It’s been a tough year for all of us. Employees have loyally stuck by your firm (and they have also been glad to be working, no doubt!) As this year finally comes to a close, what can you do to make their experience more rewarding? How might your firm build a stronger espirt de corps by organizing a way for people in your own firm to execute—and share—their own good deeds towards one another, towards your clients, and towards society at large?
One answer: Pay it forward. The concept of ‘pay it forward’ is not new. According to Wikipedia, this expression is used to ask that a good deed be ‘repaid’ not by repaying the originator, but instead by having the same deed (or one of similar value) done to others.
There have been books—even movies—emphasizing this concept. Wikipedia even has posted How-To Steps on ways to pay forward good deeds.
Many of these good deeds can be generated in the classrooms of all ages, from K-12 to higher education. Many others can be rooted in corporate social responsibility (CSR). This is where you, as an upstanding AEC firm, come into the picture.
CSR is abut impacting the triple bottom line: People, Planet, Profit. In these rough economic times, I’m not going to try to convince you to jump on the CSR bandwagon full steam. (Although if you are already active, then hooray for your firm!) What I am going to do is suggest that you use this holiday time to get your staff involved with the pay it forward concept.
In 2000, the Pay it Forward Foundation was born. Since that time, 28-year old Charley Johnson, the executive vice president and co-owner of SnugZ USA (a promotional products company that is also the largest U.S. manufacturer of lanyards—visit www.snugzusa.com) came up with the idea of working with SnugZ to manufacture silicone bracelets with the phrase, Pay It Forward, and distribute them at no cost on the foundation’s behalf. “The bracelet is just a simple reminder in a fast-paced world to help others, and it is also a starting point for many people to change their thoughts on the world,” Johnson said. He even set up a blog to share stories on how pay-it-forward bracelets get passed from one person to another, along with all the good deeds that are done. This blog, incidentally, would especially appeal to your younger staff members.
The bottom line of this post: pay it forward is a concept that could greatly raise the team spirit of your staff. It is also something that—while apropos to discuss during the holiday season—must take hold, and be practiced, all year long.
