How can your organization build a sense of community around social responsibility initiatives?

The more you can focus on engaging social issues that are a natural extension of your company's mission the better. People will stay and join your company because they want to be part of something bigger than themselves and your company. I have seen the value of pursuing a bigger mission that gives everyone focus and passion to show up and keep growing.

- Involve employees in decision-making related to social responsibility initiatives, - Encourage employee volunteering (preferably: skill-based), recognize and reward employees for their contributions to social responsibility initiatives, - Host social responsibility events, - Offer training and learning opportunities related to social responsibility, - Collaborate with external partners (NGOs, community groups, etc.), - Implement employee matching programs where the organization matches employee donations or volunteer hours, - Create a dedicated online platform, - Promote sustainability practices, celebrate milestones and achievements.

Vision & Values: Ensure your initiatives directly connect to your organization's purpose and guiding principles. This fosters authenticity and employee buy-in. Materiality Assessment: Identify the social and environmental issues most relevant to your business operations and stakeholders. Focus your efforts on areas where you can create the most meaningful impact.

The answer lies in “Building a sense of purpose”. If the people around do not identify with the issue at hand they loose motivation to engage. For corporates its incentives, for employees its benefits, and for community members its making ends meet. Target should be pinpointed and priortised for each stakeholder

The employee is a cornerstone of any CSR initiative. Allow employees to speak their minds up, both individually and collectively in executing such projects.

Engaging employees in CSR activities not only fosters talent retention but also leverages their skills to amplify the impact of CSR projects. Establishing meaningful activities that cultivate employee engagement and instill a sense of social contribution creates a mutually beneficial scenario for both the company and its workforce.

The involvement of workers in decision-making allows them to take ownership of the achievement of the objectives of CSR projects; this involvement also increases the level of success and the quality of the project.

The sense of caring and sharing can be encouraged in the workplace, where majority population spend their most time. Workplace CSR initiatives contribute the growth of the society.

A eficácia da inovação aumenta quando é realizada em colaboração com as pessoas mais próximas do problema que necessita ser resolvido. Engajar e buscar caminhos para projetar o futuro das atividades de Responsabilidade Social Empresarial (RSE) envolve definição de problemas e a concessão de autonomia aos grupos, permitindo que eles encontrem soluções de forma proativa.

Volunteer Opportunities: Provide paid time off and resources for employees to participate in volunteering activities aligned with your initiatives. Skills-Based Volunteering: Leverage employee expertise to support community projects and causes. Idea Contests and Feedback Channels: Encourage employees to contribute ideas and feedback on CSR initiatives, fostering a sense of ownership and shared purpose.

Os símbolos podem desempenhar um papel significativo nos processos de construção coletiva relacionados às iniciativas de responsabilidade social. Eles têm o poder de transcender as barreiras linguísticas e comunicar significados profundos de maneira visual ou representativa. Quais símbolos estão vinculados à trajetória de impacto da sua empresa ou equipe?

Internal Communication: Regularly share progress reports, success stories, and employee involvement in internal newsletters, meetings, and digital platforms. External Communication: Use your website, social media, and press releases to highlight your social responsibility efforts and their impact on the community. Celebrate Milestones: Recognize and celebrate achievements with employees, partners, and the community to maintain momentum and inspire continued engagement.

Super importante esse trabalho de escuta das partes interessadas e seu envolvimento, tanto para a construção de estratégias de responsabilidade social, quanto para o alinhamento e execução dessas agendas. Esse diálogo social estruturado amplia a efetividade das ações e seus impactos.

Busque expandir perspectivas e explorar novas formas de potencializar esforços, evitando avaliações apenas com base em resultados. Cultive a curiosidade para compreender e acompanhar como opções diferentes foram consideradas ao longo do processo. Um processo ruim com desfecho positivo é, simplesmente, uma questão de sorte.

One of the key partnerships you can have is with an organization that helps measure your impact and hold you accountable. This could be a certifying body like B Lab, Fair Trade, Forest Stewardship Council, Cradle to Cradle, etc. Or tools like Watershed, Novata, Salesforce, or Carbon Analytics. Using and improving metrics through these partners also builds trust with your stakeholders.

Partner with NGOs and community organizations: Leverage their expertise, networks, and existing relationships to reach wider audiences and address complex challenges collaboratively. Industry Collaboration: Join forces with other businesses in your sector to amplify your impact and advocate for systemic change. Community Involvement: Invite community members to co-create initiatives, participate in decision-making, and hold you accountable for your commitments.

Considero essencial não restringir-se ao âmbito das "melhores práticas", pois essa expressão sugere que já alcançamos processos ideais. Para inspirar uma mudança contínua, é importante adotarmos a responsabilização por processos e continuarmos buscando práticas melhores.

In my experience working with many large corporates to key intervention to increase engagement is to setup an employee ambassadors network -> Boosts Employee Engagement: Ambassadors increase employee involvement in CSR, enhancing job satisfaction and retention. Fosters Innovation: Diverse perspectives from various departments lead to more innovative CSR strategies. Widens Impact: Ambassadors extend the reach and influence of CSR initiatives across the organization. Adds Authenticity: Employee-led CSR efforts are seen as more credible and genuine, both internally and externally. Enables Feedback for Improvement: Direct insights from ambassadors help refine and improve CSR programs.

Encare as divergências que surgirem durante o processo como danças, não como batalhas. Incentive as pessoas a compartilharem suas perspectivas. Processos de divergência, quando abordados com respeito e cuidado, conduzem à convergência.