How to Become “A Force for Good”
Having discussed the meaning of “a force for good” in the first of this month’s series of blogs, I now want to explore how your business can achieve this standard.
Whilst the key aim for success is achieving healthy profit levels, for your business to become “a force for good” the key point is that you need to look beyond the bottom line – instead directing time, resources, and money towards overcoming a relevant challenge.
You should use your profits and brand voice in the marketplace to positively impact social, environmental, humanitarian, or ethical issues within your local, and indeed global, community.
There are various ways to do this.
I hope you find my following list useful.
Operational change
Firstly, take stock of, and consider, all your operations, stakeholders, and employees.
Identify any areas of your business which are negatively impacting the planet, your employees, or your customers.
This could be as simple as implementing proper waste disposal processes to improve recycling, or choosing a different supplier based on environmental criteria.
Certification
Sustainable certifications can strengthen your business’s branding and make eco-conscious customers feel more confident in your products and services.
Environmentally-conscious consumers can find the true socially and environmentally responsible products and services by looking for certifications - establishing trust with customers and demonstrating the genuine efforts of your business.
One vision
As a leader, you should have clear plans and processes to achieve a particular purpose or do specific work-related things.
If you hold a specific vision at heart and communicate it to all your colleagues, any potential conflicts or vague expectations will be minimised.
In turn, processes will become easier and understandable when everyone is familiar with the values and general vision of the business.
Every line manager conversation is an opportunity to enable. Photo Cherrydeck Unsplash
Passion and dedication
The best way to motivate and inspire team members is for you to be passionate about your mission.
Whatever your preferred leadership style, it’s always critical to portray the excitement of achieving goals through your general attitude and mood.
Positive energy and passion are highly contagious values - inspiring your colleagues to match the mood you set and keep the mission moving forward.
This will teach your employees that it’s possible, with the right mindset, to face challenges and overcome obstacles.
Resilience and adaptability
All businesses will realise that there’s no shortage of challenges to their ongoing success – in the last few years we’ve had a global pandemic, economic and political uncertainty, and climate change!
All these factors mean a business wanting to become “a force for good” must display resilience and adaptability.
Resilience allows companies to improve the general mental well-being of employees, boost general productivity and engagement and reduce absenteeism even amidst a crisis.
Many businesses aim to employ a leader with a resilient mindset, knowing that this will prepare them for hardships and to thrive despite challenges.
Employees feel more secure knowing their leader is well-prepared for what they might have to face if times ever become tough.
On the other hand, workers tend to feel vulnerable and uneasy when they are surrounded by uncertainty.
Look out for the next articles in this series –The Importance of Becoming a Force for Good,” and “The Benefits of Becoming a Force for Good.”
If you need further information about these approaches, or any other resilience topic, please contact russell@theresiliencecoach.co.uk.