What
difference can you make? How can you make life easier for others? When was the
last time you took a stand against something you believed was not acceptable?
How does your business serve your clients? When was the last time you created useful change within your business or organisation?
It
is widely accepted and scientifically proven that we actually feel good when we
do good. And there are so many moments in the day when we can selfishly make
ourselves feel good through acts of kindness towards others.
But
what does this have to do with business? Or Innovation? Well, a lot really! Finally, we are realising
that the whistle blower may not be the troublemaker but rather the hero that
finally speaks out against inequity or unethical behaviour. We are recognising
the benefits of empowerment and self-regulation in a workplace. We are seeing
more examples of businesses where a KPI isn't measured by a dollar amount but by
acts of generosity and kindness.
And,
as Simon Sinek puts it, it all Starts With Why. This movement has pushed the
traditional vision statement to new
limits. Businesses such as Zappos, Apple, Atlassian and Google are clear on their
raison d'etre. Zappos exists to deliver the best customer service, Apple to
challenge the status quo and Google to organise the world's information.
According
to Gallup Strategic Consulting reports, engaged employees are more productive,
more customer-focused and less likely to leave the organisation. And the best
way to ensure employee engagement is to have everyone aspiring to the same
vision ' the same corporate 'Why'.
We also know that in order for a company or business to be truly innovative, the support needs to come from the top down, employees need to feel empowered, and time and resources need to be allocated. Your team need to feel valued, respect and they need to be challenged.
Every
day brings a new opportunity to tilt the world a little closer to love and to
humanity, equality and equity, and peace and kindness. Especially in business. Leave
your mark on today and show you colleagues, friends and family how much you
care.