Uniting the workforce in the age of outrage

In today’s politically charged environment, workplaces often mirror society’s broader divisions, fuelled by cancel culture, partisanship, and the conflation of morality with opinion.

In the West, recent electoral outcomes in America, Britain, and parts of Europe have highlighted deep-seated polarisation that extends far beyond political arenas, infiltrating corporate boardrooms, team meetings, and water cooler conversations.

In the US, data from Pew Research Centre shows that Democrats and Republicans view each other increasingly unfavourably, with growing numbers of party members perceiving their rivals as more closed-minded, dishonest, immoral, or lazy. In the UK, recent polls indicate that support for the new hard-right Reform UK party (25%) has surpassed support for the traditional centre-right Conservative Party (22%), demonstrating a shift away from the political centre. In Europe, similar trends have emerged, with rising nationalism challenging traditional political norms. These trends are not isolated to politics—they resonate deeply within organisational cultures.

In one instance, shortly after Israel began its aerial campaign against Gaza, the Starbucks Workers Union posted the following message on X: “Solidarity with Palestine!” Starbucks immediately received intense backlash from Jewish groups and decided to sue its workers’ union for trademark infringement, stating that it disagreed with the posts on X. The lawsuit led to further backlash from Palestinian supporters and calls to boycott Starbucks from both Palestinian and Jewish advocacy groups.

Employee partisanship and outrage in the workplace can reduce productivity, diminish trust, lower engagement, and ultimately harm financial performance. But public relations professionals are uniquely positioned to help unite workforces. Research consistently shows that inclusive workplaces outperform competitors in innovation, productivity, and financial performance. By leveraging tools like brand storytelling, employee listening, and issue management, companies can navigate partisanship and polarisation while retaining brand values and authenticity.

Communicating brand values through storytelling and rhetoric

Storytelling is a powerful public relations tool for shaping perceptions, reinforcing identity, and building emotional connections. PR professionals can leverage storytelling by crafting internal and external messaging campaigns that clearly articulate a company’s values and purpose.

In his book Lead with a Story, Paul Smith explains that companies should tell stories because they are timeless, contagious, easy to remember and inspiring. He argues that storytelling can be simple and encourages readers to follow a straightforward formula: context, action, result, to develop narratives that resonate with a broad audience.

Research shows that different parts of the brain are engaged when people listen to emotionally compelling narratives. This means companies can use storytelling to shift focus away from controversial and polarising topics and instead emphasise meaningful, values-based communication that resonates with the entire workforce. Tactics such as spotlighting employee stories in internal or external campaigns can humanise brand values, especially when coupled with continuous messaging on values from executive leadership.

Keeping a finger on the pulse

Effective internal and external listening is crucial for leaders to stay attuned to social trends and employee sentiment. Public relations professionals should actively assess both employee attitudes and external opinions on important issues.

In Leading the Listening Organisation, the authors outline a spectrum of listening activities, ranging from “passive” methods like annual surveys or listening forums to “deep” strategies such as engagement champions, task forces, and solutions groups. Organisations that adopt deep listening strategies can expect greater adaptability, employee resilience, trust, unity, and engagement.

Companies must also develop coherent external listening strategies focused on clients, partners, and stakeholders to stay aware of societal trends. Proactively addressing potential issues, both internally and externally, before they become contentious can help reduce workplace tensions and unite employees around a shared mission.

In Crisis, Issues, and Reputation Management, the author describes an issue management grid that categorises internal and external issues and incidents. Public relations professionals should develop an issue management plan, including scenario planning, crisis management strategies, and monitoring tools to enable quick responses. Practitioners should identify key themes and external developments to track, ensuring that company responses align with brand values in global events, societal shifts, or internal crises.

Additionally, developing a clear rubric for when companies should speak out publicly on issues can help businesses avoid PR disasters like the one Starbucks faced. Paul Argenti, Communications Professor at Dartmouth University, advises companies to use a three-question framework before making public statements:

• Does the issue align with your strategy?
• Can you meaningfully influence the issue?
• Will your stakeholders support you speaking out?

If companies can answer “yes” to all three questions, they have a stronger case for making public statements without causing further reputational damage or internal misalignment.

Building an inclusive culture—without the jargon

Finally, organisations should rethink politically charged terminology while remaining true to their core values. For example, the US government’s recent executive order against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives has caused many companies to retract their DEI commitments.

However, for global corporations, a diverse workforce is often a prerequisite for success and a key determinant of improved financial performance, innovation, and productivity, as shown by McKinsey research. Businesses can be sensitive to language triggers while retaining core diversity and inclusion practices.

Leaders can build inclusivity by helping employees engage in and manage disagreements effectively. Feelings of moral or intellectual superiority often escalate conflicts, but diffusing tensions through active listening can help. Julia Minson, a decision scientist at Harvard, suggests using the “listening triangle”:

1. Ask your opponent their views.
2. Listen to their answer.
3. Restate their response to ensure understanding.

She also advises workplaces to use inclusive language tools, such as acknowledging differing perspectives, emphasising agreement, and hedging claims. Businesses can further promote inclusivity through conflict resolution training, structured discussions on sensitive topics, and anonymous feedback tools to encourage open communication. Better dialogue can transform conflicts into opportunities for learning and collaboration, ensuring employees feel heard, valued, and empowered.

In the age of outrage, where societal and workplace divisions are increasingly pronounced, the role of public relations has never been more critical. By harnessing the power of storytelling and rhetoric, practising robust listening, implementing proactive issue management strategies, and rethinking traditional inclusion initiatives, PR professionals can help unify workforces and foster environments where all voices are heard.

Megan Howe reflects on studying the CIPR Professional PR Diploma

I’ve enjoyed the practical nature of the course and appreciate how I’ve been able to tangibly apply many of the study assignments to my job.

Read our Complete Guide to CIPR Qualifications