Change the world in your day job

In 2016 I made a resolution to change my job. It wasn’t a resolution to change jobs, so much as a desire to change the way I work; to be less passive about the things I care about and to try to make a difference, however small. I didn’t quite know where it would lead, but it stuck. And so I find myself here, seven years later, spending my days helping others change the world in their day job with Today Do This .?

We worked with hundreds of people in 2022. We hope to work with thousands in 2023. Want to be one of them?

If you do, I've outlined a simple exercise for anyone who's dreamed about making a positive impact at work. It only takes a few minutes and it just requires you to scribble some lists to get going. Make it extra fun by combining with a snack (my personal approach to tackling important tasks of all shapes and sizes).

Step 1. What do you do?

Set yourself a timer for two minutes and scribble a list of the skills, talents and responsibilities you bring to your day job. This should include anything you’re doing at work already. Maybe you’re great at negotiating, or an expert in particular software. Maybe you’re a whizz with numbers, or words. Maybe you’re in charge of what snacks are on offer in meetings. Maybe you have to make certain decisions, or nurture certain relationships. You could be a talented communicator, or play a role in product development or packaging design or procurement, or control the agenda for certain meetings, or interact with customers, or be at the sharp end of crafting or delivering a product or service. Whatever it is that you normally do at work, write it down.?

Step 2. What do you care about?

Set another timer for two minutes and list any social or environmental issues you care about. They might be things that make you angry, or sad or frustrated. Or they might stem from a place of optimism or your personal backstory. Maybe you want to protect the planet, or hold politicians to account. Maybe you’re interested in mental health, or disability discrimination, or freedom of expression. Maybe you care about diversity and inclusion, or animal rights or education. Or maybe it’s something specific and local. It doesn’t matter what you care about, it just matters that you do. Think about the issues you want to do something about and the problems you want to make better, then write them down.?

Step 3. Put them together.?

Set one last timer, this time for 3 minutes. Then look at both of your lists and find a way to combine what you do every day at work, with the things you care about. To help you focus, simply try to complete the sentence “To start making a positive impact in my day job, I could…” Approach this in a playful, open-minded way. There’s no pressure. This is not a test. There are no right or wrong answers. And for now, it’s quantity that matters more than quality (that's how the real nuggets form).

Need some inspiration? Depending on your interests and skills/responsibilities some of these examples drawn from our work with businesses might spark something: “Ensure our product packaging is sustainable”, “Become a mentor to young women looking to work in technology”, “Ensure our events are accessible for a range of disabilities”, “Overhaul our interview process to encourage more diverse hires”, “Ensure our money is invested ethically”.

One final piece of guidance: make your ideas as specific as possible. “Ensure our product packaging is sustainable” is more actionable and likely to lead to success than “Be more environmental”, for example. You’re looking for particular somethings you can actually make happen. And whatever comes to mind, write it down.?

Step 4. Choose one.

So now you have a list. But you also have one more task. Have you come across ‘the paradox of choice’? It’s one of the key reasons we fail to start things. When we have too many options, we panic and shut down and simply choose to do nothing instead. It’s why its so hard to choose from a pub menu, and why we often feel like there’s nothing we want to watch on streaming services. So the final step is to choose just one thing to start now (you can start other things later).?

It might be the most urgent thing, the most interesting thing to you, or just the thing at the top of the list. It doesn’t matter. What matters is you pick one.?

And then… you start.?

Starting is, of course, a topic on its own. As is what you can learn from starting stuff. As is how to successfully combine impact with other business objectives. All things I’ll be talking about a lot in 2023. So if you’re interested in this stuff, do follow me. And say hello. It’s always nice when people say hello.?

Oh, and if you work for a business that wants their employees to make a positive impact at work, then I’d particularly love to talk and hear how you’re trying to make that happen, and what challenges you're facing. I might be able to help.