8 Signs an Employee Is Exceptional (Which Never Appear on Performance Evaluations)

Many are good. Some are superior. And a few--just a few--are exceptional. Here's how to tell the difference. 

We can all spot a great employee: she's dependable, proactive, hardworking, a great leader, and a great follower. She brings a wide variety of easily defined--but hard to find--skills to the table.

Some employees, though, are exceptional. They have skills and qualities that aren't evaluated on performance appraisals but make a huge impact on that individual's performance, the performance of the people around her, and especially on the company's results.

Here are eight signs an employee is truly exceptional:

1. They think well beyond job descriptions.

The smaller the company, the more important it is that employees can think on their feet, adapt quickly to shifting priorities, and do whatever it takes, regardless of role or position, to get things done.

When a key customer's project is in jeopardy, exceptional employees know without being told there's a problem, and they jump in without being asked, even if--especially if--it's not their job.

2. They're quirky...

The best employees are often a little different: a little eccentric, sometimes irreverent, even delighted to be unusual. They seem slightly odd, but in a really good way. Unusual personalities shake things up, make work more fun, and transform a plain-vanilla group into a team with flair and flavor.

People who aren't afraid to be different naturally stretch boundaries and challenge the status quo, and they often come up with the best ideas.

3. And they know when to rein in their individuality.

An unusual personality is a lot of fun--right up until the moment it isn't. When a major challenge pops up or a situation gets stressful, the best employees stop expressing their individuality and fit seamlessly into the team.

Exceptional employees know when to play and when to be serious; when to be irreverent and when to conform; and when to challenge and when to back off.

It's a tough balance to strike, and a rare few can walk that fine line with ease.

4. They praise other people in public...

Praise from a boss feels good. Praise from a peer feels awesome, especially when you look up to that person.

Exceptional employees recognize the contributions of others, especially in group settings where the impact of their words is even greater.

5. And they disagree in private.

We all want employees to bring issues forward, but some problems are better handled in private. Great employees often get more latitude to bring up controversial subjects in a group setting because their performance allows greater freedom.

Exceptional employees come to you before or after a meeting to discuss a sensitive issue, knowing that bringing it up in a group setting could set off a firestorm.

6. They ask questions when others won't.

Some employees are hesitant to speak up in meetings. Some are even hesitant to speak up privately.

An employee once asked me a question about potential layoffs. After the meeting I said to him, "Why did you ask about that? You already know what's going on." He said, "I do, but a lot of other people don't, and they're afraid to ask. I thought it would help if they heard the answer from you."

Exceptional employees have an innate feel for the issues and concerns of those around them, and step up to ask questions or raise important issues when others hesitate.

7. They like to prove other people wrong.

Self-motivation often springs from a desire to show that doubters are wrong. The woman without a college degree or the man who was told he didn't have leadership potential often possesses a burning desire to prove other people wrong.

Education, intelligence, talent, and skill are important, but drive is critical. Exceptional employees are driven by something deeper and more personal than just the desire to do a good job.

8. They're constantly exploring.

Some people are rarely satisfied (I mean that in a good way) and are constantly tinkering with something: reworking a timeline, adjusting a process, tweaking a workflow.

Good employees follow processes. Great employees tweak processes. Exceptional employees find ways to reinvent processes, not just because they are expected to...but because they just can't help themselves

By Jeff Haden

What Makes An Employee Highly Engaged?

The New ROI: Return On Individuals - Chapter 1: The Value of the Workforce

 

 

 

 

 

"People are our most valuable assets." 

Said every chief executive officer of every company everywhere.   Right?
But how do you really know that's the case?

In professional services businesses, the assets go home every night.  In fields like legal, engineering, architectural, medical and accounting, for example, where the expertise of the people is really what customers are buying, the employees are clearly the assets of the business. 

These people are measured based on certain metrics like utilization rates (the number of hours billed / number of hours worked) and realization rates (actual fees collected / budgeted fees).

In businesses where products are manufactured or distributed, the people (or human capital assets as they are often referred to) are just one of many assets.  

Each employee's direct contribution to sales and profits is different, and it is even more difficult to document their performance with quantitative metrics - especially for those who are not directly responsible for sales. Once you get past the measurables like attendance, or some number of projects completed, it's often a more subjective assessment process. 

While convenient statistics to measure productivity, these numbers don't tell the whole story about an individual's contributions or the value that they bring to an organization.

People Are Intangible Assets
When folks in my profession talk about determining the value of "people," it is typically in the  context of a business combination that's called a purchase price allocation ("PPA").   The PPA is an accounting exercise that requires the assignment of the fair value of all tangible and intangible assets and liabilities acquired in a business acquisition. 

Human capital is considered to be an intangible asset.  A common way of ascribing value to people is through the assembled workforce in its entirety. 

The existence of a highly trained workforce in-place saves an acquirer from having to go out and recruit, hire and train a new group of employees to effectively operate the business.   

Although quite valuable, the assembled workforce asset is not actually booked on a financial statement.   Rather, it is recorded as a part of goodwill.

In calculating the value of the workforce, valuation practitioners will often use a Cost-to-Recreate Method.  The math behind the methodology is such that if we can estimate all of the costs incurred to recreate the workforce, that total cost will reasonably represent the value of the workforce. 

For example, if 'Ed in Accounting' costs (salary, benefits, recruitment, training, etc.) $75,000, the methodology presumes that we can find, hire and train another person just like 'Ed' for the same $75,000.

Before I continue, I want to be very clear that this is not a criticism of how valuation practioners go about valuing human capital, or how the accounting profession recognizes that asset.  Intellectually, we are simply valuing a particular asset in a particular way using the tools and methods that are available and accepted. 

 

My observation is, however, that when valuing the workforce, some implicit shortcoming in the Cost-to-Recreate Method come to the surface.  First is the assumption that all employees are interchangeable - i.e. one 'Ed' is just as good as another 'Ed.' 

The second is that cost and value are one and the same.  Lastly, the Cost-to-Recreate Method focuses largely on the direct costs associated with replacing people.

Chris Mercer, Valuation Expert and CEO of Mercer Capital, agrees with these observations.   
Regarding valuing human capital via the Cost-to-Replace Method, Chris says that "it captures a cost, but the value of people is really the benefit that they bring...  and if the value of an employee didn't exceed the cost to hire them, they probably wouldn't have been hired in the first place."  

The High Cost of Turnover
Inherent in Chris's observation is that there is more to the story than just the 'cost' associated with replacing people.  Certainly, more than just the direct costs.
According to data released by The Center For American Progress, the direct cost associated with turnover for an average employee is roughly 20% of annual salary.   For more specialized personnel and executive-level employees, the costs can exceed 200%. 

 

There are also, however, indirect costs associated with replacing employees that aren't fully captured in the statistics.  Such things include:  (i) the lack of productivity that the employee exhibits once they've made the decision to disengage; (ii ) the impact on remaining employees' morale as they question the reasons behind the departures/terminations;  and (iii) the real cost of lost productivity.  

The real cost of lost productivity refers to the fact that while estimates can be made regarding when a new employee comes up the learning curve to a reach a satisfactory level of performance, it doesn't account for the replacement of the nuanced things that longer-term employees have learned over time.  Things like corporate culture and protocols; who are the best resources within the company for specific information; and even the boss's preferences.  

"The way in which appraisers attempt to determine the value of a workforce-in-place can't capture the value of what people do for an organization." - Chris Mercer

According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), perhaps the largest indirect cost is the impact of departures on the disruption of the talent pipeline.  SMHR estimates the inclusion of indirect costs to employee turnover to be between 100% and 300% of the annual salary.  There's also the opportunity costs of replacing an employee - a bad hiring decision can cost up to 5 times that employee's salary according to SHRM. 

Employees Are Individuals
We know that all employees are not identical, and not all employees are 'average.'  Within the category of 'above-average to excellent' are the difference makers within the organization.  I'm talking about the positive difference makers.  (We'll get to the negative ones also.)

So what are the characteristics of these positive “difference makers” in an organization? 
This will be the topic of the next chapter of this series.
 

David Bookbinder

♦ Valuation Expert ♦ Proactive Problem Solver ♦ Go-Giver ♦ Collaborator ♦ Connector ♦ Contributor at Huffington Post ♦

Are Your Employees Connected To A Common Good?

They should be. A new study reveals the value in unifying around goodness.

What do you think your employees really have in common?

If you're honest with yourself, the answer is likely that it’s not much beyond an interest in your company. That shouldn't come as a surprise since employees come from all walks of life. It's important to have diverse thinking and interests, but shared values and a common purpose are also a must to foster a cohesive community of people within the walls of an organization. Walk from the finance department to the marketing department, from sourcing to engineering and more, and you'll see the differences that exist. Even within a small company, departments can divide the whole if not anchored in the organization’s common purpose and operating values.

As a result of globalization, many companies have employees located in different cities, states, and even countries, allowing cultural differences to be magnified. Even as remote workspaces and mobile technologies allow for more physical separation, society as a whole is searching for ways to create unity around common and shared passions. A study released in 2013 shows that 37% of consumers and employees want to feel the unity that stems from local causes, 35% want to feel it nationally, and 28% globally. Humanity has a shared desire to unite our communities, our countries, and the people inside of companies.

Common good makes for good business.
Companies with a social conscience that act, innovate, and mobilize around social needs are no longer unique revolutionaries--they are part of the new normal. When executed well, the power of engaging employees in and around a common cause that's connected to the core business is a very powerful force for good for both the business and the world at large. We work alongside major corporations, social entrepreneurs, and nonprofits, and there is absolutely no shortage of inventive approaches to engaging in the common good. Ingenuity that connects the resources of a corporation to solutions that deliver an impact are plentiful, but at times we see corporations struggle around ways to clearly articulate a strategy that makes sense to stakeholders and key players.

Common good gives profits a greater purpose.
As part of our strategic work, I recently met the founders of Profits4Purpose, a technology business that helps companies create a united and simple giving platform. Their solution is built on the belief that there is power in connecting relationships and sharing experiences, and by empowering individuals through their platform, they help companies increase their social impact on the world. Profits4Purpose started their business to accelerate and simplify the process for businesses that want to engage their employees in social good.

Profits4Purpose uses a "match.com" model in which they connect employee interests with needs and opportunities in communities. They also empower employees to create personal-interest groups that others can join. The platform enables companies to create a customized workplace giving destination, providing employees with personalized giving schedules (and personalized trust funds). They also provide tools that match employee interests and skills with local nonprofits and streamline all grant, sponsorship, and donation requests. Users receive access to a dashboard with thousands of volunteer opportunities, the ability to create personal giving foundations, and activity walls displaying the impact being made in real time--all delivered with a simple approach to creating relational and innovative common wealth.

Recently, Staples partnered with Profits4Purpose to offer their employees a voice as to where corporate donations are shared. Through their platform, Staples employees see their impact on a local and global level. In a company that is 100,000 strong, the unified voice rings loudly. 

Mobilize your employees for the common good.
If you look at the world of business today, it seems that most organizations fall into one of the following groups: those that have seamlessly connected their business to a common good and a dedicated cause, such as Warby Parker, FEED, Toms Shoes, and Krochet Kids. And companies like Target, Whole Foods, and Southwest Airlines that have a foundation or a focus on social good that is directly linked back to the communities they serve. Then there are other companies that are actively giving back and helping to make a difference in the world--but are not inventive in how they connect their common good to their internal culture or consumer community.

Regardless of which group your company falls into, there's always an opportunity to connect and engage employees at a deeper level to ensure that the pursuit of the common good is driving common wealth. 

Connecting to the common good makes common sense.
It's clear that today’s emerging workforce wants to make more than a living, they want to make a difference--and this is especially true for employees between the ages of 20 and 35, who will contribute to the common good with or without the support of their employers. A technology platform like Profits4Purpose can help ensure that employees get the support they need from their employers to help make a positive impact on the world. 

Shawn Parr

Shawn Parr is the Guvner & CEO of Bulldog Drummond, an innovation and design consultancy headquartered in San Diego whose clients and partners have included Starbucks, Diageo, Jack in the Box, Taco Bell, Adidas, MTV, Nestle, Pinkberry, American Eagle Outfitters, Ideo, Sony, Virgin, Disney, Nike, Mattel, Heineken, Annie’s Homegrown, Kashi, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, CleanWell, The Honest Kitchen, and World Vision.

The Truth About KPIs and Other Corporate Bullsh*t

Liz Ryan

CEO and Founder, Human Workplace

If you don't have KPIs to hit on the job, you can say a little prayer of thanks in your head right now. KPIs are Key Performance Indicators. They are yardsticks. They are idiotic, but weenie organizations love them. Measuring things is a lousy manager's favorite pastime!

In our quest to make business and work as mechanical and inhuman as possible over the past hundred years, every position in many large organizations has been sliced and diced into tiny pieces so that each piece can be measured and evaluated against a chart posted on the wall.

 

Some employers use software that tracks their employees' every keystroke and tracks the length of every phone call. 

Other organizations track the number of minutes their teammates spend in the restroom. The more fear-based an organization's culture is, the more things they measure and count.

We treat people at work like production machines, which is not only unethical but stupid,  too.

People are capable of much more than machines are, because people synthesize what they learn and come up with ideas every day if they are plugged into their personal power source at work.

 

They transcend their desk and their job description, especially when a group of people is energized around the same mission.

The only catch is that if people are constantly poked and prodded and measured and yammered at, they stop winning. They stop collaborating. They stop caring.
The goose stops laying the golden eggs.

Every single living person knows this about people, but at work we pretend it's not true. In real life, we know that people are at their best when they're excited about what they're doing. At work we stick our fingers in our ears and say "If you can't measure it, you can't manage it!" like blithering idiots.

 

When people are jointly committed to a big goal that excites them, they are unstoppable. That's why it is stupid to shackle and burden employees by measuring their every move so that nearly all of their focus goes to reaching their daily and weekly goals. Forget about your mission, then! 

How does our obsession with individual performance measurements help a customer or help the world? KPIs spring completely from fear. They have no business purpose at all except to assuage the fear of higher-ups who don't trust themselves enough to trust other people.

 

When employees are treated like machines whose only value is to answer forty customer calls a day and get each caller off the phone within three minutes, they will never give a fig about your company's success. How can you blame them?

They will  never give you anything better than grudging compliance with the rules and standards. Who ever got excited about hitting someone else's yardsticks --  goals that were shoved down his or her throat?

What happens in most organizations when you hit your goals for a quarter or for the year? When you hit your goals, they get bigger for the next reporting period and you don't get a "Great job!" or a pay raise to acknowledge your success.

Work is broken and it is time for us to tell the truth about that. We have foolishly tried to apply junk science to work, and KPIs and the cult of measurement in general are testaments to that foolishness.

 

What makes an organization successful? The effort of its team on behalf of the organization's mission and their own missions is the obvious answer.

That momentum - what we call Team Mojo - is not hard to build. It only takes trusting the people you hired, meaning that you have to trust yourself first.

You have to talk about fear and trust at work to begin to build the Team Mojo level. You have to be honest about things that are going well and things that aren't. You have to name the elephant in the room and stop pretending that you can make your organization successful by hitting little numbers in little cells in spreadsheets.

 

What puts those numbers in those cells, after all? Conversations do. Trust puts the numbers in the cells. That's where your leadership energy should go - toward building the trust level at work, and getting rid of pointless yardsticks that impede the energy flow.

Sadly many leaders can't trust themselves to lead, so they install layers upon layers of rules and measurements, instead. 

We lead stupidly and then we're surprised when survey after survey tells us that employees don't give a dang about their employers' goals. What person with three functioning brain cells would? We have made it impossible for our employees to care.

We've told them that if they cared more than they do about their work, they'd be squandering their flame and wasting their effort, because we don't care about them beyond their production capacity.

The organizations that will win both in the talent marketplace and in the  marketplace for their services or products are the ones who see the connection between passion and performance.

They'll get rid of KPIs and other bureaucratic systems and they'll talk about the mission and the roadblocks in their way to reaching it.

They'll talk about those things every day, and they'll be human with one another at work every day, too. It's very easy to begin. Anyone can start the chain reaction, and the more people who do, the better!

There is a lot of bullsh*t and wasted effort in corporate and institutional everywhere but the good news is that every organization gets to choose for itself how to navigate in this new-millennium workplace. Every individual gets to choose how much of him- or herself to bring to work.

 

You get to be as human or machine-like as you want to be. Working people  get to choose where to invest their precious talents, time and flame. 

We are stepping out of the old religion of data and measurement as keys to the kingdom of success.

Now we know that there is a key, but it's connected to human energy, about as distant a topic as you could find from yardsticks and KPIs. We can focus on human energy the same way we have traditionally focused on numbers, and we must. We can talk about the trust level and the Team Mojo on our teams. 

 

Those things won't show up on a spreadsheet until it's too late to fix whatever has gone wrong. No Employee Engagement survey is going to help an organization that doesn't know how its team members are doing without taking a survey.

Are you brave enough to get step out of the 19th-century, mechanical-business frame and into the Human Workplace?

Everyone gets the same invitation, from the CEO's office to the loading dock. Now is a great time to take a step toward bringing yourself to work. Your flame will grow brighter every time you do!

Are Your Employees Connected To A Common Good?

They should be. A new study reveals the value in unifying around goodness.

What do you think your employees really have in common?

If you're honest with yourself, the answer is likely that it’s not much beyond an interest in your company. That shouldn't come as a surprise since employees come from all walks of life. It's important to have diverse thinking and interests, but shared values and a common purpose are also a must to foster a cohesive community of people within the walls of an organization. Walk from the finance department to the marketing department, from sourcing to engineering and more, and you'll see the differences that exist. Even within a small company, departments can divide the whole if not anchored in the organization’s common purpose and operating values.

As a result of globalization, many companies have employees located in different cities, states, and even countries, allowing cultural differences to be magnified. Even as remote workspaces and mobile technologies allow for more physical separation, society as a whole is searching for ways to create unity around common and shared passions. A study released in 2013 shows that 37% of consumers and employees want to feel the unity that stems from local causes, 35% want to feel it nationally, and 28% globally. Humanity has a shared desire to unite our communities, our countries, and the people inside of companies.

Common good makes for good business.
Companies with a social conscience that act, innovate, and mobilize around social needs are no longer unique revolutionaries--they are part of the new normal. When executed well, the power of engaging employees in and around a common cause that's connected to the core business is a very powerful force for good for both the business and the world at large. We work alongside major corporations, social entrepreneurs, and nonprofits, and there is absolutely no shortage of inventive approaches to engaging in the common good. Ingenuity that connects the resources of a corporation to solutions that deliver an impact are plentiful, but at times we see corporations struggle around ways to clearly articulate a strategy that makes sense to stakeholders and key players.

Common good gives profits a greater purpose.
As part of our strategic work, I recently met the founders of Profits4Purpose, a technology business that helps companies create a united and simple giving platform. Their solution is built on the belief that there is power in connecting relationships and sharing experiences, and by empowering individuals through their platform, they help companies increase their social impact on the world. Profits4Purpose started their business to accelerate and simplify the process for businesses that want to engage their employees in social good.

Profits4Purpose uses a "match.com" model in which they connect employee interests with needs and opportunities in communities. They also empower employees to create personal-interest groups that others can join. The platform enables companies to create a customized workplace giving destination, providing employees with personalized giving schedules (and personalized trust funds). They also provide tools that match employee interests and skills with local nonprofits and streamline all grant, sponsorship, and donation requests. Users receive access to a dashboard with thousands of volunteer opportunities, the ability to create personal giving foundations, and activity walls displaying the impact being made in real time--all delivered with a simple approach to creating relational and innovative common wealth.

Recently, Staples partnered with Profits4Purpose to offer their employees a voice as to where corporate donations are shared. Through their platform, Staples employees see their impact on a local and global level. In a company that is 100,000 strong, the unified voice rings loudly. 

Mobilize your employees for the common good.
If you look at the world of business today, it seems that most organizations fall into one of the following groups: those that have seamlessly connected their business to a common good and a dedicated cause, such as Warby Parker, FEED, Toms Shoes, and Krochet Kids. And companies like Target, Whole Foods, and Southwest Airlines that have a foundation or a focus on social good that is directly linked back to the communities they serve. Then there are other companies that are actively giving back and helping to make a difference in the world--but are not inventive in how they connect their common good to their internal culture or consumer community.

Regardless of which group your company falls into, there's always an opportunity to connect and engage employees at a deeper level to ensure that the pursuit of the common good is driving common wealth. 

Connecting to the common good makes common sense.
It's clear that today’s emerging workforce wants to make more than a living, they want to make a difference--and this is especially true for employees between the ages of 20 and 35, who will contribute to the common good with or without the support of their employers. A technology platform like Profits4Purpose can help ensure that employees get the support they need from their employers to help make a positive impact on the world. 

Shawn Parr

Shawn Parr is the Guvner & CEO of Bulldog Drummond, an innovation and design consultancy headquartered in San Diego whose clients and partners have included Starbucks, Diageo, Jack in the Box, Taco Bell, Adidas, MTV, Nestle, Pinkberry, American Eagle Outfitters, Ideo, Sony, Virgin, Disney, Nike, Mattel, Heineken, Annie’s Homegrown, Kashi, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, CleanWell, The Honest Kitchen, and World Vision.

Are Your Employees Connected To A Common Good?

They should be. A new study reveals the value in unifying around goodness.

What do you think your employees really have in common?

If you're honest with yourself, the answer is likely that it’s not much beyond an interest in your company. That shouldn't come as a surprise since employees come from all walks of life. It's important to have diverse thinking and interests, but shared values and a common purpose are also a must to foster a cohesive community of people within the walls of an organization. Walk from the finance department to the marketing department, from sourcing to engineering and more, and you'll see the differences that exist. Even within a small company, departments can divide the whole if not anchored in the organization’s common purpose and operating values.

As a result of globalization, many companies have employees located in different cities, states, and even countries, allowing cultural differences to be magnified. Even as remote workspaces and mobile technologies allow for more physical separation, society as a whole is searching for ways to create unity around common and shared passions. A study released in 2013 shows that 37% of consumers and employees want to feel the unity that stems from local causes, 35% want to feel it nationally, and 28% globally. Humanity has a shared desire to unite our communities, our countries, and the people inside of companies.

Common good makes for good business.
Companies with a social conscience that act, innovate, and mobilize around social needs are no longer unique revolutionaries--they are part of the new normal. When executed well, the power of engaging employees in and around a common cause that's connected to the core business is a very powerful force for good for both the business and the world at large. We work alongside major corporations, social entrepreneurs, and nonprofits, and there is absolutely no shortage of inventive approaches to engaging in the common good. Ingenuity that connects the resources of a corporation to solutions that deliver an impact are plentiful, but at times we see corporations struggle around ways to clearly articulate a strategy that makes sense to stakeholders and key players.

Common good gives profits a greater purpose.
As part of our strategic work, I recently met the founders of Profits4Purpose, a technology business that helps companies create a united and simple giving platform. Their solution is built on the belief that there is power in connecting relationships and sharing experiences, and by empowering individuals through their platform, they help companies increase their social impact on the world. Profits4Purpose started their business to accelerate and simplify the process for businesses that want to engage their employees in social good.

Profits4Purpose uses a "match.com" model in which they connect employee interests with needs and opportunities in communities. They also empower employees to create personal-interest groups that others can join. The platform enables companies to create a customized workplace giving destination, providing employees with personalized giving schedules (and personalized trust funds). They also provide tools that match employee interests and skills with local nonprofits and streamline all grant, sponsorship, and donation requests. Users receive access to a dashboard with thousands of volunteer opportunities, the ability to create personal giving foundations, and activity walls displaying the impact being made in real time--all delivered with a simple approach to creating relational and innovative common wealth.

Recently, Staples partnered with Profits4Purpose to offer their employees a voice as to where corporate donations are shared. Through their platform, Staples employees see their impact on a local and global level. In a company that is 100,000 strong, the unified voice rings loudly. 

Mobilize your employees for the common good.
If you look at the world of business today, it seems that most organizations fall into one of the following groups: those that have seamlessly connected their business to a common good and a dedicated cause, such as Warby Parker, FEED, Toms Shoes, and Krochet Kids. And companies like Target, Whole Foods, and Southwest Airlines that have a foundation or a focus on social good that is directly linked back to the communities they serve. Then there are other companies that are actively giving back and helping to make a difference in the world--but are not inventive in how they connect their common good to their internal culture or consumer community.

Regardless of which group your company falls into, there's always an opportunity to connect and engage employees at a deeper level to ensure that the pursuit of the common good is driving common wealth. 

Connecting to the common good makes common sense.
It's clear that today’s emerging workforce wants to make more than a living, they want to make a difference--and this is especially true for employees between the ages of 20 and 35, who will contribute to the common good with or without the support of their employers. A technology platform like Profits4Purpose can help ensure that employees get the support they need from their employers to help make a positive impact on the world. 

Shawn Parr

Shawn Parr is the Guvner & CEO of Bulldog Drummond, an innovation and design consultancy headquartered in San Diego whose clients and partners have included Starbucks, Diageo, Jack in the Box, Taco Bell, Adidas, MTV, Nestle, Pinkberry, American Eagle Outfitters, Ideo, Sony, Virgin, Disney, Nike, Mattel, Heineken, Annie’s Homegrown, Kashi, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, CleanWell, The Honest Kitchen, and World Vision.

Are Your Employees Connected To A Common Good?

They should be. A new study reveals the value in unifying around goodness.

What do you think your employees really have in common?

If you're honest with yourself, the answer is likely that it’s not much beyond an interest in your company. That shouldn't come as a surprise since employees come from all walks of life. It's important to have diverse thinking and interests, but shared values and a common purpose are also a must to foster a cohesive community of people within the walls of an organization. Walk from the finance department to the marketing department, from sourcing to engineering and more, and you'll see the differences that exist. Even within a small company, departments can divide the whole if not anchored in the organization’s common purpose and operating values.

As a result of globalization, many companies have employees located in different cities, states, and even countries, allowing cultural differences to be magnified. Even as remote workspaces and mobile technologies allow for more physical separation, society as a whole is searching for ways to create unity around common and shared passions. A study released in 2013 shows that 37% of consumers and employees want to feel the unity that stems from local causes, 35% want to feel it nationally, and 28% globally. Humanity has a shared desire to unite our communities, our countries, and the people inside of companies.

Common good makes for good business.
Companies with a social conscience that act, innovate, and mobilize around social needs are no longer unique revolutionaries--they are part of the new normal. When executed well, the power of engaging employees in and around a common cause that's connected to the core business is a very powerful force for good for both the business and the world at large. We work alongside major corporations, social entrepreneurs, and nonprofits, and there is absolutely no shortage of inventive approaches to engaging in the common good. Ingenuity that connects the resources of a corporation to solutions that deliver an impact are plentiful, but at times we see corporations struggle around ways to clearly articulate a strategy that makes sense to stakeholders and key players.

Common good gives profits a greater purpose.
As part of our strategic work, I recently met the founders of Profits4Purpose, a technology business that helps companies create a united and simple giving platform. Their solution is built on the belief that there is power in connecting relationships and sharing experiences, and by empowering individuals through their platform, they help companies increase their social impact on the world. Profits4Purpose started their business to accelerate and simplify the process for businesses that want to engage their employees in social good.

Profits4Purpose uses a "match.com" model in which they connect employee interests with needs and opportunities in communities. They also empower employees to create personal-interest groups that others can join. The platform enables companies to create a customized workplace giving destination, providing employees with personalized giving schedules (and personalized trust funds). They also provide tools that match employee interests and skills with local nonprofits and streamline all grant, sponsorship, and donation requests. Users receive access to a dashboard with thousands of volunteer opportunities, the ability to create personal giving foundations, and activity walls displaying the impact being made in real time--all delivered with a simple approach to creating relational and innovative common wealth.

Recently, Staples partnered with Profits4Purpose to offer their employees a voice as to where corporate donations are shared. Through their platform, Staples employees see their impact on a local and global level. In a company that is 100,000 strong, the unified voice rings loudly. 

Mobilize your employees for the common good.
If you look at the world of business today, it seems that most organizations fall into one of the following groups: those that have seamlessly connected their business to a common good and a dedicated cause, such as Warby Parker, FEED, Toms Shoes, and Krochet Kids. And companies like Target, Whole Foods, and Southwest Airlines that have a foundation or a focus on social good that is directly linked back to the communities they serve. Then there are other companies that are actively giving back and helping to make a difference in the world--but are not inventive in how they connect their common good to their internal culture or consumer community.

Regardless of which group your company falls into, there's always an opportunity to connect and engage employees at a deeper level to ensure that the pursuit of the common good is driving common wealth. 

Connecting to the common good makes common sense.
It's clear that today’s emerging workforce wants to make more than a living, they want to make a difference--and this is especially true for employees between the ages of 20 and 35, who will contribute to the common good with or without the support of their employers. A technology platform like Profits4Purpose can help ensure that employees get the support they need from their employers to help make a positive impact on the world. 

Shawn Parr

Shawn Parr is the Guvner & CEO of Bulldog Drummond, an innovation and design consultancy headquartered in San Diego whose clients and partners have included Starbucks, Diageo, Jack in the Box, Taco Bell, Adidas, MTV, Nestle, Pinkberry, American Eagle Outfitters, Ideo, Sony, Virgin, Disney, Nike, Mattel, Heineken, Annie’s Homegrown, Kashi, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, CleanWell, The Honest Kitchen, and World Vision.

Are Your Employees Connected To A Common Good?

They should be. A new study reveals the value in unifying around goodness.

What do you think your employees really have in common?

If you're honest with yourself, the answer is likely that it’s not much beyond an interest in your company. That shouldn't come as a surprise since employees come from all walks of life. It's important to have diverse thinking and interests, but shared values and a common purpose are also a must to foster a cohesive community of people within the walls of an organization. Walk from the finance department to the marketing department, from sourcing to engineering and more, and you'll see the differences that exist. Even within a small company, departments can divide the whole if not anchored in the organization’s common purpose and operating values.

As a result of globalization, many companies have employees located in different cities, states, and even countries, allowing cultural differences to be magnified. Even as remote workspaces and mobile technologies allow for more physical separation, society as a whole is searching for ways to create unity around common and shared passions. A study released in 2013 shows that 37% of consumers and employees want to feel the unity that stems from local causes, 35% want to feel it nationally, and 28% globally. Humanity has a shared desire to unite our communities, our countries, and the people inside of companies.

Common good makes for good business.
Companies with a social conscience that act, innovate, and mobilize around social needs are no longer unique revolutionaries--they are part of the new normal. When executed well, the power of engaging employees in and around a common cause that's connected to the core business is a very powerful force for good for both the business and the world at large. We work alongside major corporations, social entrepreneurs, and nonprofits, and there is absolutely no shortage of inventive approaches to engaging in the common good. Ingenuity that connects the resources of a corporation to solutions that deliver an impact are plentiful, but at times we see corporations struggle around ways to clearly articulate a strategy that makes sense to stakeholders and key players.

Common good gives profits a greater purpose.
As part of our strategic work, I recently met the founders of Profits4Purpose, a technology business that helps companies create a united and simple giving platform. Their solution is built on the belief that there is power in connecting relationships and sharing experiences, and by empowering individuals through their platform, they help companies increase their social impact on the world. Profits4Purpose started their business to accelerate and simplify the process for businesses that want to engage their employees in social good.

Profits4Purpose uses a "match.com" model in which they connect employee interests with needs and opportunities in communities. They also empower employees to create personal-interest groups that others can join. The platform enables companies to create a customized workplace giving destination, providing employees with personalized giving schedules (and personalized trust funds). They also provide tools that match employee interests and skills with local nonprofits and streamline all grant, sponsorship, and donation requests. Users receive access to a dashboard with thousands of volunteer opportunities, the ability to create personal giving foundations, and activity walls displaying the impact being made in real time--all delivered with a simple approach to creating relational and innovative common wealth.

Recently, Staples partnered with Profits4Purpose to offer their employees a voice as to where corporate donations are shared. Through their platform, Staples employees see their impact on a local and global level. In a company that is 100,000 strong, the unified voice rings loudly. 

Mobilize your employees for the common good.
If you look at the world of business today, it seems that most organizations fall into one of the following groups: those that have seamlessly connected their business to a common good and a dedicated cause, such as Warby Parker, FEED, Toms Shoes, and Krochet Kids. And companies like Target, Whole Foods, and Southwest Airlines that have a foundation or a focus on social good that is directly linked back to the communities they serve. Then there are other companies that are actively giving back and helping to make a difference in the world--but are not inventive in how they connect their common good to their internal culture or consumer community.

Regardless of which group your company falls into, there's always an opportunity to connect and engage employees at a deeper level to ensure that the pursuit of the common good is driving common wealth. 

Connecting to the common good makes common sense.
It's clear that today’s emerging workforce wants to make more than a living, they want to make a difference--and this is especially true for employees between the ages of 20 and 35, who will contribute to the common good with or without the support of their employers. A technology platform like Profits4Purpose can help ensure that employees get the support they need from their employers to help make a positive impact on the world. 

Shawn Parr

Shawn Parr is the Guvner & CEO of Bulldog Drummond, an innovation and design consultancy headquartered in San Diego whose clients and partners have included Starbucks, Diageo, Jack in the Box, Taco Bell, Adidas, MTV, Nestle, Pinkberry, American Eagle Outfitters, Ideo, Sony, Virgin, Disney, Nike, Mattel, Heineken, Annie’s Homegrown, Kashi, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, CleanWell, The Honest Kitchen, and World Vision.