Boundless is excited to announce the launch of a new corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative known as Boundless Cares. At Boundless we educate and inspire our teams to adopt a mindset of responsibility to our environment while promoting a sustainable and thriving Boundless culture. New CSR initiatives include recycling, volunteering, employee recognition programs, health and wellness incentives and career development opportunities. The Boundless Cares program was initiated by a group of dedicated employees, from a variety of backgrounds, who partnered together to make a difference. Our team, who helped kickstart the CSR project, offers insight into team dynamics to inspire others to foster a workplace culture of care.
When the phrase “Employee Engagement Initiative” rolls across the next-to-last slide on the company all-hands deck, the response from the employees depends on the current culture at your company. At a company where culture hasn’t been emphasized it may be difficult to “stir up” a group of individuals to come to an early meeting and socialize with fellow team members over tacos if they have not already been encouraged to engage with co-workers before. Companies that do this right seem to only be able to say that, at any given time, 38% of their team members are fully engaged in the workplace. Getting employees to love their company and enjoy coming into work every day is no small feat.
Recently here at Boundless, we formed a small, diverse team of individuals commissioned to hammer out what engagement may look like for our various teams in light of promoting sustainable living. We covered a range of topics including eco-friendly office choices, community outreach partnerships, employee retention, and our industry’s impact on the environment. In this blog we will cover three components of what made our team discussions a success, and how these strategies may help you spark a culture of care in your own workplace.
Team Diversity, Endorsed from All Angles
Our CEO kicked off this initiative by putting out an open call for Boundless team members to discuss what it meant for Boundless to be socially responsible. As a result a diverse group of people from various departments came out of the woodwork and volunteered their time to the committee. We were brand new junior teammates rubbing shoulders with tenured, 6-year Boundless captains; we were managers and recent college grads. We were on site and remote. Yet everyone’s voice carried the same weight in decision making. Because of this, the delivery of our message did not depend on any one person, personality or position. We were all working towards the same goal and were free to collaborate, contribute, coordinate and connect across team lines and statuses.
Flexibility When It Matters Most
This group took on a “give-what-you-can” attitude, which allowed the team members to thrive when their work schedules allowed. In this way, we divided and conquered team tasks with maximum participation. Everyone was able to volunteer their time and talents in unique ways at unique times. Some people created power point slides, while others presented them. Some researched community leaders while others reached out to them. Because the work was motivated less from the stance of “do what you must” and more out of “bring what you have”, members were able to contribute and add more value to the project than they thought they ever would be able to.
Learning from Collective Input
What we came to understand during our decision-making process is that everyone’s voice mattered when it came to defining the meaning of corporate social responsibility. We could not define company engagement without engaging the entire company. We therefore surveyed internally to “test” our ideas and get feedback from everyone in the company. Whether we provide yogurt or tacos matters to everyone. Whether we volunteer to plant trees, help tutor business skills, or help displaced refugees matters to everyone. The anonymous survey was invaluable to the team and helped us find out what issues and causes were most important to the employees. We received some great insight and used the results as a guide in launching the Boundless Cares program.
Bottom Line: Culture is hard to define without being a part of it.
This team helped shape the future of Boundless culture and impact on both its teams and our industry. Most of all, it was great getting to know the people in other departments. This “side-work” makes it easier to reach across team lines; for collaboration on a work-related project or input on what concert to check out over the weekend. And the way Boundless creates Brand Love matches the way it supports its teams: diverse solutions that are flexible in nature and ready to respond to input when it matters most.
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