How do you get employees to buy in to community outreach programs?
Create team-building events around community service, which helps expose employees to various organizations and programs. It usually takes off from there. In different settings around your organization, talk about the various community organizations, and do this all year long, not just at certain times of the year. By talking about many different charities, you’ll find that most, if not all, of your employees have been touched by something that instills a passion for a certain cause. Therefore, they become champions of that cause through their own volunteerism.
The interesting thing is that when one person talks about his or her volunteer work, it kind of permeates through the rest of the company. Then, it becomes fun and a little competitive, with employees inviting one another to their community service projects. In the end, everyone is helping with each of the various community outreach programs.
What should CEOs know before getting involved in community activities?
CEOs should understand that, from time to time, they will need to be flexible and give employees time to volunteer for certain events and projects. Time commitment is generally a large part of being actively involved and it may require some well-planned scheduling. Equally important would be to understand the needs of the various community groups so as to maximize the positive impact to them.
What challenges do employers confront when balancing business and community involvement?
As mentioned, the time commitments will require careful consideration and planning. Employers also should make sure they don’t let political or business alignment dictate which charity they work with. This definitely requires a balancing act, as the employer needs to maintain objectivity and separation of the two to avoid any conflicts or appearance of conflicts of interest.
What benefits will executives and employees gain when they are engaged in the community?
The benefits are both tangible and intangible. The greatest satisfaction is knowing that you made a difference in someone’s life in a positive manner. The tangible benefit is having the local population recognize that your company is engaged in the community and cares about the people of the community. Being genuine and sincere gives others a comfort level; they trust that you truly have their best interests at heart.
When people and businesses are fully engaged in the communities in which they live and work, the community tends to become stronger, economically and socially, which becomes a huge benefit for those executives and employees, as this is their community as well.
What enrichment will corporations experience, over time, as they reach out to the community?
The more involved that corporations and their team members are in the community, the stronger those communities will become.
It truly is a team concept that is embraced by all and will make the community thrive and flourish. It is also a great example to the youth to get them involved early and eventually perpetuates itself. People tend to gravitate to those who are a positive influence in their lives and those around them.
I know it may sound like such a cliché, but it is all about people and building relationships, and the only way to do that is to get involved and stay involved.
Oscar H. Martinez is a senior vice president and business banking manager with Wells Fargo Bank. Reach him at (713) 284-5561 or [email protected].
