by Molly Schreiber
“Make the world around you better than you found it.” This statement is at the foundation of who and what Challenge to Change, Inc. is. We have used this phrase with the students we serve since our inception. As C2C has grown into a corporation, we have expanded our educational reach to adults, including the Change Makers we employ. We have found the need to create a culture of kindness, truthfulness and clarity within our community. These three virtues have formed the pillars of our corporate kindness mentality.
The first pillar of Corporate Kindness is: Truthfulness. We all have a responsibility to know our truth. We have to do the hard work and get a PHD in knowing ourselves. At C2C we teach social emotional learning. This learning begins with knowing the truth of who we are and what core values make us the beautiful human we are. When we know these truths about ourselves, we are able to make better choices for ourselves and with the ones who surround us. When we make better choices for ourselves, we can then freely give our time and talent without resentment or regret. When we know our core beliefs and values, we understand why we get upset by situations and individuals better. It is often because our deep truths are rocked or challenged.
This leads us to our second pillar of Corporate Kindness: Clarity. When we are clear about what our truth is, we are able to see the vision we set with simplicity and live inside the lane aligned with our personal truth. We may look at the green grass our neighbors have, but rather than desire it, we admire it. We are able to communicate how we admire the grass they have, but are also able to look at our grass with admiration. When we live our truth with clarity, we are better able to have hard conversations with one another. We can be vulnerable with the situation presented and others involved. We are better able to notice our own actions and reactions as well as the effect they have on other individuals we work with.
Living a life of truth and clarity leads to our third pillar of Corporate Kindness: Kindness. It is essential to be clear in the hard discussions, but just as important to be kind. Kindness used to be the way everyone acted to each other, but it is not a priority anymore. At C2C, we believe in being honest with who we are and honoring our social emotional makeup. We don’t try to change our feelings and emotions, but navigate them. As we do this, we have a better understanding of where others are coming from. This allows us to act with empathy and compassion- two essential elements in kindness.
We have been working on this pillar at C2C through sending “Change Maker” grams. These are letters to others who we see living out their truth and shining in their work at C2C. If you receive a Change Maker gram from one of us, please know YOU have been noticed. We see how you are doing the work to make the world around you a better place than you found it. We see you and we thank you!
All three of these pillars enable us to have open discussions as an organization, clear communication between members and support for all employees. We value taking time to pause to reflect on our core beliefs and values, and then communicate it effectively with the right people. Often, within organizations, gossip becomes a weed within the green grass intended for the community. Offering staff the open lines of communication within Corporate Kindness, makes all individuals feel seen and heard. Does this create more work on our leadership team? Of course! However, the payoffs of following the three pillars of Corporate Kindness and supporting our staff leads to a happier, healthier life and who does not want to live a life that they love to live?
If you have more questions about Corporate Kindness and our philosophy at C2C, we would love to talk with you. We also offer trainings for workplace environments if you are interested in the Corporate Kindness approach for your profession. Please reach out to us at molly@challengetochangeinc.com for more info.
I see you and I honor you!