This is our 3rd installment in our Blog series on Aristotle’s 12 virtues and how they apply in company culture.
We all learn from our leaders. They set the mood and demonstrate what is the preferred behavior. In a business setting, the company culture starts with the overall behavior of the corporate entity. What is the company’s footprint? How about its values? Or its mission? Then, the message being shared trickles down the chain of command- ownership, then upper management, then middle management, and then down to the various tiers of employees. The company culture is the unwritten, but often felt, sense of what the desired behaviors of the employees should be. As one entity, for better or worse, the company will radiate its internal goals and messaging within the community.
Businesses that value philanthropic endeavors, whether it be in the form of volunteering, giving back or reducing their carbon footprint deliver a strong message both internally and externally. A company that encourages their staff to share of themselves and to give back to a cause that resonates with them personally is creating a culture of Charity.
For employees to feel valued, an employer must be willing to view them as a whole person. We are all more than just the sum of our working hours. Personal growth and satisfaction can generate from acts of kindness and giving of yourself. If a business realizes this, they will make the effort and sacrifice to encourage employees to grow personally and develop emotionally. By supporting this facet of their persona, the result will be employees who feel valued and who exhibit more kindness, patience, and resilience in their other relationships, including those with their co-workers, clients, or managers. Charity fosters empathy and provides a perspective that can often be lost when we become enmeshed in our own personal concerns. But this messaging should start from the top down. Build a culture of kindness and compassion. By doing this, the employees will understand that charity is to be valued and just part of doing business. Give back to the community. Support employee efforts to share of themselves and the result will be a business that resonates success on the most personal of levels.
