5 Ways to Forge a Charitable Work Culture
Nikki Carlson, ChicExecs Marketing Agency’s Co-Founder/Co-President shares five tips to make giving back second-nature at your business on Conscious Company blog. She explains that cultural change is hard. What if you want to create a charitable culture at work? Its even harder. Your employees are busy and giving back might not be the first thing on their minds (or your mind, for that matter).
Giving back isn’t just the right thing to do. It has tremendous benefits for your business, like:
- bonding your employees
- giving your team a sense of purpose
- boosting your companys image as a brand that gives back
- reduce workplace stress
Don’t you want engaged, motivated employees and a shining reputation in the community? Of course you do! Thats why leaders need to lead the charge and create a culture of giving back. To develop a company culture you first need to redesign your office — it means crafting a unique, empowering environment that reflects your business and its people.
“Giving back isn’t just the right thing to do; it has tremendous benefits for your business,” she said.
Here’s how to make it second-nature at your company:
1. Don’t make it mandatory. The only thing worse than mandatory fun is mandatory volunteering. If you force employees to use their Saturday picking up trash on the side of the road, they aren’t going to be happy. If anything, they’ll feel demoralized.
2. Tap into your teams passion. Giving back is more fun when you give to a cause you’re passionate about. To rally your employees around a cause that motivates them, see what they’re passionate about.
3. Make it a team-bonding experience. Work is a lot more fun when you enjoy your coworkers. You don’t have to make your team best friends or anything, but approach giving back as a bonding experience.
4. Tie giving back to your business objectives. Try creating a charitable culture that’s tied to your business niche or objectives. What does your business have to give the world? Is there a way to tie your product, services, or expertise with a charity?
5. Lead by example. Culture doesn’t happen because you will it to happen. It happens from the top-down, which means CEOs and leaders have to be the first to embrace giving back.
Read Nikki Carlson’s full blog on how to create the culture (and world) that you want to see by giving back.
