We’ve all heard the phrase “It’s not personal, it’s business.” For years, that phrase has been used to make shrewd moves or do unsavory things they would never otherwise do. What would happen if business became personal? Just because you have a for-profit business or organization, it doesn’t mean you can’t add value to or care for your community.   In our experience, the key to a thriving Positive Impact Organization, whether for or non profit, is focusing on the people.  

Here at Digital Mountaineers, we find that when we cater to a client’s unique set of needs, the collaboration thrives. If we can be a for-profit business and succeed with this model, who else can? What about if we approached everything  from a deeply personal place as opposed to a financial bottom line? Sure, a business needs funds in order to exist to help others, but we believe in doing both at the same time. If you haven’t yet, you can read more about the deeply discounted pricing model for Positive Impact Orgs we use here. 

When you lead with compassion, success follows. While it may sound counter-intuitive, the seeds you sow via relationship building pay off in the long run.  We can’t begin to list the number of times we receive referrals from folks who love our mission & want to work with us specifically for that reason. To us, that is a sign that we’re doing something right by doing things differently. We care about our community members and volunteer time to helping them with digital questions whenever we can. Why? Because investing in the community around you strengthens the communal experience for everyone.  

Maybe you’re thinking, sure, I’d love to lead with compassion at work, but where do I start? Well, it can actually start with the workplace culture and it can start with how you treat yourself. For instance, are you aware of how your team members are doing emotionally? Are you aware of how you yourself are doing emotionally? Scheduling time for weekly or biweekly check in meetings can be beneficial because you’ll be able to catch burnout before it begins.  From a management perspective, these meetings are a great time to evaluate the work load.

Another way to accommodate a client’s needs is to meet them where they are. If they feel they need more time for specific goal, allow them that time. Communicate how the timeline will shift and walk them through the changes. We all know that life happens and sometimes there are unforeseeable setbacks. Being flexible and able to pivot will ease your client and ultimately, help the project be the best it can be. Once the project is finished, the client may not remember certain details of how the project was executed, but they’ll remember how they felt working with you. And that counts for a lot.

At the end of the day, Digital Mountaineers set out to prove that you can be a for-profit business and “Do-Good” for your community. We continue to spotlight those doing good and support orgs in making a shift into leading with compassion. Are you curious about how to begin implementing more compassionate practices at your business/org? Check out our recent blog post on Conscious Capitalism. Does this sound like something your org is interested in? Let us know in the comments below.