Chevron Corp. is one of many companies that makes being active in the community a priority, and takes great pride in sharing the results. Microsoft is another, providing software grants to nonprofits and community-based organizations and funding job/career exploration and training for young people around the world.
Successful business leaders understand the importance of being involved in the neighborhoods they call home.
Community involvement and civic engagement take many forms and have many benefits. These efforts lead to stronger connections, both personally and organizationally, better brand recognition, a greater sense of personal fulfillment and yes, could lead to stronger profits. But without a strategy, your business may not be maximizing those benefits.
Community involvement or civic engagement should be more than responding to requests for financial support. It is an opportunity to develop relationships based upon shared interests and goals and to support issues important to you and your business. It can also be fun.
Here are some suggestions on creating/evaluating your community involvement.
Look for impact
Sponsoring youth sports or service activities makes good business sense for local pizza parlors, bookstores, movie theatres or other businesses that cater to a younger demographic. As students (and their parents) see the support, they are more likely to show their appreciation by visiting your business.
Be proactive
Seek out the community partnerships and relationships you want; don’t wait for them to come to you. This will strengthen your connection to those organizations and individuals because they will appreciate your outreach. It also has the added benefit of making it easier to say “no” to organizations and relationships that don’t quite fit into your business model or interests.
Be consistent (at least for a while)
How many touches does it take for advertising to be successful? Community engagement works much the same way. People and organizations appreciate consistency and are more likely to stay connected to you, even when it comes time (as it always does) to shift your focus. Changing focus every year leads to inefficient and ineffective engagement. And it does not build your brand awareness, nor does it help your reputation in the community if you cannot maintain a focus.
Start with who you know
Every community has a chamber of commerce, a Lions Club, an Elks lodge and religious institutions. If you’re not sure where to start, those are always good places to go.
Have fun
How you engage, what issues you get involved in and who you reach out to is entirely up to you. Choose issues you’re passionate about and people you enjoy spending time with. If it’s fun and meaningful, you’re more likely to continue, more likely to make a difference and more likely to succeed.
Americans have a deeply shared sense of community and civic involvement that has permeated throughout our history and society.
As a business leader, you have the unique opportunity to leverage your business and brand, both to maximize profit, and your impact on issues important to you. It is truly one of the great benefits of being a business leader and I hope you embrace the opportunities before you. ●
