“…And how many ears must one man have, Before he can hear people cry? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind. The answer is blowin’ in the wind… – Bob Dylan
2020 was a hard year for many music retailers, with the most obvious reason being Covid-19. But the pandemic wasn’t the only factor; across America, thousands marched in support of equality and justice. Understandably, business owners might want to avoid talking about recent events given how polarizing conversations can get, but their potential impact is too great to ignore.
Will sales be affected? How might our response to recent events affect the reputation of my business? How is employee morale or performance affected?
To help you navigate today’s environment of civil unrest, here are 11 things you can do to help take care of your business, your employees, and your customers during a time of civil unrest.
You might also like to listen to my talk I gave at Summer NAMM 2021 based on this article.
And while these suggestions are not be considered as legal advice (seek out the appropriate agencies for professional health and safety regulations) they provide a good starting point to help you determine the factors worth considering.
1. Where do you stand?
Owners have the final say but should note that the positions they take can have a major impact on business. Having a clear, well-thought-out position is also important for when inevitable questions come.
A great start might be to survey the thoughts and attitudes of customers, employees, and the wider community. Given the prominent role, music has played in addressing social issues, you may find many of your customers have strong feelings about current events. For retailers living in areas lacking diversity, you may also find it helpful to speak with fellow business owners in larger cities.
Finally, conveying a message that says “doing good business” and “doing good for the community” offers a great opportunity to turn customers into loyal advocates for your store.
2. Be proactive
Get in front of issues related to social unrest by making plans to ensure business continuity. Use your website to provide any relevant information or updates to help ease potential concerns on the part of customers. Remind employees of any applicable policies like social media, dress code, solicitation, media.
If your physical location could be impacted by protests, think through travel logistics for employees, closing procedures, street closures, and the potential for vandalism (though it should be noted that a recent Time Magazine article reported that 93% of protests were peaceful).
Make plans and procedures in advance so if your people can’t get into the workplace, or if you lose power or technology (etc.) you have a continuity plan that addresses those needs so you can continue operating.
3. The role of social media
Social media can either help or hurt your business in a time of civil unrest. As a source of information, social media is a great tool to gauge local attitudes about current events. Use it also to convey what you’re doing to maintain a safe place to shop during protests in the area or changes to store hours.
It’s also important to pay special attention to posts during a time of unrest. Current issues must be carefully considered and content posted should follow pre-established guidelines. Generally speaking, employees should also be reminded that they should not post on Company social media accounts, except on the direction of management.
And though you don’t want to be the “social media police”, you’ll want to be mindful about what employees are sharing, especially if the content is incendiary in nature, promotes violence, or includes your business.
4. Displaying signs or other statements related to the social unrest
Some businesses may choose to prominently display signs relating to causes being advocated by protestors. Others may not. While this ultimately is the owner’s or company’s decision, polarizing political statements can be disruptive or distasteful for customers or employees. Displaying signs should be carefully considered, and should be considered on a case by case basis.
5. Conversations within the workplace
Employees are going to talk about current events in the workplace, but contentious conversations may lead to coworker bullying and harassment.
In general, employees should keep conversations with coworkers about topics that are politically and socially neutral (though there is no one-size-fits-all approach). Having existing policies that address bullying, employee conduct, or harassment may apply here and could be helpful, but should be wary of overly restrictive policies that may also be difficult to enforce.
It will be nearly impossible to limit all discussion of social unrest in the workplace, but employers need to balance allowing some discussion with striving to maintain a productive workplace.
6. Employee morale, anxiety & job performance
Recent surveys show that American employees have already reported experiencing anxiety in the workplace when discussing political events it comes to discussions regarding political events. Offering opportunities for employees to voice any concerns and acknowledging the issues they face can both improve job performance and inspire employee loyalty. Training and education to increase the workforce’s awareness and knowledge of diversity, cultural competence, and inclusion may also be timely as well.
7. Remind employees to be respectful to customers
This may seem obvious, but in a divided society innocent conversations can easily go off the rails. Invariably you will have customers with widely diverse views and opinions. Reminding employees to maintain a respectful and professional demeanor can help prevent problems – for you and your staff.
8. What should you do if asked to contribute financially or issue statements of support related to social unrest?
Consider what you’ve done in the past. If a policy for donations already exists, it’s easier to explain why you can or cannot donate to specific groups. Alternatively, supporting causes in line with customer or employee values may lead to a closer relationship with both.
9. What if demonstrators gather outside my store?
Notify employees & customers as soon as possible. Consider whether some employees can work from home or adjust work hours to avoid traffic disruptions caused by a protest. Generally speaking, employers should try to remain calm and neutral and notify building security or local law enforcement if possible.
10. What should an employer do if employees are afraid for their safety?
A generalized fear, absent a specific threat, is likely not enough for an employee to refuse to perform his or her work duties. However, employers should consider whether they could be liable for an employee’s safety should an employee be forced to perform work duties when there is a real public safety threat.
11. What should an employer do if an employee is arrested in a demonstration?
The actions an employer should take will largely depend on the specific facts surrounding the arrest. Pursuant to guidelines by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), employers may also want to consider that terminating or disciplining employees who are arrested while allegedly peacefully protesting may negatively impact employee morale and open the employer up to negative publicity.
The workplace, as we know it, has changed in profound ways that cannot be ignored. This past year has been a challenging one for many retailers and the impact civil unrest has had on businesses cannot be ignored. Taking a proactive approach is among the best things music retailers can do to maintain business continuity and savvy business people are taking advantage of the current situation to help forge closer, more personal relationships with customers, employees, and the community.
Given the role that music has always played in the area of social action, you may find yourself (willingly or otherwise) in the eye of the storm. The workplace may have changed as a result of the incidents of civil unrest we now face, but the preceding list offers solid suggestions to not only survive our current times…but to thrive.
Organiksol Marketing is an accomplished, collaborative & innovative marketing team recognized for driving sales and engagement. Using our experience with musical instrument manufacturers, record labels, non-profits, artists and entrepreneurs, we “speak” the customer’s language like few can. By focusing on their values, likes & dislikes, we implement strategies, campaigns and content that emotionally connects with customers to get results. Read more on What we do.
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