Earlier this week, many of my colleagues traded laptops for hammers, headsets for hard hats, and spent the day volunteering at Habitat for Humanity in Phoenix during a company-wide meeting.
Office-blanched skin soon reddened under the glare of the Arizona sun as construction experts guided our mainly unskilled group through the rudimentary rites of framing one house and hammering plywood around two others. Before our eyes and under our keyboard-softened hands, these soon-to-be homes gradually took shape, our capabilities improved, and the camaraderie among people who were once strangers deepened.
Instead of playing trust games or swapping introductions around an air-conditioned conference room, the company opted to give employees the opportunity to volunteer for a worthy cause and get to know each other in a non-office environment. This meeting included people from throughout the United States, as well as the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Many of us work remotely from home offices, and there are few occasions where we meet our peers, managers, and colleagues from different departments.
In this we are far from unusual. Many companies today have dispersed employees who work from home or branch offices, sometimes never meeting their managers until months after their hiring dates. In an effort to provide around-the-clock support and service, organizations may offer split shifts or hire teams of workers throughout a geography, with each group feeling isolated from the unit as a whole.
Rather than force-feed team-building initiatives, which often feel fake and can backfire, partnering with a volunteer organization -- especially one that can provide your company with a physically challenging or stimulating situation -- is a smart alternative. Speaking as a participating employee, it felt good to give back. It was great to collaborate with my peers, reconnect with old friends, and meet new ones in a way I'd never imagined working with my colleagues.
It's Hammer Time
Internet Evolution's Alison Diana won't be changing careers any time soon.
Volunteering, both to give back and to instill team rapport, doesn't require an expensive out-of-state trip, of course. From coat, shoe, or food drives to adopting a nearby school, animal shelter, or nursing home, supporting a not-for-profit can be an ongoing team-building exercise that goes far beyond any corporate cheerleading session.
Through at least one day of giving or one ongoing program, management and the corporation demonstrate their character as citizens of the Earth. As a participant in this week's Habitat initiative, it was a great feeling.
The pen might be mightier than the sword, but a hammer feels pretty damn powerful sometimes, too.
I agree. And I think it's one of those factors that's a nice-to-have for most people vs. a must-have. Salary, benefits, working conditions, peers, boss, etc., are more important for the majority of folk than what the company contributes to society. But all things being equal, it's nice to work at a place that also gives back. However, I doubt someone would work for a firm that paid a lot less or offered inferior benefits only because it placed heavy emphasis on volunteering over another propsective employer that paid a higher wage and had great bennies!
I would think that it would depend on the professional and what he or she is looking for in a prospective company or in the workplace. Those who are indifferent might not consider it at all, while those who are looking to be a part of the social responsibility program might give it more weight.
I do think that prospective employees consider social responsibility issues when considering an employer. If there are options on the table in regards to which company to join, I certainly think that millenials consider this. The overall purpose of the company is put into play as well. Of course, it is not the only factor, but I do see this as being more important than perhaps ever before.
No, I think my hard hat days are over -- although I am so clumsy, I should probably consider wearing one on a regular basis just so I don't hurt myself living life! Seriously, though, it was a great experience and it was an honor to help a young woman build her home.
I don't now Mitch. That pic reminds me of a boss who just pulled someone aside and said . . I thought you told me you knew what you were doing. Then the awkward silence while you try to come up with a response.
I used to volunteer at a homeless shelter. Need to get back into that, or something else.
The hardhat and nail belt is a good look for you. You should wear it to all business events, such as trade shows and conferences.
I learned quite a lot at the volunteer event, about being thankful for my blessings, the people I work with, and that I finished the day with the same number of fingers I started out with.
Now thats hot. Hope you don't mind. Just wanted to add an obligatory "now thats hot" comment for the pic. Otherwise good to see there is life and duty outside the box us internet folks normally work in.
Hear, hear @kq4ym. Personally, I volunteer with my local school and a small all-volunteer softball organization. Granted, these are two groups in which I have a personal interest; my daughter is involved in both, but we donate both time and money to the two organizations. In the past, I also gave a lot of time to a very small animal charity that got nowhere near the recognition of national or large local charities like the ASPCA or, on Long Island, the North Shore Animal League. As you say, there are ample choices. No matter which one you choose to support, I think the only caveat is to choose something if you can!
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