In safety training, it is often mentioned that we should clear our minds of outside distractions in order to operate in a safe manner at work. It is well documented that many accidents have been caused by people distracted by issues at home, traffic on the way to work and so forth.

Today, there are many social issues in the news that are upsetting people. The world has become a place of turmoil, the likes of which I have not seen in my 73 years. Some of these activities are known by initials or acronyms I will not even mention here, for there are those following triggering phrases on Google Search and tracking down those who disagree with them in even the slightest way.

I am not offering opinions on these subjects here, but what I am offering is that at work, your job is to focus yourself and your team on performing your work for which you are paid. Some of you have positions which involve executing routine tasks. Others rise to the level of fiduciary responsibility. No matter, work is a place for work, conducted legally, morally and ethically.

Sophisticated activists are knocking on C-suite doors, sometimes seeking funds, sometimes seeking to change your culture and that of your suppliers, employees and customers.

Be polite, professional and courteous, but remember your job. If outsiders are suggesting you modify your priorities, or help fund their cause, their ideas must pass the test of being legal, moral, ethical and aligned with your fiduciary responsibilities. It is that simple.

Jim Thompson is CEO of Paperitalo Publications.