Do Good Right Where You Are
Simple steps to make a positive impact without having to change your career.
By Caroline Barlerin
The world has changed since Milton Friedman declared that businesses have no obligation to social good. Today, purpose and profit are successfully being intermingled at companies big and small, and you don’t have to work at a nonprofit to make a positive change during your nine to five. In fact, there are plenty of ways to do good no matter your profession or industry.
I’m coming across more and more social intrapreneurs—people who are making change from inside companies. These change agents are creating new products, services, and management practices that increase business value and make the world a better place.
But you don’t have to be a social good professional, either. Here are some ideas to get you started on doing good right where you are:
“Anyone can give the gift of their skills, and there are always nonprofits that need them.”
Volunteer your skills. When I was at Twitter, a group of engineers donated their skills to the data team at social services nonprofit GLIDE. The partnership was set up by a Twitter data scientist and engineer who was inspired by GLIDE’s mission after a companywide volunteer event. He chose to continue the engagement with the organization, and thereafter several of his co-workers volunteered on long-term bases or in multi-hour single sessions.
This was spearheaded by a data scientist, not an HR manager or someone from the CSR department. Anyone can give the gift of their skills, and there are always nonprofits that need them.
Mentor someone who doesn’t look like you. This one is fairly self-explanatory, but it’s also very often overlooked. The diversity and inclusion imperative is a major part of the national conversation these days, and you can make a difference in your own corner of the world. Maybe your company has a formal mentoring program, or maybe not, but I encourage you to be an ally or a friend to someone whose view is different than yours. Take that extra hour a week for this relationship—you’ll be part of something bigger, and I bet you’ll learn something too.
Show interest in the people who service your company. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind at work, so many of us don’t think twice about some of the people who pass by on a regular basis. Look up from your desk, if you’re in an office, and make a human connection with the mail deliverers, the office cleaners, or the man or woman who restocks the vending machine once a month. It might sound trite, but if everyone did this, we’d start to build warmer, more empathetic, and more welcoming communities.
