlash is dominating headlines as corporate leaders backpedal recent commitments and DEI becomes a culture-war football in a contentious U.S. election year. It is a striking reversal of the climate just a few years ago, when George Floyd’s murder and nationwide protests over racial injustice unleashed a flood of diversity-related statements and pledges from corporate America.

This moment presents a two-fold challenge for leaders. It complicates efforts to advance diversity, equity and inclusion at their own organizations—an issue that many legal and professional services firms have struggled with for decades, particularly when it comes to representation among upper management and executive ranks. It also has ramifications for firms’ service offerings and counsel to clients on DEI-related issues, including those tied to ESG, a growing business area for legal, accounting and consulting firms.

In what follows, we’ll discuss how professional services firms can communicate effectively, and authentically, to stakeholders about DEI. Those audiences include current and future talent, as well as clients and potential clients—who may well be wrestling with similar questions themselves.

The current DEI landscape

As companies and law firms scale back DEI initiatives or quietly retool them to avoid mounting legal challenges, it’s worth considering the broader impact of the Supreme Court’s decisions on affirmative action.

From a recruitment perspective, some experts expect it to reduce the pool of diverse talent from law schools and universities, based on what’s happened in California and Michigan after state universities there eliminated affirmative action. The broader pushback could also impact corporate DEI initiatives, such as diversity fellowships for historically underrepresented groups.

While the anti-DEI movement may pose heightened risk, companies and boards should understand how current laws apply to DEI measures at their organizations before deciding to shift course. Retreating from earlier commitments could also have consequences, from impacts on talent recruitment and retention to reputational harm.

Here’s how Nell Haslett-Brousse, director of diversity, equity and inclusion at consulting firm Point B, put it in a LinkedIn post soon after the Supreme Court rejected affirmative action in college admissions last June:

“Values have been and should continue to serve as a company’s north star… In a landscape where performative DEI+J [diversity, equity, inclusion and justice] has already drawn sharp criticism, any company that’s pulling away from its bold statements or goals will be hard-pressed to find near-term benefit, let alone long-term gains from reacting so quickly.”

Understand your DEI motivations

Caution is understandable. But there’s not much to be gained from walking back a previous commitment to DEI—you risk appearing disingenuous, or worse. As my colleague Steve DiMattia has  noted, in moments like these it’s important to “draw on well-defined organizational values—what you stand for, and how you demonstrate and encourage behavior that lives up to it.”

Organizations navigating this increasingly polarized environment must reflect on why they are pursuing their DEI path. Have those drivers or goals changed? How might the more fraught political and legal environment affect your firm’s chosen approach?

After all, many see DEI both as a social issue and a business imperative, and firms have a right to decide for themselves what steps to take to ensure the long-term success of their businesses. It’s important to consider what those efforts signify to critical constituencies, such as clients and current or potential talent.

“Diversity is the most important issue facing the accounting profession because it is essential for its sustainability and success in the global economy,” Anoop Natwar Mehta, immediate past chairman, AICPA & Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, told Accounting Today. “I also believe increasing diversity will also help our pipeline challenges.”

Clients are hungry for DEI counsel, too. Greentarget and Zeughauser Group’s State of DEI Content Report (released six months before the Supreme Court’s rulings on affirmative action) found that executive decision makers want more guidance on DEI from the law, accounting and consulting firms they hire, with 69% of law firm chief marketing officers ranking DEI as the topic that attracts the most attention from clients.

As a result, organizations are unveiling service offerings directly related to DEI counsel. For example, some law firms are launching DEI-focused practice groups to help field the recent flood of queries about racial equity audits and legal challenges.

But it goes deeper. Our research also shows that executive decision makers want their service providers to make progress as well as provide counsel on inclusion and diversity—and in-house counsel rate their law firms’ DEI execution as mediocre, saying there’s more work to be done. That’s something to keep in mind when considering adjustments to DEI programs and communications.

Be transparent about what—and how—you’re doing when it comes to DEI

Diversity, equity and inclusion is a long game. Reactive pivots and retreats can signal a lack of authentic commitment that could do more damage over time, both reputationally and to your DEI goals, than staying the course. Consistency and communication matter.

Think about your audience—especially when it comes to talent. As Bloomberg reported in September: “While most baby-boomers don’t consider a company’s focus on DEI when applying to jobs and accepting offers, almost three-quarters of Gen Z workers want their employer to consider it a priority, according to a new global study by consultancy Ernst & Young LLP.”

Track your efforts and share where you are and what needs improvement. As Point B’s recent research on DEI+J maturity shows, “While companies have invested heavily in top-down initiatives like workforce development and recruitment, many have yet to implement the deeper, structural changes and policies needed to make a lasting impact.” Consider what metrics may be most effective to assess progress—and which ones could expose your firm to risk in the current environment. Tying DEI programs to specific business outcomes may be a safer bet than setting quotas or diversity targets, for example.

For its part, the New York State Bar Association’s Task Force on Advancing Diversity advises private employers—corporations and law firms—to communicate a continued commitment to the organization’s DEI principles, but also to evaluate how employees and external stakeholders perceive those efforts and programs. What’s more, the group recommends keeping a close eye on DEI-related communications and disclosures and ensuring that people making employment decisions understand the key legal principles that govern DEI programs.

But it’s important to note that, as DEI and corporate governance lawyers told Fortune recently, despite the headline-grabbing lawsuits alleging reverse racism, firms are more likely to be sued by employees or job seekers from historically underrepresented groups.  

DEI is here to stay

Despite the well-documented blowback, most organizations remain committed to DEI. According to new research from employment law firm Littler, 57% of the more than 300 C-suite executives surveyed say their companies have expanded diversity-related initiatives over the past year. And while nearly six in 10 (59%) say anti-DEI backlash has increased since the Supreme Court rulings, three-quarters of respondents say the decisions haven’t changed their approach. Of the 6% who did scale back DEI efforts, concerns around general legal liability and costs were the primary factors.

“We’re seeing many employers maintain—or even double down on—their commitment,” said Jeanine Conley Daves, Littler shareholder and member of the firm’s IE&D [inclusion, equity and diversity] Consulting Practice. “Demonstrating that IE&D is part of their core values, many organizations are taking the prudent step of auditing and assessing their current initiatives, rather than eliminating them amid the challenges in today’s political and legal environment.”

The stakes are high, and the challenges are real. If you’re looking to start a smarter DEI-focused conversation in a post-affirmative action world, the team at Greentarget is here to help.

About the Executive Positioning Practice

Exemplifying Greentarget’s commitment to being a trusted advisor to clients, our Executive Positioning team provides C-suite executives (managing partners, CEOs, executive committees, and boards) with insights to anticipate, understand and respond to important global and social developments, analyzing key issues that can impact reputation and compel leaders to communicate.

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Contemporary political rhetoric is rife with false binaries that make it difficult for executive leaders to know when to speak out and what to say. And in 2024, as most of the world’s population participates in elections, this challenge will only continue to grow. 

According to the Financial Times, the outcomes of more than 70 global elections, including those in eight of the top 10 most populous countries and many of the world’s oldest democracies, will play a pivotal role in framing the future of democracy as we know it. The U.S. election is particularly critical due to the position we hold in the world. Given the nature of politics in America — and the heightened tension that accompanies our collective fear around democracy’s decline — we all know just how divisive the coming months are likely to become.

The inflated rhetoric of the U.S. election will surely create moments when leaders are called upon to affirm or reject controversial positions. We know these are difficult situations, as we’ve all seen leaders caught off guard in the recent past. With the repeal of Roe v. Wade and the start of the war in Gaza, many leaders discovered that they risked alienating some segment of their core audience regardless of what they said — or whether they said anything at all.

Mindful of these recent experiences, there is no excuse for being caught off guard again. Stakeholders will demand a clear response and point-of-view from your organization. The time to decide how you will respond to the next social or political controversy is not when it lands on your doorstep. We know that it is coming, whether it’s tomorrow or in six months. The time to prepare is now.

Why Do You Need to Think About the Election Now?

We’ve all seen unprepared leaders lose control of difficult conversations. But if you can’t skillfully and adeptly navigate these pivotal moments as a leader, you risk undermining your own authority and harming your organization’s reputation. To participate skillfully in the conversations that matter most, you can’t afford to be reactive. Foresight, forethought, and careful preparation are key. 

Think back to the summer of 2022 and the conversation around Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health. Despite knowing a landmark decision was coming for over six weeks, many leaders scrambled to figure out how to respond once the news broke. 

One notable exception was Ropes & Gray Chairwoman Julie Jones, who released a powerful, heartfelt and thoughtful statement just moments after the Supreme Court announced its decision. Her readiness to communicate her position set her apart.

Immigration, reproductive rights and the growing conflict in the Mideast are just a few of the issues that will take center stage in 2024. These topics are far too important to ignore — and their complexity deserves your advance consideration. 

Three Steps to Establish Your Firm’s Communication Platform

Navigating difficult communication challenges is not for the faint of heart — and you shouldn’t go it alone. Engaging PR counsel to develop authoritative points of view before it’s time to release a statement is wise and prudent. When you get ahead of the news cycle, you’ll be able to communicate with confidence, knowing your messaging lines up with your firm’s priorities and reinforces your position as an authority worth heeding. 

A good PR partner will know how to guide you in positioning your firm for the executive communications challenges that lie ahead. At a minimum, the positioning process should involve these three steps.

1. Assemble a Representative Selection of Stakeholders 

You need a representative cross-section of stakeholders at the table to ensure your decisions reflect the values and spectrum of diversity of your firm.

The process you follow to frame a response to controversy is just as important as the response itself. After all, it will be impossible for you to please your entire audience no matter what you say. But by demonstrating that you followed a reasoned, logical process — and by communicating about it openly and transparently — you can minimize blowback and prevent the informational leaks that cause reputational harm. 

The Kalven Committee at the University of Chicago

The University of Chicago provides an instructive example of what a collaborative decision-making process can look like — and shines light on the value of thoughtful, open communication.

In 1967, then-University president George W. Beadle convened a multidisciplinary faculty committee to examine the role the University should play in social and political action. The resulting Kalven Committee report includes the following statements:

  • “The university is the home and sponsor of critics; it is not itself the critic. It is…a community of scholars. To perform its mission in the society, a university must sustain an extraordinary environment of freedom of inquiry and maintain an independence from political fashions, passions, and pressures.”
  • “The neutrality of the university as an institution arises then not from a lack of courage nor out of indifference and insensitivity. It arises out of respect for free inquiry and the obligation to cherish a diversity of viewpoints.”
  • “From time-to-time instances will arise in which the society, or segments of it, threaten the very mission of the university and its values of free inquiry. In such a crisis, it becomes the obligation of the university as an institution to oppose such measures and actively to defend its interests and its values.”  

In the span of a few pages, the Kalven Committee articulated the values the University holds dear, argued why maintaining neutrality is the best reflection of those values, and laid out the exceptions that would lead the University to set neutrality aside and take a stand.

Did some University stakeholders disagree with the outcome of the Kalven Committee’s work? Undoubtedly. But the report remains in place today and continues to prove useful in guiding the University’s actions.

2. Align Your Positions With Your Firm’s Values 

What are your firm’s values? What do you stand for? And how do your values connect you to your audience?

It’s unlikely that your firm needs to participate in every conversation or respond to every news headline. Part of communicating with authority is knowing which issues matter most to your audience and focusing your energies there.

As illustrated in the Kalven Committee example, your values and your audience’s needs should guide your communications strategy. Therefore, to decide how and when to speak out on social issues, bring the stakeholders you recruited in Step 1 together to explore questions like: 

  • Who is our audience, and what do they value? Are there factions and opposing viewpoints we need to consider?
  • What issues impact our audience most acutely? Will they expect us to respond when those issues enter the headlines? 
  • Which issues intersect with our mission as an organization? 
  • Given the multiple constituencies we serve, what do we think is the proper role of the firm in the social and political sphere?
  • What are our core values, and how have we expressed those values in the past?
  • What is our history of social and political engagement?

Sometimes the more you think about an issue, the more challenging it will be to articulate a position. That’s normal. Again, outside counsel can help you wrestle with these complexities and arrive at the best course of action for your firm.

3. Make Your Firm’s Positions Public (and Communicate Your “Why”)

Reasonable decisions made with strong rationales will still be met with pushback. That’s especially true if they’re made behind closed doors and without transparency.

That’s why it’s so important to craft a statement about how your firm will respond when public discourse is fraught. Then publish that for your internal and external audiences to see and refer to as needed throughout the election cycle and beyond. This is your foundation – it should be set in stone.

Your goal should be to communicate openly and remove the element of surprise. No matter what position you take, some portions of your audience may not like what you have to say. But removing the uncertainty goes a long way in reducing disappointment and outrage.

Your audience will want to know: 

  • Who you invited into the decision-making process 
  • The questions you asked and the nuances you considered
  • How you arrived at your conclusions 
  • Why you believe your position aligns with your firm’s mission and values
  • What your position means to stakeholders

Don’t forget to ask for feedback. Welcoming the opinions and ideas of your internal and external stakeholders — and responding to their questions and concerns — is an effective way to build trust. Furthermore, inviting your audience to critique and iterate on your ideas is a defining characteristic of true authority.

Meet the 2024 Election Cycle Head-On

Savvy executives scan the horizon for looming threats and proactively put strategies in place to mitigate them. There’s no question that the 2024 election will bring plenty of communication challenges for your firm to overcome.

You might not know exactly what will precipitate the need for your firm to engage in a high-stakes conversation. But with the election news cycle ramping up, you can’t afford to wait for that moment to come. Let’s work together to figure it out now.

About the Executive Positioning Practice

Exemplifying Greentarget’s commitment to being a trusted advisor to clients, our Executive Positioning team provides C-suite executives (managing partners, CEOs, executive committees, and boards) with insights to anticipate, understand and respond to important global and social developments, analyzing key issues that can impact reputation and compel leaders to communicate.

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With anti-ESG rhetoric on the rise — and as greenwashing accusations abound — communicating effectively about environmental, social, and governance issues is more challenging than ever.

One piece of the puzzle is the tension between whether a firm is more responsible to its stakeholders or to its shareholders. On one hand, some argue that firms should balance the interests of a company’s stakeholders — employees, customers, and even the environment — against the need to drive bottom line growth. By contrast, those in favor of shareholder primacy assert that firms should prioritize increasing profits above all else.  

Complicating the issue further, the SEC is preparing to release stricter climate impact disclosure requirements for all publicly traded companies. And of course, ESG-related issues will undoubtedly become points of contention and political posturing in the leadup to the 2024 elections.

Given these very real pressures and the risks they present, how should executive leaders at professional services firms respond?

It may be tempting to stay silent. But if you want to be seen as an authority in your industry, you must be someone who is both trusted and heeded. The best way to earn that status is to contribute to a smarter conversation around the issues that matter most to your audience. Here’s what it takes to do that in regard to ESG.

Be Authentic About Your Firm’s Approach to ESG 

It should go without saying that a key part of communicating effectively is to do so from a place of authenticity. After all, one reason organizations come under fire is that their public statements about ESG don’t match up with their organization’s mission, vision, and values — or with their actions. 

To that end, consider your position on ESG through the lens of who you are as a business and what you’re trying to accomplish. It can be helpful to explore questions like:

  • Are we able to make tangible progress on our ESG commitments — and are we reporting on that progress on a regular basis? Even when the numbers or narrative aren’t as positive as we’d like?
  • How might the ESG work we’re doing strengthen and de-risk our business for the long run? Could our ESG commitments contribute to a healthier bottom line?

How Your Commitment to ESG Can Contribute to Business Success

Let’s take a closer look at that last question in particular — and at the false equivalency that’s inherently present in the “stakeholder vs. shareholder” debate. There’s an assumption that deepening your firm’s commitment to ESG will automatically detract from profitability. But the opposite is often true. In fact, making business decisions through the lens of environmental, social, and governance concerns may play an instrumental role in your company’s long-term success.

My colleague Steve DiMattia puts it this way: “Companies with weak ESG performance often find themselves in situations that can lead to a decline in valuation. If a company is cutting corners on safety protocols, harming the environment, or exploiting its workers, there’s a much greater likelihood it’ll eventually be sued, fined, or otherwise penalized, which can negatively impact its stock price.”

Therefore, making an authentic commitment to the causes that matter most to your firm — and talking about those commitments in terms of how they’ll make your company stronger — is an excellent way to frame your ESG narrative.

Embrace Transparent Communication (Even if You Know You’ll Get Backlash)

In a polarized society like ours, there are good reasons to shy away from topics that are known to spark backlash. And there are certainly people who may decry whatever you have to say about ESG. But if your ESG efforts are truly a core part of driving your business forward, communicating transparently is non-negotiable.

The good news is many clients and stakeholders are increasingly seeking ESG-aligned partners. Since they want smart counsel on ESG issues and are looking for partners who walk the talk, it’s only logical to talk about your ESG offerings and commitments with confidence. 

As socially conscious Gen Zers age and become business leaders in their own right, it will become even more paramount for your firm to establish unique positions of authority about ESG. Demonstrating an authentic and transparent position on the issues that matter most to these emerging stakeholders is an essential part of building trust and winning their future business. 

That doesn’t mean you have to talk about ESG-related issues all the time. Nor do you have to publish an official CSR (corporate social responsibility) report each and every year. Rather, look for naturally recurring opportunities to shine light on the progress you’ve made toward your ESG goals. Let your audience know what’s gone well and what steps you still need to take to get where you want to go. And if you’re a publicly traded company, tell a good and true story about how ESG affects your earnings. 

Still uncertain about whether it’s wise to communicate openly and transparently about your firm’s ESG efforts? Perhaps this will assuage your fears. According to The Financial Times, anti-ESG funds are failing to attract investors and assets. Polls show voters aren’t swayed by attacks on sustainable investing options, either. These articles illustrate that, in many cases, the anti-ESG bark is far worse than its bite.

Tailor Your ESG Messaging to Your Primary Stakeholders

Although you’ll need to be mindful of crafting your ESG communications in ways that align with regulatory demands, it’s also important to remember that regulators are not your primary audience. Your clients and employees are. 

So rather than worry about coming under fire for communicating about ESG, consider who your audience is and what they care about. What do they need to hear from you? What messages will resonate with them? And how can you tell your ESG story in a way that furthers their commitment to and enthusiasm for your firm? 

For example, we recently worked with a law firm to create a communications platform to reach key stakeholders at a time when the firm was under enormous pressure from special interest groups and anti-ESG lawmakers to abandon its ESG endeavors. This platform enabled the firm to amplify the ESG-related counsel it offers clients and provide insight into how it helps firms navigate the very issues and challenges it was also facing.

Reaching your audience with the messages that matter to them should be the primary goal of all your executive communications strategies.

Don’t Be Afraid To Speak Out About the Issues That Matter to Your Firm

It takes courage to speak your firm’s truth in the face of almost certain criticism and backlash. And since anything you do say is subject to fiscal, regulatory, and political scrutiny, it’s absolutely essential to communicate your messages judiciously and effectively. 

Greentarget can help.

Our consultants know how to objectively assess whether or not your ESG efforts are truly an authentic representation of your firm’s values and actions. We can help you craft succinct and precise messages about why you’re doing what you’re doing. And we’d love to work with you to develop unique perspectives and positions of authority that translate into added value for your clients and other priority stakeholders.

So when you’re ready to cut through the ESG-related noise and advance a smarter, more thoughtful narrative, let’s talk.

About the Executive Positioning Practice

Exemplifying Greentarget’s commitment to being a trusted advisor to clients, Greentarget’s Executive Positioning team provides c-suite executives (managing partners, CEOs, executive committees, and boards) with insights to anticipate, understand and respond to important global and social developments, analyzing key issues that can impact reputation and compel leaders to communicate.

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