Doing Good Work

 

As someone who has always worked in the not-for-profit world, I have learned, for myself and for those whom I advise and mentor, to pay deep attention to mission and values in any organization I join or work with. Unless these core statements of purpose align with my philosophy and approach to life, I am typically uninterested. Education of course is an arena where mission, goals and values are clear: creating places for young people to grow, healthily, ethically and intellectually. Depending on when and where you are seeking employment, however, you may not always have the luxury of perfect alignment. I hope, of course, that you do not compromise on your values, and that perhaps you can be a force for change within the place you work if needed. During this current time of upheaval and the ways in which many of us are raising necessary questions about organizational structures, racial inequity and public health, I wonder how much our drive to “do good work”, that is not only working successfully and well, but doing work for good,  might become even stronger.

Both the author Daniel Goleman and Harvard psychologist, Howard Gardner have written a good deal about “good work.” Expressing not only the need for basic competence and effectiveness at what you do, but also the alignment to mission and ethical values. (New York Times, 2008) Without these characteristics, Goleman argues “it does not make the cut for good work.” I want to develop and deepen the definition of “good work” even further by considering additional models for mutual partnerships.

I have always found ways to love my work; and I have always worked with colleagues who do too. I know that this is a luxury. Finding the time to reflect about how you find joy in your work brings you to a level of wisdom and self-awareness that cannot fail to propel you forward and influence those around you to engage in good work together. In short, it can make work truly worthwhile—for you personally and, perhaps, for the greater good.

Many for-profit companies also take a step into the “good work” world by devoting time and money to serving causes, or even directly aiding those in need through their actual structure: Tom’s shoes (“in business to improve lives”), a company that gives away a pair of shoes to people in need for each pair purchased and Bombas socks (“one purchased, one donated, always and forever”). Within companies like these, and others, many employees who can, help by going beyond and donate directly to charity, serve on non-profit boards, volunteer at soup kitchens, and perhaps the most meaningful, spend significant time working and learning in areas of particular need. (See Chef Jose Andrés and his work in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.) This deeper focus serves many purposes: direct aid to the organization in need and our own wellbeing, and above all sustainability, not “one-off” efforts. Ideally this becomes a partnership—real, and good work—not merely a one-way street.

During this time of heightened awareness and almost desperate desire to help, to learn and unlearn, and to find sustainable ways of changing and acting, I have become aware of another path to take: mutual aid. In a recent edition of the Anti-Racism Daily (November 10), the editor, Nicole Cardoza wrote: “The concept of mutual aid has been practiced for generations, particularly among Black and Brown communities and immigrant populations. In the 1780s-1830s, Black ‘benevolent societies’ developed in the northern states, wherein Black people— many previously enslaved— supported each other through voluntary cooperation (The Massachusetts Review). As documents from the era show, the ‘earliest mutual assistance societies among free blacks provided a form of health and life insurance for their members—care of the sick, burials for the dead, and support for widows and orphans’ (National Humanities Center).” In his excellent book Apollo’s Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We live, author, physician and sociologist, Nicholas Christakis describes the resurgence of mutual aid societies during the pandemic. He describes it as “solidarity not charity.” He highlights (Chapter 6, Banding Together) our human tendencies to want to help each other during times of sickness and how human traits of “love, cooperation, and teaching” make suffering more bearable and how “sharing” relieves pain and struggle.

In considering the concept of mutual aid and sustainable, long-term partnerships, I am proposing a higher goal that will create alliances that take the concept of “good work” beyond the personal, the individual. It is an active, change-oriented possibility that offers a myriad of options for us all. It moves away from a deficit model to a model of strength based on “the values and abundance already present within communities.” (Climate Justice Alliance, quoted in Anti-Racism Daily). I am hoping that my thoughts might promote some discussion within your workplace and guide us to consider broad community health and authentic partnerships as drivers for really good work, good work that serves our organizations and our world, and therefore each other and our community.

 

 

 

 




ADDITIONAL BLOGS THAT COULD BE OF INTEREST