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Posted by Sarah Brown on 30 Sept '24
What does "winning by being good" mean?
Everyone deserves to live their best life. I believe the key to this is "winning by being good". Every person, irrespective of their role within any organisation, has the potential to make a meaningful contribution.
But what does winning by being good mean?
This is what I mean by it:
- "Winning" means living a fulfilling life where you positively impact the world for yourself and others.
- "Good" means doing your best at what you do to earn money or fill your time.
- "Being good" means succeeding in a positive and kind way, not by cheating or doing others down.
Volunteering for ZeroGravity, I have just started mentoring an undergraduate in their second year of university. The mentor-mentee relationship is valuable, and I highly recommend the mentoring scheme. If you are not involved, learn more at Zero Gravity | Professionals. If you have children, know of children or young people who could use help to fulfil their potential, or have links to schools or universities, they would also find it helpful.
Choosing the first step in your career
The girl I am mentoring is considering career choices; she is very interested in sustainability. As we discussed her search, she asked how companies choose between doing good or making a profit. But I pointed out that I think it is the opposite; you will make money because you are "good", which will make you "win". People will trust and recommend you, and staff will want to work for you. I used examples from my forthcoming book (see below for details), such as LensCrafters, which believes clear vision shouldn't be a privilege – it's a basic need and Boeing, where safety used to be their top value and what has happened since it slipped. (see my blog written before the latest incidents, "The mortality of corporate values")
You can only do good if you are financially viable, so even charities need to focus on money, as charities that have to shut down for financial reasons can't change the world or fulfil their mission. The most high-profile example of this is Kids Company, and you can read an analysis of their issues in the blog "Why Kids Company should make you question everything".
Starting your career with a good employer
My mentee has the opportunity to meet various organisations that are coming to the university over the coming weeks. She asked how to spot good potential employers. Here are the two key questions I suggested she ask:
- Ask what an organisation's values are and which is the most important.
- Ask what success looks like for the organisation in the short and long term.
How do you think your colleagues would answer these questions? Would their responses align with yours? These are important considerations when evaluating if your organisation is "winning by being good".
I recommended that she look at social enterprises and explained that she should look out for the CIC legal structure. I am looking forward to her feedback on how easy it was for her to get information as someone new to the social enterprise sector and whether they impressed her with how they are changing the world.
I also mentioned charities, as many people don't realise how large the sector is and how much it trades:
- Roughly 170,000 charities in England and Wales in 2023
- £88 billion income in 2022/23 and £85 billion spend
- In 2020/21 the voluntary sector contributed £18bn to the UK economy or 0.8% of GDP
- Over 1.1 million people work in the voluntary sector, and nearly 7.3 million people volunteer
- In 2022, 6,500 charities received a total of £9.3 billion in income from government contracts to deliver services
- For many large charities, government contracts are a significant source of income. Almost a quarter of large charities receive the majority of their income from government contracts across a range of areas, including:
- health and social care
- education and training
- housing and homelessness
- youth services
- community development
- environmental services
However, I also know many companies do great good and can be very ethical.
The foundations of being Good, your ROC
My book, Winning by Being Good, will be published in November 2024 and outlines the 15 essential principles of success that make up the ROC - the Responsible Organisation Charter. It provides a practical and inspirational guide and blueprint for thriving in the 21st century, whether you are a business, charity or social enterprise. You can pre-register for it by emailing me at sarah@inspire2aspire.co.uk
If you want to know more, read
How a wheel became a ROC to support you in achieving your business goals