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What's on our minds in May...
We're all in the people business
Author James C. Collins once wrote, “Leaders of companies that go from good to great start not with ‘where’ but with ‘who.’” The most successful businesses are those that put people at its forefront—not just its customers, but also its employees and community.
Where do you start when it comes to creating the best impact for your workers? Here are three maxims to guide your way:
- Work-life balance comes from the top.
Patagonia, one of our favorite certified B Corps, has policies that actively encourages employees to surf and rock climb during work, and physically locks its doors at 8 p.m. so workers feel they can go home. The payoff? The company has doubled in size and tripled in profits since 2008.
- Invest in your employees so they invest in you.
Implementing an employee equity or profit-sharing plan makes employees more committed to your company’s success and increases retention—and in some cases, generates fierce loyalty, as grocery chain Market Basket proved late last year.
- Engagement isn’t about perks, it’s about purpose.
One of the best ways to engage employees is to involve them in community service. No business is too small to do meaningful philanthropy! From offering paid volunteer time to collaborating on pro bono projects, there are many ways to get employees involved in the community.
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Perspectives on Productivity
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Digital Detox: Disconnect to reconnect
Digital Detox, the hippie movement of the 21st century, wants you to unplug so you can recharge. Organize a tech-free recess or retreat for your company, or go completely cold turkey with Camp Grounded, a four-day “adult summer camp” that bans all things digital. Instead indulge in kickball, campfires, and creative writing—via typewriter, of course.
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Adding it all up...
“Goodness is the only investment that never fails."
—Henry David Thoreau
Treating people well—whether your customers, your employees, or your community—is not just common sense, it’s good business. That's an equation we can get behind!
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