Don't Fall For It

• August 2, 2017

Last week I wrote about how two companies had to deal with small-scale groups of people who speak out.  The first example the business caved to the few and the second business closed its doors. You can read the article, “Your Company May Be Next” here. In both cases, the organizations stepped away from their business model and gave in to those who speak the loudest.

That reminded me of what happened to Chick Fil A a few years ago but with a different ending. S. Truett Cathy, the owner, decided he didn’t want to be open on Sundays so he could give his employees a day of rest. For years the owner was criticized and even pressured to stay open on Sundays. As busy as this one day of the week is for restaurants the loss of business would not outweigh his position. Years later his business is still up and thriving.

Since his dad’s passing Dan Cathy oversees the company. Cathy endorsed the biblical definition of marriage is between a man and a woman. Those who support same-sex marriage called for a boycott of the restaurant on August 1, 2012. They wanted to show how wrong the owner was. On the day of the boycott, the restaurant was packed. I bet it was and probably still is the busiest day Chick Fil A ever had. People poured out in masses where lines extended outside the restaurant. There were extensive delays in getting their food yet people stayed to show support for the owner.

To counter for the backfired plan supporters of same-sex marriage told everyone to gather the next week outside Chick Fil A’s nationwide. On that day only a handful of people showed up. This is a perfect example of a few people speaking out loudly to get their way.

The overwhelming majority does not sound off. There’s no need to. Yet when a minuscule amount of people wail, they get their way. You let them determine how to run your businesses. That’s ridiculous. You need to stay on your beliefs and not be bullied to do something you don’t want to do. When a 3-year-old throws a tantrum you need to ignore it so they will learn that type of behavior does not work. It can be painful for a bit, nevertheless, you know that training the child has to be done. Whatever the issue, it’s time you show these unruly children that this type of behavior is not allowed.

You have a vision for your business. You’ve done the work, created a plan for your company, acquired the funding, and set the goals. No one should be able to shake you from that objective.

You have the right to your opinions and have the freedom to share those views. You don’t have the right to force others to change to your beliefs. That being said, your company is yours. You can’t please everyone, but then again everyone is not your target customer.