Changing Organizations for Good
Simon Sinek said it well: start with why. While we might not often pause to give it much consideration, there is always the question of “why?” behind the work we do. Why do we choose to work in our given professions? Why do we feel compelled or motivated by this work? Why should we do more, or try more?
For me, the answer lives in my company's purpose: Changing organizations for good.
I’m passionate about what businesses can do, and what people can achieve within the organizations they work for. More than that, I’m passionate about what businesses can achieve when they decide to think deeply about why they matter and find the best ways to make a positive impact on the world. By looking at the bigger picture, by being guided by a compelling purpose, organizations can go from merely being “for-profit” to being “for-impact.”
This isn’t to say that financial success isn’t necessary. Organizations must be financially sustainable if they are to deliver real impact. For many firms, simply achieving financial sustainability seems challenging enough. Having spent much of the last 20 years helping organizations find ways to grow their impact through organizational change consulting, I know how difficult it can be for businesses to survive, then thrive, and then drive towards being a force for good.
It’s difficult, but it’s not impossible. If you believe in making stronger, positive impacts in the world, there are ways to get there.
Organizational change consulting can provide a pathway for businesses to achieve their ambitions. When organizations are purpose-driven, people-centered, and change-inspired they are more likely to go to bolder places. And, evidence shows, this pathway is also the best way to achieve financial sustainability.
Changing Organizations for Good
The phrase “changing organizations for good” encompasses multiple meanings.
Changing organizations for good creates the possibility of organizations of all types (including for-profit) becoming forces for good. We want organizations to understand that there are many types of impact. While financial stability is essential to an organization’s success, we can and should have a greater sense of purpose.
Changing organizations for good recognizes that “the only constant in life is change,” a cliché that has its roots in ancient Greece and has certainly grown in relevancy. The speed and intensity of change has increased in the modern workplace. As the world continuously evolves, organizations need to continuously adapt. We want organizations to become fluent in change, so they can thrive rather than simply survive.
Changing organizations for good must start with people. Organizations are made up of unique individuals, without whom there would be no businesses. As workers, we contribute huge amounts of our time and effort to organizations; as consumers and citizens, our quality of life is in many ways determined by them. Organizational success (and, indeed, financial sustainability) is a product of individual loyalty and creativity.
This third point helps create the pathway to becoming a force for good. By creating a great place to work, we are equipping our employees for change. People shape organizational culture, identity, and image. When employees thrive, so do their organizations. When they are inspired and driven by purpose, they are more likely to be engaged, productive, and eager to go above and beyond. (Which might counter the trend of “quiet quitting” that is all over the internet.) This is because they believe in what they are doing, and organizations are teaching them to also believe in themselves. Collectively, these unique individuals shape the future of the organization and its ability to be a force for good. They are the ones that determine whether an organization’s goals are successful.
And, while striving to deliver broad impact might be a big stretch for some, creating a great place to work should be an objective for every organization. We can build a better world by creating better places to work – and those workplaces will be the ones that thrive.
The Pathway to Changing for Good
To bring about sustainable change in all its dimensions, we must consider the internal and external factors working for or against us. To create a better workplace, we must learn and grow, so that our organizations continue to adapt as change happens.
Your employees are the experts in their work, which makes engaging the whole organization essential to success. They are the ones that truly understand the day-to-day aspects of the business. They know what skills and resources they need to be successful. It’s important to think boldly, and act realistically. By having open conversations at all levels of the organization, and genuinely listening to the feedback we receive, we can set ambitious goals that, when pursued with collective intent, are attainable.
Changing for good takes time, energy, and resources – but it is worth the effort. There are a few essential steps that organizations can take to start their journey:
Clarify your purpose
Explore your opportunities
Focus your capabilities
Envision your future
Commit to measurable change
Having a clear purpose helps inspire your employees. Exploring your opportunities highlights different ways of delivering value and achieving growth in the pursuit of your purpose. Focusing on your capabilities ensures that you can capitalize on your strengths and build the acumen essential to delivering lasting value. Envisioning your future provides space to imagine ways of bringing these vital ingredients together in a business model that will enable your people to excel. And commitment to measurable change creates a well-defined pathway to navigate as you explore new frontiers in what your organization can achieve.
Changing for Good is Forever
Changing organizations for good is a philosophy that comes from hope – hope of what businesses can become in the world, while recognizing the practical obstacles that come in the way of that. It started with this idea that we can do more; we can be more. We can create a better world for everyone, by creating better workplaces. For our organizational change consulting company, the starting point is creating great places to work; places where people feel more inspired and engaged. From there we can create lasting change, and positive impacts in our communities and our world.
If you want to go beyond your business and make stronger impacts, please reach out to me at bob@fitch-consulting.com to start creating your pathway to change.