Amid disruption, C-suite leaders have the power to steady their workforces

The rise of ideological fragmentation, amplified by influencer-led media, presents an acute challenge for leaders as they seek to unite stakeholders around business strategy. Increasingly, the perception gap between opinion leaders and mass audiences presents a threat to reputation capital, the intangible asset powering brand credibility, customer loyalty and business performance. 

For communicators, the challenge is to find the commonly held beliefs that can bridge that gap and build unity amid deep divisions in the United States. 

Our study of 1,000+ adults in the U.S. was developed in response to the chaotic social, political and economic landscape, where narratives shift by the minute and attention fragments across channels. Standard approaches to public opinion are snapshots that only capture what’s already happened – but they can’t predict where opinion is headed and can’t explain what’s brewing beneath the surface. 

Employees, who have just as complex and multi-layered ideological views as America writ large, will carry preconceived notions about the state of the economy in particular that may impact perception of business strategy. Landing your organization’s message will require recognizing this divide as the starting place, then bringing employees along on the business vision and strategy. 

To unify employees and drive organizational performance during this time of deep ideological division, corporate leaders can lean into these five fundamental strategies:

1. Leverage research to understand employee ideology: Don’t assume monolithic opinions. Dive into demographics to uncover the divides, particularly on the economy, that you will need to surmount to align on corporate strategy.
2. Land a unifying message: Leverage the power of predictive, AI-driven message testing tools to help build messages and ensure they resonate.
3. Reach audiences where they are: Don’t ignore news influencers, given that top-tier talent is increasingly reliant on these platforms as a primary news source. Target these highly filtered platforms with precision.
4. Invest in corporate citizenship: Double down on shared purpose to strengthen unity. Maintain and grow your commitment to the communities where you do business.
5. Establish a narrative that underpins your corporate mission: Develop symbolism, origin stories, heroes, values and underlying behaviors that establish a culture of care and purpose.