Over the past few months, companies have been articulating their values and taking a stand on social, environmental and political issues in record numbers. Sexual harassment, gender pay equity, gun violence, and impact investing are just a few of the trending topics about which major corporations are making value statements.

But, corporate America’s new found desire to operate with a passion for something greater than earning a profit is not always elegantly executed. The speed at which businesses are becoming vocal about their values may have the public questioning their motives.

It’s inevitable some suspicion around corporations remains.  Many think that corporations are involved in issues or support causes to improve their reputations (32 percent) or to achieve tax benefits (42 percent). According to the World Value Index, people surveyed say only one-third of business leaders do what’s right, and only 14 percent of employees say their values are well-aligned with the companies for which they work.

As more businesses become more conscious, there are many questions. How, when, where, and why to share the stories of their efforts so that their good work will boost, rather than hinder, the public’s perception of their brand?

We’ve compiled 10 tried and true methods corporate leaders and marketing communications teams can use improve the way they are talking about their CSR efforts to gain credibility and positive attention. At the top of the list: Candor.

Admit to Being a Work in Progress and be Honest

It may be that the way in which companies are communicating their values and good work is lacking the candor that could shift public perception.

Corporate America is a big ship that doesn’t turn on a dime. Companies need to explain what it means to become sustainable and what it actually takes to care for corporate stakeholders while also earning good returns. Being a Conscious Capitalist, a B Corp, or ESG complaint does not happen without focus, desire, money, time, and a great deal of effort. As corporations become more responsible to more than just earning a profit, they will help the movement grow by explaining the process.

Becoming a Responsible or Sustainable Company Takes Strength and Commitment

Take product design and sales, for example. R&D is expensive and time-consuming. For a company to put out a product that is less harmful to the environment or healthier for people to use, it has to spend a lot of time and money for design, creation, testing, and packaging. Then there is the PR. It takes a long time to educate the public so it understands the benefits of the new product, believes in its virtue, and alters its buying habits accordingly. And, as soon as a new product is launched, or before, companies are already working on the next edition or an even newer product that will make the new product irrelevant. After all, if the company doesn’t one-up itself, another company is sure to.

And not only does a company have to worry about its own production practices, it has to investigate those of suppliers as well. The supply chain can quickly yank a company back into the world of the unsustainable, even as it tries to progress.

Regulations can seem unending, hard to master, and expensive to fulfill. Yet all must be done for a company to be truly sustainable. The public knows a fraction of the efforts it takes to achieve such credibility, and that’s okay to some extent. There no room for complainers. Instead, companies can explain how important the process is and how seriously they take it as part of their messaging.

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