Measuring for the Good: Finding Value in All Work
It’s an incredible honor to serve on the Board of Directors for Goodwill Industries International, and I recently had the opportunity to visit Goodwill of North Georgia. What people may not know is that your local Goodwill is more than just a store, it funds a much bigger mission to put people to work.
Every time you walk into a Goodwill and purchase an item, you are participating in that mission!
I think about how this translates into my everyday life and how that contributes to my leadership role at GII and McAlister's Deli. The common denominator? The opportunity to serve community.
My takeaways from my time at Goodwill of North Georgia were clear, and I thought I’d share them with you.
1) Be a representative. It’s about how we serve the mission of the organization we represent, and how we leverage that mission to do well by doing good. This truth can transcend any industry, whether you are a non-profit or corporate America.
2) Look to your roots. Most successful businesses started with an element of serving people. You must understand your roots in order to have an authentic connection. It must be fostered and not manufactured. For McAlister’s Deli, it has always been "My McAlister's" and serving our local hometown heroes and making our nurses, teachers, firefighters, police officers, first responders, and military personnel feel appreciated and recognized. You can see it on the wall of our original restaurants, and our continued purpose is an extension to that. We also provide job opportunities for people and are embracing "putting people to work" in our own way.
3) Be connected. In today’s hyper-competitive world where people want to be more connected, companies want to offer more to their customers. How do we bridge the gap? Companies that do well aspire to do good in the community.
Visiting with Goodwill of North Georgia and its high performing team was a special reminder that there is value and dignity in all work as stated by Keith Parker, President and CEO of Goodwill of North Georgia. I couldn’t agree more. They are not only helping people create a better life, but they are finding sustainable employment and creating career paths for our neighbors who need it the most. It was great to see that happening in Atlanta.
Learn more about the Goodwill here.