Here’s some food for thought.
A recent survey conducted by McKinsey & Company showed that 87% of 7,751 people around the world who were surveyed demanded that companies go green and focus on more than profits. I didn’t find that surprising. What I found jaw-dropping was that 33% of those same consumers said that they were either ready to buy green products or already did. In other words, only one third were willing to put their money where their mouth is.1
What does this have to do with your career?
As concerned as I am about what companies people are supporting with their hard-earned cash, I’d like to turn the focus to what employees are doing with their careers.
Just like more and more of us demand companies to have a triple bottom-line that is focused on profits, social contribution and environmental impact, the question is what is the bottom line of our careers focused on? Does your career have a triple bottom-line, focused on financial rewards, social contribution and caring for the environment? Or are you working for money alone? By working for money alone, as employees are we again not putting our money where our mouth is?
Here’s the deal. As long as there are employees who are willing to work for money alone and consumers who are willing to base their purchases on price alone, there will always be companies who will be able to exist for profit-making alone.
To help tip the scale, here are my thoughts for the day:
1. Work as if you count. Anita Roddick said it best: “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, you haven’t been in bed with a mosquito.”
2. Ask yourself: “By going to work every day, what am I helping to move forward? Is that in line with my values?” If your answer is ‘no’ ask yourself: “What would be in line with what is important to me?” For a list of assessments that will help you find out what you value, check out my post: I’m not so sure I’m self-assured.
3. Ask yourself: “Through my work, am I creating the world that I want to live in?” If your answer is ‘no’, then ask yourself: ”What would I like to work for?” As a starting point, it does need to be to save the rainforest in Brazil or orangutans in Sumatra, it can be to simply stop supporting what you are right now.