On April 26, Jason Fried, the CEO of an enterprise software company called Basecamp, announced that their company has decided to ban “societal and political discussions” in the workplace. While there’s somewhat extensive history behind the decision, ultimately the decision is best summed up by Friedman himself:
“Today’s social and political waters are especially choppy. Sensitivities are at 11, and every discussion remotely related to politics, advocacy, or society at large quickly spins away from pleasant. You shouldn’t have to wonder if staying out of it means you’re complicit, or wading into it means you’re a target. These are difficult enough waters to navigate in life, but significantly more so at work. It’s become too much.”
Jason Fried, “Changes at Basecamp”
In response to the communication, the company found itself embroiled in social-media slander which, in and of itself, may not be a massive deal to Basecamps’ executive team. But, what should definitely be a big deal to Basecamp is the fact that so many of their employees were the ones joining in voicing their outrage online.
Janet Yang, a data analyst at Basecamp, when a step further and wrote an open letter to the founders a day after the statement was released, believing that their actions would negatively impact their diversity and inclusion efforts.
So, to recap, Basecamp’s white male founders publicly announced that they decided to ban “social and political” conversations at work which pissed off many of their own employees, undermining their diversity and inclusion efforts, and diminishing their organizational culture. And that last point is what business owner’s must consider when releasing public communications – the impact of the statement isn’t just felt by your customers, clients, and stakeholders, it’s also felt by your employees. And if you craft the wrong message, it could have potentially irreparable effects on your workplace, and your efforts to recruit talented people to work there.
As a Cultural Impact Consultant, if I was hired to review this communication before it was posted, the most important result of our work together wouldn’t be the drafting and editing, but rather the ensuing conversation to drive at the heart of what impact Fried expected this statement to have, both on his employees and the public at large.
We would start with advising Fried against using the framing of “social and political” issues, as it is effectively just shorthand for issues of basic human rights. As a former political reporter and a network political pundit, I understand what conversations about politics entails (privatizing public services, reshaping tax law, etc.). Phrases such as “Black Lives Matter” or “Stop Asian Hate” is not the language of policy, but rather human rights.
After that, we would discuss the real world impact this statement should have in their mind, and talk through the reality and feasibility of that concept. And then we would drive to the heart of the issue and find a way to craft a communication that isn’t offensive as hell. Because sometimes, the best result of our session, is helping clients understand that maybe they just shouldn’t post that damn thing in the first place.
Last summer, after the civil rights uprising that occurred after the murder of George Floyd, many companies posted statements about their commitment to social justice. Since then, some companies have lived up to their promises while many companies have fallen short. And while some companies, like Basecamp, may believe that their customers forgot their pledge, there’s one group of people who have not: your employees.
The employer-employee connection is a relationship, and like any relationship it is a living organism that can be affected by both big and seemingly innocuous things. What (and how) you communicate externally does represent your staff and if you are interested in maintaining a healthy, functioning and diverse workplace, a review of your external communications isn’t just an investment in building bonds with new clients – it’s also an investment in enhancing your relationship with your best natural resource – your staff.
