CSR And Employee Satisfaction

I remember I was heading into a board meeting when our office janitor, Mr. Ellis, stopped me. He said, "Your name tag's upside down." My first instinct? → Brush it off. → Pretend I didn't need help. → Protect my pride. Instead, I paused and said, "Thanks for looking out for me." He smiled and replied, "Doesn't matter your title. You represent all of us when you walk into that room." That single moment with Mr. Ellis's big brown eyes shifted how I viewed leadership forever. Six months later, I stood in that same boardroom, presenting a critical strategy. Not because I knew everything. But because I walked in carrying the quiet confidence that comes from respecting everyone who makes our work possible, from the janitor to the CEO. And respect carries more weight than any title ever could, regardless of the room you're in. Here's what most professionals get wrong: They think career growth is about impressing those above them. They forget that everyone, from the janitor to the CEO, sees how you really show up. They underestimate the wisdom in people that society often overlooks. But the highest-impact leaders I've coached share one trait. They lead with respect. → They treat every person like they matter. → They know trust isn't reserved for titles. → They understand influence starts with how you make people feel. That's how careers grow, not just in skill but in humanity. The C.H.O.I.C.E.® Framework makes this real: Courage: Stand for dignity, even when no one's watching. Humility: Know you're not above anyone. Openness: Learn from every voice. Integration: Turn respect into everyday actions. Curiosity: Ask people about their stories. Empathy: See the person behind the role. Here's how to start leading with respect and grow your career: ✅ Start small. → Thank someone whose work often goes unseen. → Respect is built in micro-moments that matter. ✅ Listen deeply. → Instead of dismissing someone's input, ask: → "What do you see that I might be missing?" ✅ Model humanity. → Show others how to treat people well, no matter their title. → Respect shapes culture and careers. The more senior you become, the more your treatment of junior staff defines you. Your peers judge your character not by how you handle power but by how you treat those without it. 💭 Who's someone "behind the scenes" who taught you about leadership? ♻️ Tag someone who leads with humanity. ➕ Follow Loren Rosario - Maldonado, PCC, for career coaching that's human to the core.

Most employees don't know how to apply their company's sustainability strategy 🌎 A recent survey by AimHi Earth found that 93% of employees are unsure how to apply their company’s sustainability strategy to their day-to-day work. The survey, conducted with over 1,000 professionals, highlights a critical disconnect between organizational goals and individual actions. While the sample size is small, the results send a strong message. Many companies have ambitious sustainability strategies, but these strategies often remain abstract, leaving employees without clear guidance on how to implement them in their roles. This disconnect limits the potential impact of these initiatives. Bridging this gap requires translating sustainability strategies into practical actions. Companies can achieve this by providing role-specific examples, offering training, and ensuring that sustainability is embedded into operational processes rather than existing as a separate initiative. Clear communication is also essential. Employees need to understand how their contributions align with broader sustainability goals. When this alignment is achieved, it can drive greater engagement and make sustainability a tangible part of daily business operations. This survey underscores an important reality: for sustainability strategies to succeed, they must go beyond policies and reports. Ensuring employees can connect these strategies to their work is key to turning intentions into measurable impact. #sustainability #sustainable #business #esg #climatechange #climateaction

This quote got me thinking. Early in my career, I struggled with how people showed up. I was often called too intense, I was often perceived as overwhelming, but the truth of it is I SHOWED UP! I was engaged, I was committed, and I wanted to make an impact. Not knowing why there was such a difference between how I showed up and others, I learned … that ONLY 31% of employees are enthusiastic and energized by their work? Imagine that almost 70% of the people in your team are there because they just have to 🫣 I honestly can't imagine that, which is why I implemented some solutions in my teams, most of it worked, some of it I’m still testing & trying … Here are some things I did: 👉 Trust & Empower: I involve my team in decision-making processes and push decisions to them when possible. This fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility. 👉 Celebrate Feedback: I create an environment where feedback is frequent and constructive. It encourages continuous learning and growth. 👉 Connect 'Why' to Vision: I share a compelling vision to motivate team members and clearly explain why their contributions matter. 👉 Offer Development: I signal my commitment to personal growth with training and development opportunities. It sparks motivation and increases loyalty. 👉 Recognize & Praise: I acknowledge achievements and make saying ‘thank you’ my default. A little recognition goes a long way to boost morale and motivation. 👉 Promote Diversity: I embrace diverse perspectives and backgrounds to enrich the work environment, prompt healthy debate, and drive innovation. 👉 Encourage Collaboration: I encourage teamwork on projects. This builds a sense of community and belonging while also accelerating learning 👉 Challenge Comfort Zones: I push and encourage team members to expand their skills and what they think is possible. It promotes growth and enthusiasm. 👉 Cultivate Inclusivity: I ensure all voices are heard. For example, I make sure extroverts don't steal the show and create the space needed for quieter team members to speak. Be the leader that serves, empowers and inspires. And all will go just fine 🙌 #EmployeeEngagement #TeamMotivation #WorkCulture

The Missing Link in Ethical Leadership: Stress Management In the corporate world, we hear a lot about the importance of ethical leadership. But are we overlooking a critical factor that could make or break our efforts? Research points to a surprising key: managing workplace stress. Stress isn't just bad for health - it's bad for ethics. When leaders and employees are under pressure, they're more likely to cut corners and make questionable decisions. It's not that stressed individuals can't recognise ethical dilemmas. Rather, they're less inclined to act on their moral compass when under pressure. High levels of toxic competition between employees/teams encourage more unethical behaviour. Common workplace stressors like unrealistic deadlines, lack of resources, and poor work-life balance aren't just productivity killers - they're ethics killers too. Creating a supportive work environment isn't just about employee satisfaction - it's about fostering a culture of integrity. As leaders, focusing on stress reduction, you're not just improving well-being - we're actively cultivating more ethical behaviour. You can do this without resorting to heavy-handed policies or punishments. How does your organisation approach stress management as part of its ethical leadership strategy? Are you doing enough to create an environment where ethical behaviour can thrive? #stress #psychologicalsafety #emotionalintelligence

Mentoring is one of the most powerful relationships we can build. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of mentoring some truly remarkable individuals—both formally and informally—and it’s been one of the most rewarding parts of my career journey. It’s not just about offering guidance or helping someone overcome challenges. It’s about nurturing leadership, elevating others and fostering a culture where everyone feels like they belong, where every voice is heard and where everyone is empowered to succeed. Earlier this week, we celebrated MentorHer Day, marking not just the conclusion of many mentorship journeys, but the start of something far greater. Since the programme’s launch in 2018, we’ve mentored over 1,000 women, helping them step into leadership roles, broaden their skills and grow in confidence. And the impact doesn’t end there—together, we’re creating a ripple effect of empowerment that will resonate far into the future. This isn’t just a programme—it’s a promise to help women dream bigger, aim higher and achieve more than they ever thought possible. Listening to the personal stories shared on MentorHer Day, I was deeply moved. These are my three key takeaways – and not just about what mentorship gives, but what it asks of us:         • Mentorship can build lifelong relationships When the formal mentorship relationship ends, the bonds and connections formed during that time don’t have to. Cultivating authentic, personal connections—a safe space where mentees can be open about their dreams and aspirations—can build relationships which grow into enduring bonds and friendships that transcend the workplace. • Mentorship is a two-way street The real beauty of mentorship lies in its reciprocity. Every time I mentor someone, I gain fresh perspectives—not just about them, but about myself and my own leadership style. Mentorship holds up a mirror, allowing us to see where we, too, can grow and improve. No two mentorships are ever the same and that’s what makes mentorship so much fun! Some of my best mentorship moments have happened outside the traditional office setting – treadmill meetings or a cozy coffee shop where the usual hierarchy fades away and both mentor and mentee can contribute equally to the journey.  • Mentorship is about paying it forward The true power of mentorship lies in its ripple effect. When mentees become mentors themselves, they create a legacy of empowerment—passing on the confidence, tools and sense of possibility that encourages the next generation to achieve even more than they once believed possible. That’s the true power of paying it forward.    To all mentors and mentees, you are the heartbeat of initiatives such as these. You’re not just creating opportunities—you’re helping shape futures. Thank you for being part of something so impactful. As I said on stage: Let’s keep making waves.

🌟 How do we measure and define impact outcomes? What sets #impact #investments apart from traditional investing? It’s the intentional selection of projects, funds or companies that aim to generate measurable, positive, #social and #environmental impacts alongside financial #ROI. In a resource-constrained economy, informed decision-making is essential. Traditional financial metrics fall short of capturing the societal and environmental value that companies strive to create. Established frameworks like the #SDGs and #ESG ratings also have their limitations. While ESG metrics assess how well a company manages its risks and priorities, they do not measure the direct positive impact on society or the environment. Impact investing is outward-looking, whereas ESG focuses inward on company operations. Although the SDGs serve as a useful tool for articulating impact efforts, they do not quantify impact outcomes. This leads us to a critical industry question: How do we measure and define impact outcomes? I’m proud to share that my colleagues at Leaps by Bayer have teamed up with the independent research organization The Happiness Research Institute to tackle this challenge. Together, they have developed a groundbreaking metric called WALY – Wellbeing Adjusted Life Years. This innovative approach uses wellbeing as its foundation to calculate the potential impact that successful technologies can have on #people and #planet. I encourage everyone to check out Leaps by Bayer’s latest Impact Report (https://lnkd.in/etTYFyN8) and watch the accompanying video (https://lnkd.in/eqXcQbQ2) that dives into the ambition and calculations behind #WALY. Let’s continue the conversation on how we can effectively measure impact! 💡 #ImpactInvesting #TeamBayer

A safe culture can never be taken for granted; one wrong leadership hire and it can turn toxic in a matter of weeks. Leaders have the power to change structures and systems; choose them wisely. The best toxic workplace prevention initiative is structuring the leadership selection process to minimize the risk of hiring toxic leaders. Seems simple enough, right? In theory, yes, in practice, not so much. Here is why: - Still today, many organizations and selection committees are looking for leaders who will be hard on the staff, who are goal-oriented, charismatic, boastful, rather than leaders who lead with a people-first perspective. Failing to consider the capacity to care for a team in a leader selection process is a critical mistake for any organization, as it exposes them to the risk of hiring a toxic leader. Once hired, often within a matter of weeks, these leaders will wreak havoc with the organizational culture, and many organizations will look the other way, thinking, "at least they are bringing us results." What organizations fail to understand is that: - Toxic individuals are not loyal to anyone or anything; they will turn on allies and their organization at any time. - Toxic individuals often surround themselves with others like them, compounding issues within organizations. A leadership role is more than a mere promotion or salary increase; it comes with a responsibility to the people one leads. Employee engagement with the organization can be assessed through their relationship with their direct supervisor. In other words, if an employee trusts their supervisor and feels connected to them, they are likely to be more engaged with the organization. Leaders influence employees' job satisfaction, engagement, well-being, and intention to quit their jobs. Negatively or positively. Good leaders can also help reduce or increase the risk of organizational misbehavior, such as harassment or fraud. In their report to the nation, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners has found that the first person employees reported fraud to was their superior. If your leaders are honest and ethical, they will follow up on the tip and address it with the appropriate authorities. That reduces the risks of fraud for the organization. On the other hand, if leaders are dishonest and unethical, they will find ways to conceal the information or disregard it, thereby increasing the risk of fraud. The same applies to interpersonal misconduct like harassment, incivility, and discrimination. Toxic leaders who exhibit unethical behaviours without facing any negative consequences from the organization will create a toxic workplace and increase the risk of misbehaviour at every level of the organization. Thorough leader selection and performance assessments are the most effective prevention measures an organization can implement to avoid a toxic work environment. Take care of yourself and the people around you 💗

Community is a climate solution. In December, I helped ClimateVoice organize a webinar called "Green Team Success Stories: How Employees Advance Climate Action at Work" and now, we're following up with a blog post that goes a level deeper! This article provides an exclusive glimpse into how employees from Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Pinterest, and Salesforce have self-organized into employee sustainability communities (often called Green Teams) for years, showcasing their successes, challenges, similarities, and differences. Their efforts have shifted the dynamics of who can engage in sustainability work at these companies, created industry leading green innovations, and in each case, unlocked more resources and support for sustainability work. I authored this month's Connect the Dots newsletter to recap the session (find a link to the recording in the comments below) and explain just how powerful and transformative these communities can be. ✋ Green Teams work in organizations of all shapes and sizes and mostly run on volunteer labor, enabling individuals to align their passion and purpose with their work, while providing valuable career development opportunities and improving employee attraction and retention 🕸️ Their decentralized structure breaks down organizational silos, fostering connection and collaboration across the entire workforce, while increasing overall climate literacy 🪴 They uniquely embed sustainability throughout every part of an organization, driving innovation while reducing environmental impact simultaneously. 💡Most importantly, they transform sustainability from an operational task driven by a single team to a core part of organizational culture, making sustainability part of everybody’s job in the process. We learned that the challenges employees face doing this work are more similar than different: lack of place (no sustainability community), lack of time (burnout, layoffs, and competing priorities), lack of influence (employees are not considered a critical stakeholder), lack of knowledge (little to no climate literacy in the workforce), and crucially, lack of support (no top down sponsorship from a Chief Sustainability Officer or executive). The good news is that all of these obstacles can be overcome, and the employees in Green Team Success Stories: How Employees Advance Climate Action at Work told us how each had uniquely done it in their organizations. Read on to learn more and share your experience with green teams in the comments below. Help us tell your story! Kevin Houldsworth Mia Ketterling Alyssa Chen Prashansa Sonawane Nidhi Kaul Céline Zollinger Antoine Cabot 🌱Lindsey Peterson Rohan Nijhawan Sam Gooch Zoe Samuel Holly Alpine (née Beale) Van Riker Aiyana Bodi Chris Bradley Patrick Flynn Manav Goel Nina Panda Kimberly Forte Abraham Chen, MBA Ryan Eismin, PhD Peggy Brannigan Dana Jennings Elizabeth Shelly Maddie Stone Cecilia Emden Hands 🌱Kati Kallins Lucy Piper Katelyn Prendiville Nivi Achanta

Companies prioritizing culture see a 27%  increase in employee satisfaction. Now, that's huge! But for me, it’s not just about culture fit; it’s also about culture add. Culture add simply means bringing in fresh perspectives to enhance the diversity of ideas in the organization. Diverse teams are 35% more likely to outperform their peers. That’s not just good for culture – it's great for business. So, how do we strike the right balance between culture fit and culture add? At Supersourcing, while hiring any candidate, we focus on asking scenario-based questions to uncover unique perspectives. For example, we ask candidates, “Describe a time you introduced a new idea that improved a process or solved a problem. What was the outcome? Questions like this help us see their ability to bring fresh ideas and adapt to different situations. Believe me, it's not about replicating your current team. It's about finding those who share your core values and bring diverse viewpoints. Because if everyone thinks the same, then who is going to bring fresh ideas or perspectives? Eventually, you will become a team where everyone says A=B+C. In fact, research shows that organizations with strong cultures see a  4x increase in revenue growth compared to companies without a cohesive culture. Balancing culture add cultivates an inclusive, innovative powerhouse. I always look to improve our hiring process, and this one thing helps me create a vibrant, dynamic team. What are your ways to find and hire such diverse people? Share your experiences – I'd love to hear them and maybe implement them!

Ready to leave a lasting legacy? It's time to weave pro bono work into the fabric of your Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program! Here's how to make it happen: • Define your impact areas and objectives • Appoint a dedicated program leader • Build a diverse, passionate team • Establish clear KPIs for success • Measure and report progress regularly The benefits? • Enhanced company reputation and customer loyalty • Attraction and retention of top talent • New opportunities for growth and innovation • Meaningful contribution to social and environmental causes 💡 Pro tip: Align your CSR program with your overall corporate strategy to ensure its sustainability and impact. Matija D., CEO at Koncepted Inc., shares: "Designing for nonprofits goes beyond supporting a good cause; it is a way of uniting your internal design squad with meaningful goals and enrich team culture." I'm curious: How have you integrated pro bono work into your CSR efforts? What impact has it had on your team and company culture? Share your experiences below. #TechForGood #CSR #ProBonoImpact --- This post is part of a series "10 Tested Ways to Engage
in Impactful Pro-Bono Projects". Follow me for more insights!