To be effective and lasting, corporate social responsibility must complement an organization's entire business strategy - particularly staff development. With a focus on experiential learning, philanthropy-based training and development programs can hone leadership acumen, improve team dynamics and enhance other skills beneficial to the individual, their employer and the volunteer organization.
This approach is an effective way for employers to differentiate themselves in today's competitive workplace. Professionals in younger demographic groups who aspire to reach the management ranks hope to be leaders who prize collaboration, stand up for their beliefs and values, and strive to improve society. Future leaders are altruistic, care for their fellow man, their planet and have a purpose greater than themselves. They're civic-minded as individuals, consumers and employees -- and want to work for organizations that share and support these ideals.
By successfully integrating corporate social responsibility initiatives with staff development initiatives, organizations can not only attract future leaders, but also create more cohesive teams and increase productivity through shared purpose and mission.
They'll be better equipped to retain top talent and nurture a culture that respects different approaches to collaboration, leadership and management. Leadership development, team building and management transition objectives can also all be accomplished through community-based experiential learning opportunities. But perhaps most importantly, by participating in life-changing activities, employees learn how to embed their values and skills to become leaders with conscience and purpose.
So how do you identify philanthropy and community-based programs and opportunities that align with your organization's values?
The key is to engage your employees to better understand their core leadership values and how they relate to the values of your organization. Then, find an opportunity that aligns with the values of both your employees and your organization. It's also important to identify an opportunity that will provide many of the same challenges inherent in working in your department and/or organization (i.e., constraints of time, resources and talent; times of conflict, disagreement in approaches, etc&). The objective is to set the stage for an experience whereby, upon returning to the workplace, participants better understand the purpose of their contributions and are confident they can affect change in their world. After the experience, your employees should better understand the connection between their choices, behaviors and values.
Organizations must introduce fresh perspectives for younger professionals who aspire to be leaders who remain true to their values and strive to serve the greater good of society. The companies that emerge and thrive during this paradigm shift will be those who find a unique approach to harness the courage, understanding and vision inherent in the individuals representing the future of their organizations.
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Wendy Johnson is the Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Courageous Enterprise, a not-for-profit organization that combines staff development programs with social responsibility initiatives, which enables organizations to provide unique learning and training experiences for their employees.
