It is becoming increasingly important to do good in business, from a sustainable and social point of view. I like this as it is so needed if we want to live together on this beautiful planet. Let’s explore.

I have come to realise that we’ve really been on a dummy run, preparing ourselves for the greatest challenge and opportunity of our lifetime (…). Never has there been a more exciting time for all of us to explore this next great frontier where the boundaries between work and a higher purpose are merging into one, where doing good really is good for business.

Richard Branson in Screw Business as Usual

His book is an interesting read as are some of the initiatives he started such as The B-Team, or participates in such as The Elders, founded by Nelson Mandela.

5 Personal Suggestions to ‘do good’

1. Care

Really care.

Care about

• yourself
• the people you live with
• the people you work with
• the materials you work with
• our planet earth
• how you use natural resources

It doesn’t stop here. It can become even more personal.

Care about

• what you say
• and what you do not say
• what you do
• how you look at people 
• and what legacy you leave behind

2. Act

Taking a back seat is so 19th and 20th century. In the past 100 years, mankind has managed to deplete most of earth’s natural resources and it is truly time to act. So stop wasting. Stop using what you do not need.

Participate in actions such as ZeroPlasticWeek, EarthHour, local energy cooperatives, organic foods and more. Read. Educate yourself. Know what is going on. A good one is Chris Martenson’s The Crash Course.

3. Share

“Over the last several decades people have been absorbed in a movement called ‘finding ourselves‘, which is certainly important, but I challenge all of us to start a new movement – ‘finding each other‘ (Richard Branson). I sincerely believe in this.

Connect. Share. Together. Give. Receive. Barter. Look around in your own nearest community and start working together. I believe that the only way forward is sharing with and connecting to our local communities.

Or, as Chris Martenson says “I now know that the most important descriptor of wealth is not my dollar holdings, but the depth and richness of my community.”

4. Be Happy

Be happy. It sounds so simple. Yet it is not. In the USA alone, the estimated number of people suffering from a diagnosed mental disorder is about 25%. One may question the quality of the diagnosis but in general this indicates that happiness is not a given for 1 in every 4 adults.

The only way to happiness is to take the long and winding road within. Find a way to understand yourself. Learn to appreciate yourself. And investigate into what makes you tick. The Greeks probably knew this too when they carved into the walls of their Oracle in Delphi “γνῶθι σεαυτόν” or “know thyself“.

5. Believe

And finally. Believe.

Believe that you can make a difference. Because Believe leads to Behaviour and Behaviour leads to Being a Difference. I agree with J.F. Kennedy when he said ‘one person can make a difference and everyone should try.’ It does not matter how big or small that difference is.

If you are truly you, if you care, if you act, if you share and if you are happy, you make a difference because of who you are.

Doing good comes naturally when you are just you. I believe that the more of yourself you put into business, no matter what position you have or where you work, the more you, your business, team or project will truly prosper. 

Madeleine Boema

I like to give credits where credits are due. Blogpost image is by Bonny Kittle via Unsplash.com.

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