Corporate Culture and the Community

From: J Birch Sent: Monday, May 4, 2020 8:23:29 PM To: justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca <justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca>; Chrystia.Freeland@parl.gc.ca <Chrystia.Freeland@parl.gc.ca>; dujarric@un.org <dujarric@un.org>; antonio.ferrari@un.org <antonio.ferrari@un.org>; news@skynews.com <news@skynews.com>; nytnews@nytimes.com <nytnews@nytimes.com>; news@thelocal.se <news@thelocal.se>; contact.nbcnews@nbcuni.com <contact.nbcnews@nbcuni.com>; info@bnn.ca <info@bnn.ca>; accredit@gov.ru <accredit@gov.ru>; amazon-ir@amazon.com <amazon-ir@amazon.com>; dir_enq@cso.gov.hk <dir_enq@cso.gov.hk>; doug.fordco@pc.ola.org <doug.fordco@pc.ola.org>; david.penberthy@news.com.au <david.penberthy@news.com.au>; media@gatesfoundation.org <media@gatesfoundation.org>; matt.eldredge@kolotv.com <matt.eldredge@kolotv.com>; newsonline@ctv.ca <newsonline@ctv.ca> Subject: Corporate Culture And The Community (Opinion)

Hey everyone, I was reading a story about how some employees were fired for what some claim was speaking out about the company and working conditions during the Pandemic. To me, employee satisfaction should be of the utmost importance to any company or corporation because the people are what make the company. Its not some logo or slogan but the hardworking men and women who plan, design and implement products, services or innovations. A company can measure its degree of progress not by some stock price or investor confidence score but by the satisfaction and happiness of the workforce. As we all know, a happy workforce and one that feels valued will always go above and beyond for their companies and be happy to do so. Everyone is valued and should be made to know that even in the midst of such an event like we are facing, their happiness can and should be the rubric or compass by which to measure your successes. We all want to belong and that sense of teamwork, of family, can produce not only a more efficient workforce but it will also engender loyalty and longevity. I personally have worked in some great places but it wasn't the company or the setup that made it great but the people itself. When a company fosters a community of inclusion it makes the job great no matter what job it is. People want to feel that they contribute, not only in their duties but in voice and action as well. At times, companies can forget that and incorrectly pivot focus away from their people and become blinded by everything but the stock symbol. This will only be a detriment for the company, its future and every employee from the management to entry level. Employees are a company's best tool and greatest asset, not just for the work they can perform but the innovation and ideas spurred from doing their jobs. They can help to identify weak spots or opportunities to take the company further by implementing better and more cost effective procedures. During some entry level positions I was consulted about a few changes that they were making and asked to comment. For a few of them the changes would have brought about catastrophic costs to the company and I advised them as such. They informed me that the ideas they had generated were better and proceeded with enacting them, this ended up costing the company millions of dollars in lost revenue and manpower to fix these mistakes. A company needs to consult and respect its people because they are the ones who day in and day out face the internal and external challenges of a company. Therefore, they are the best suited to answer questions that the company may have about its present and its future. This is why its so important for companies to actually hear their employees and respect that these employees are only trying to make the company better. I have given a lot of thought to why this sometimes occurs and I think in my humble opinion I have discovered the reason. At times, our passions overtake us and when those passions are attached to a logo or a company, we can lose sight of the individual due to the complete focus on the collective. Yes, it is important to focus on the collective whole but it can never exclude the thoughts and ideas of the individual for when it does it diminishes the collective. Companies and shareholders need to evolve their understanding of progress, its not always about profit. Profit is the lifeblood of commerce but if the people do not centre on those discussions of progress then the progress you achieve will be incomplete. Any company that focuses on its employees and evolves around their workforces will eliminate many internal problems that companies today face. By increasing employee confidence in themselves, management and the company you create a culture where both the employees and the company thrive together. In such a culture of respect and inclusion you create a stronger foundation for the company to build on, you increase the earning potential of both that company and the industry as a whole. Money as a singular focus of a company will only serve to shorten the potential and longevity of that company. If you focus on building a strong internal culture you will evolve that company from a corporation into a cornerstone of civilization. Together you will raise the company to new heights while uplifting the culture of all of us. Business is important to humanity but not at the expense of our humanity. Stay Safe, Stay Sanitized and Stay Supportive, John Ames Birch @johneames2