Conscious Magazine: Does Your Organization Have An Identity?

Photo by Pearl

I am excited to continue publishing articles for Conscious Magazine. Below is an article initially meant for business owners that applies across the board to anyone who hopes to uphold a set of values in their work. 

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There's a code at the Open Society Foundations (OSF) that reimburses employees for bringing a housewarming gift if they choose to stay at a friend's house during their work travels.

A simple alpha numeric code allows the company to make an act of gratitude possible for saving money for lodging. 

OSF doesn't have to do this, most companies don't. 

But an alpha numeric code serves as a reflection of their code of values. Values passed on to employees to continue or defend if they move to another company or start one of their own.

In order to bring your values to life and make them actionable, you must first define the code you want your company to live by.

Start with your identity as a company:

• Are you a healthcare company that doesn't offer maternity leave?
• Are you a clothing company that doesn't offer discounts to your employees for your own products?
• Are you an education company that doesn't provide educational opportunities for your staff?
• Are you a staffing firm without professional development for your own employees?

These examples are based on real-life companies that I have encountered or worked with. 

When you step back from the situation, the blind spots seem remarkable, but when you're deep into running a business, it's easy to overlook your most important value-based codes.

Take a moment to check in with what your organization represents today and what you'd like it to represent tomorrow. Discuss openly with your colleagues what you'd like to prioritize. 

This is not one person's decision, but rather a collective agreement on what you hope to espouse in the world. 

Codifying those values into your business makes them a reality.

What identity does your organization have or hope to represent? How does it align with your core professional and personal values? 

Share your thoughts with me over email. (These emails only come to me and are never shared with others. In fact, they often help me come up with ideas for future posts I can share with a broader audience.)