Your Triple Bottom Line
By Charrise McCrorey
The world of business is changing. As we become more aware of our footprint as consumers, we create demand for business to be conducted with a more conscious approach. More and more, we care about whether the company we work for has a focus beyond mere profit, but cares about its people and our planet as well.
In the world of conscious business, it’s called the triple bottom line: People, Planet and Profit. It’s where companies are aware of the impact they have on people. They are conscious of the effect their business has on our environment. But of course, they still remain interested in creating profits for shareholders.
There are many ways you can be more conscious at work, whether or not you are the boss. Here are some fun things to do to get started:
- Keep more digital files as opposed to papers. You save trees, space and paper cuts.
- Carpool. You’ll save gas and make friends.
- Sponsor a fund raising effort for a worthy cause. People feel good when they give, and working together to help others builds teams.
- Focus on your strengths. The energy you save by not focusing on your weaknesses will have you dancing in your office chair.
- Look for ways to create more efficient, time-saving processes. The time you save is yours, and you never get it back once it’s gone.
- Pack your lunch with leftovers. Less waste. More recipe conversations.
- Don’t waste time or energy on gossip. It’s a morale killer and an energy sucker.
- Show empathy for co-workers, whether or not they are cool.
- You know that paper clip? It’s not yours; it’s the company’s. It affects the bottom line.
- Innovate. Be a linchpin.
- Embrace change. It will always be part of your work and your life.
- Be funny. It’s a gift to others.
- Treat others with respect. You’ve never walked in their shoes.
- Love your people, even when they don’t deserve it.
- Suspend your habit of judging for 24 hours straight. You will feel liberated.
- Question all of your assumptions. You are most likely wrong about something important.
- Take impeccable care of your customers by astonishing them. You will both love it.
- Get committed to modeling conscious practices for others who don’t get it on their own.
- Forgive. Let go of that grudge you’re hanging on to as though your life depended on it.
- Take walks at lunch. Grab the hand of someone who wouldn’t dream of taking a walk without your instigation.
- Have your work drive the vision of the company. There is likely a bigger purpose, and if there isn’t one, make one up.
- Encourage disengaged, dissatisfied people to go find something they would love to do, instead of dragging everyone else into their pity party.
- Be inspired. It beats the heck out of being discouraged.
- If you see something that hurts the bottom line, do something about it. Report it. Highlight it.
- Be a solution. Nobody likes feeling helpless about a problem. See ways to solve them.
- Start a fun committee. Chair it.
Your work matters. It has a greater impact on the world than you can imagine. So, get committed to making that impact positive, and everyone wins.
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