The 1 Success Rule You Really Need

Over the years, I’ve heard and plenty of advice about how to be happier and more successful.  However, if I had only piece advice to guide my life and career towards success, it would be the (appropriately named) Golden Rule.  Here’s why:

1. It’s universal to every human culture.
If the golden rule didn’t create success, it wouldn’t universal to every culture and religion in the world:

China: “Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself.”
Egypt: “That which you hate to be done to you, do not do to another.”
Greece: “Avoid doing what you would blame others for doing.”
India: “Treat others as you treat yourself.”
The Old Testament: “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”
The New Testament: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
The Talmud: “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow.”
The Koran: “Wish for your brother, what you wish for yourself.”
2. It’s a practical guide to behavior.
The key to success in business is understanding what other people need and then finding a way to satisfy that need.  The golden rule explains exactly how you can accomplish this.

Consider: in the real world, you have control only over your own actions. The golden rule defines what actions to take by applying a simple, easily understood touchstone. It is (if you’ll pardon the biz-blab) both actionable and proactive.

3. It’s also the key to personal growth.
Sometimes people think the Golden Rule is just about how you treat others. Delve deeper, though, and you’ll see that it also defines how you should treat yourself.

You can’t possibly exercise the Golden Rule in your life if you’re treating yourself poorly. To love your neighbor as yourself, you must first love yourself.

And that’s essential, because self-love, melded with a desire to help others, creates the motivation and drive that can change the world.

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Article by Geoffrey James

This story originally appeared on inc.com

10 Questions to Ask Before Allowing Employees to Telecommute

More than ever, people are opting out of clocking in at the office and are working from their own turf instead. One in five workers across the globe telecommute from outside the workplace, many of them from the comfort of their homes, according to a recent Ipsos poll for Reuters.

While it can be easy to imagine telecommuters slacking off because they can, a recent Stanford University research suggests the opposite, revealing that working remotely actually makes employees up to 13 percent more productive — because they enjoy more job satisfaction. Chances are, employers of telecommuters are generally happier, too, and for quite a few good reasons, says Sara Sutton Fell, founder of the job site FlexJobs.com.

“Hiring telecommuters can help small and medium businesses expand into new territories and markets without setting up new office space,” says Fell. In addition to trimming office-related operating costs, the increasingly common practice can also significantly reduce burnout and turnover.

Here are 10 important questions to ask when hiring your first telecommuter:  

1. How can I be sure the candidate is truly qualified for the job?  
The hiring process for a telecommuter doesn’t have to be all that different than vetting an office worker, Fell says. How you screen them depends on your own personal interviewing style.

For example, Fell feels most comfortable doing her hiring via phone interview. If you prefer vetting potential hires face-to-face but can’t meet in-person, consider a meeting via Facetime, Skype or a similar videoconferencing tool.

After the initial interview or interviews, Fell suggests literally putting the candidate to the test at whatever skill or job function you expect him or her to perform. For example, when she hires writers, she asks them to draft a sample article. When her company brings on job researchers, she assigns them a research assignment.

You’ll also want to check a candidate’s government-issued identification and run a routine background check to verify his or her identity, and to weed out potentially untrustworthy types.

2. Who provides the equipment the candidate needs for work? Me or the telecommuter?
There are no real rules when it comes to equipment and office space, Fell says. List the specific types of technology the individual might require to fulfill his or her duties — perhaps Wi-Fi service and routers, laptops, landline, smartphones, printers, ink and any other equipment you would provide your in-office employees with — then add up the costs and see if you can budget for them. If not, your telecommuter might have to foot the equipment bill.

Flexjobs is a “Bring Your Own Device” employer and routinely asks its employees to provide their own work-related technology, though it does offer a stipend to help ease costs. Fell cautions that people who work from home shouldn’t expect you to pay their household utility expenses, like heat and electricity.

3. What happens if the candidate experiences technical difficulties on the job? How do I know he or she can handle it?
For extra reassurance, you can simply ask the person during the interview how he or she would handle specific scenarios that might affect the various technology their performance depends on, Fell suggests. To minimize roadblocks, train the person on any software and web-based tools they’ll need, if possible.

If the person’s home Wi-Fi is too slow or goes down, is the individual willing to relocate to a nearby Wi-Fi-enabled cafe, library or co-working space? Does the person know how to take and share a screenshot of a software error? Or, if a more complicated IT snafu occurs, does he or she have the communication skills to troubleshoot the problem with your company’s tech support team?

4. What’s the best way to communicate with an employee who works off-site?
It boils down to trial and error, Fell says. Test different options, including instant messaging, email, phone and videoconferencing options, and see what’s most effective for both parties.

How often you communicate with your telecommuter — hourly, daily, monthly — is up to you and depends on what they do for you. Fell advises using Join.Me (free trial, starting at $13 per month), an online meeting tool that her team relies on, for check-in meetings and web conference calls at least once a week.

Fell’s employees also chat together company-wide via Yammer (free basic option, $3 per user per month for advanced features, security and support), an enterprise social network app that’s like Facebook, only for work. For daily impromptu communication, Fell prefers emailing and instant messaging. And, of course, the phone, the old standby, is the most effective for quickly talking things through that might not otherwise come across clearly in written language.

 5. How can I track the progress of my telecommuter’s projects?
Google Drive, a free, cloud-based document processing and storage tool, is an all-in-one solution for creating, editing and sharing documents, presentations and spreadsheets. Dropbox (14-day free trial, $15 per user per month with annual pricing options) can be ideal for storing and sharing large files in the cloud.

For seamless individual and group project management and goal-tracking, Fell suggests the user-friendly Pivotal Tracker (free 60-day trial, startup options range from $7 to $18 per month, pro options from $50 to $175 per month, depending on the number of collaborators).

6. How can I include the telecommuter I hire in our company culture?
You can occasionally invite the person to take part in office parties and holiday celebrations, if he or she lives within driving distance to your office. Also, regularly include him or her in group discussions over the phone and via videoconferencing apps when possible.

Hearing and seeing each other in real time can help develop a friendly rapport that might be difficult to achieve with text-based communications. If you want the employee to be a core contributing member on your team for the long haul, take the time and effort to make him or her feel welcome.

7. Should I create a written company telecommuting policy?
Without a doubt yes, Fell says. “A telecommuting policy is a much-needed way to make sure that everyone is on the same page in terms of expectations.” It should be tailored to individual telecommuters and specify exactly what tasks and responsibilities are expected of them when and how often.

Your policy should also thoroughly address work hours. Are telecommuters required to work during your company’s set business hours or will they have a flexible schedule that they can determine themselves? Also be sure to address management oversight, says Fell. How often will managers check in with telecommuters and vice versa? Also spell out what your requirements are for internet speed and connectivity, technology and equipment.

8. Is there more I can do to keep tabs on telecommuters?
Unfortunately you won’t always know for sure what your teleworker is up to when you can’t physically see the person. That’s why hiring telecommuters requires a significant leap of faith, not to mention trust.

Referencing a recent study by Life Meets Work, Inc. and the Boston College Center for Work and Family, Fell says that “pretty much any manager can successfully manage a telecommuting workforce if they’re given the proper tools.” Make sure you have all of the tech and communication tools you need — as described in detail above — to feel confident that you’ll be up to properly tracking and evaluating your telecommuters contributions, both short- and long-term.

9. What if the candidate has young children?
To minimize potential parenting-related work distractions, downtime and time off, Fell suggests confirming that the candidate has adequate childcare solutions in place during his or her work hours.

“It’s simply impossible to be able to focus both on your work and your children at the same time,” she says. “It’s not good for either of them, and you wind up feeling stressed, stretched and unproductive in both areas.”

Still, she says employers should be reasonably flexible should emergency situations pop up that cause children to be home without childcare, including snow days and serious illness.

10. What are some common pitfalls to avoid?
Fell says the biggest mistake business owners make when allowing employees to work from home is failing to “adjust their management techniques for a telecommuting population.”

“Managers need to be a bit more hands-on with telecommuters because they can’t simply walk by their desk and see what they’re up to,” she says.

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Article by Kim Lachance Shandrow

This story originally appeared on entrepreneur.com

15 Ways to Overcome Procrastination and Get Stuff Done (Infographic)

If you never start, you’ll never have a chance to fail. But you’ll never have a chance to succeed, either.

So stop pretending you haven’t failed by not trying. Stop procrastinating and go for it. Your dilly-dallying around, your excuses, your poking, playing, puttering and loafing about aren’t fooling anyone. Procrastination is fear cloaked in nonchalance.

Have a look at this infographic, generated by U.K.-based infographic design company NeoMam Studios, for 15 techniques to fight your tendency to procrastinate. For example, don’t set unreasonably ambitious goals. Facing the impossible is paralyzing and you won’t end up doing much of anything.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

Article by Catherine Clifford

This story originally appeared on entrepreneur.com

How Being Proactive at Work Can Backfire

The ability to be “proactive” on the job has become a de facto requirement in most job postings. In fact, 87 percent of companies look for this specific trait from their applicants.

According to a new study, however, you ought to be careful what you wish for–or at least a lot more specific in those job ads. Being proactive is important, but knowing the right moment at which to take action is much more valuable in the workplace. That’s what makes the difference between employees acting intelligently on their own and those same employees coming off as simply too pushy and tone deaf.

Psychologists from the University of Bonn and Florida State University asked managers and supervisors about how their employees went about taking initiative and whether their actions were perceived positively. The study, published in the Journal of Management, found that pro-activity was only rewarded if the employee had the social insight to seize only appropriate opportunities.

“Anyone taking personal initiative should first make certain that one’s own activities are also actually desired,” professor Gerhard Blickle from the Institute of Psychology at the University of Bonn said in a press statement.

Employees should be careful when tackling projects that do not fall directly into their line of work or expertise without carefully communicating their intentions first. Otherwise, the study warns, they risk being labeled as “isolated troublemakers.”

“This consequently means that appropriate identification of favorable opportunities and the ability to adapt to the respective situation are important preconditions for skillfully putting personal initiative behaviors into place,” Blickle said.

While personal initiative is a key trait for entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals, it’s a little more complicated in a more corporate office environment. The extra effort, however, pays off. When done correctly, being consistently proactive can lead to a raise and a promotion.

“An atmosphere conducive to personal initiative led to additional positive economic results only if the person has a marked degree of social acumen,” added Dr. Andreas Wihler, Blickle’s colleague at the University of Bonn.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

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Article by Oscar Raymundo

This story originally appeared on inc.com

Richard Branson on How to Raise Money When You’re Just Starting Out

Q.: G’day Richard. I am a young engineering student with little to no practical experience as an entrepreneur. I think I’ve got a great idea, a ready and capable team, but have little money to pursue commercializing my novel product. I fear that potential investors will not take me seriously because of my age (21) and inexperience. How can I convince seasoned investors to believe in my team and invest in my idea? — Jordan Gruber, Australia

My friends and I came up with the name “Virgin” one day when we were 15 years old, sitting around in a basement. I was keen on the name “Slipped Disc” for our new music venture, but then one of my friends pointed out that when it came to business, “we’re all virgins; why don’t we call it that?” In our case, inexperience proved to be a huge asset — if we’d gone with the safer option, I’m not sure that many people would be working out at Slipped Disc Health Clubs or banking at Slipped Disc Money!

Innovation and entrepreneurship thrive on the energy of people who are dipping their toes into the water for the first time. Budding entrepreneurs with fresh outlooks have the freedom to think quite differently, which is tremendously exciting to potential collaborators. However, as you’re finding out, Jordan, translating a new concept into a product can be very daunting.

While you might not yet have the right connections or an “in” with major investors, other people out there do — experienced businesspeople, in your sector or in others, who were once in your shoes and went on to be successful. These people are potential mentors who can help you on your way.

Mentoring is a subject that is very close to our hearts at Virgin; I myself have benefited from many mentors throughout my life. However, don’t consider mentoring as a quick way to gain useful contacts. A good mentoring relationship is based on more than that — it’s a way to learn valuable lessons from the mistakes someone else has made.

Additionally, I noticed in your message an emphasis on convincing “seasoned investors” to back your idea. While securing huge sums of money from major business figures might seem like the ideal way to propel a business forward, the reality is that very few ventures win this kind of funding. A better alternative might be an online crowdfunding platform. Websites such as Indiegogo not only have the potential to fund the creation of a prototype to get your business up and running, but they also can result in significant publicity.

Another option is taking out a small business loan. In the U.K. we launched Virgin StartUp, a program that provides loans of up to 25,000 pounds to companies trying to get their ideas off the ground. It is well worth your time to look into similar initiatives in your area, and decide whether a loan is the right step for you. As an added benefit, both crowdfunding and small business loans will mean that you can retain full ownership of your business — you won’t have to give any equity away to investors.

Here are three steps that can help you discover which approach is best for you:
1. Evaluate and Research.

Always be honest with yourself about your abilities, the work you’ll have to put in to get your company up and running, and the amount of money you’re hoping to raise. Research all the options that are available, and evaluate how they would affect your end goal.

Ask yourself: Is your crowdfunding target realistic? How much of a stake in your business are you willing to give to potential investors?

And if you want to find a mentor who can help give you direction and guidance, make sure you find a suitable one. Find out what they do, whether they’ve mentored others before and which sectors they are interested in.
2. Get On People’s Radar.

Attend industry events such as seminars and conferences. Talk to as many people as possible, and do not immediately launch into a pitch of your product. Be sure to listen and learn from what people have to say.

Networking doesn’t stop at face-to-face contact, either; interact on social media, join LinkedIn groups and keep the relationships going online. When you do approach potential mentors or investors, or if you launch a crowdfunding campaign, you’ll have a degree of visibility.

In fact, the more proactive you are in building your profile, the more likely it is that potential investors will feel confident enough to put their faith in you — and their money in your company. Remember that the more relationships you build, the better the chances that your network will put you in touch with the people who can help your business.
3. Keep An Open Mind.

Remember to be flexible. While winning investment might look like the best option now, don’t discount any other opportunities that come your way. For example, crowdfunding might not have the prestige of an investment from a big-time entrepreneur, but it will connect you directly with future customers, and you will have more control over the process.

Keeping an open mind is especially important when it comes to mentoring. Don’t see mentorship as a quick fix for problems, and do not brush off advice. Consider your connection with a mentor as a long-lasting business relationship that can teach you lessons and reduce the potential for failure. But also remember that, as with anything else, you’ll get out of mentoring what you put in.

Making sure that your potential business is a success is not contingent upon gaining a large investment. Many successful companies — including Virgin — started with modest funds. Right now, investors might seem like they are the gatekeepers between you and your dream, but the one person who can make your business succeed is not an investor, or even a mentor. It is you.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

Article by Richard Branson

This story originally appeared on entrepreneur.com

6 Tips for Making a Deadline in a Crunch

I hate when I get behind. I try and plan well, so I have my work metered out evenly. But there are always unexpected distractions that occur. Then I have to reset everything, and there may not be enough time in the day or week to get it all done.

As best as I re-prioritize, there will simply be times when I need to push against a deadline. Those times require a different approach to my productivity habits. Here are the tips I have found will help get work completed by any deadline.

1. Delegate other stuff.

When facing a hard deadline, the first thing I need is clear head-space so I can focus. I immediately move all other priorities aside, giving the critical tasks to someone I trust. If I can’t delegate, I will often reset other deadlines that have flexibility. I will reach out to those involved to make sure their expectations are managed. Otherwise, my brain will be preoccupied with other issues rather than the one that requires attention.

2. Break the work into smaller chunks.

A big block of work in a short timeframe can seem intimidating. I like to dissect the project into micro-pieces so I can establish the timeline and adjust the order of tasks. Once I have a list of pieces, I can schedule them and estimate the time and effort required.

3. Use a timer.

If you’re racing the clock, it helps to have a clock you can race. I give each task a rough time estimate and then do my best to collect time as I go. There is a fine line between timing and clock watching, but a glance here or there helps me keep my efforts focused and steady.

4. Crank the music.

Music acts like a metronome. Upbeat music will help me move at a faster speed. If I am approaching a thoughtful project, the music can tone down my anxiety so I can focus. Music I love also elevates my attitude when the pressure is on. I have a favourite play-list I keep around just for intense work sessions.

5. Reassess in intervals.

Working fast doesn’t mean you have to work sloppy. I take periodic breaks to assess the work I have done and see where either the work or my process may need readjustment. Often the assessment happens in conjunction with the completion of sections, but sometimes the sections are more complex and I need to stop partway through and take a look. Either way, this activity prevents me from getting too far down the path with mistakes that could cost me more time.

6. Leave time for review.

No matter the time frame, I recognize that I may be rushing the work. To maintain my standard of quality, I make sure I leave reasonable time to review the entire project to make sure it meets up to expectations. When possible, I will shoot it over to someone with fresh eyes and use the feedback for final adjustment.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

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Article by Kevin Daum

This story originally appeared on inc.com

Having A Story To Tell Will Make Every Part Of Your Business Better

Why did you start your company?

No, I am not looking for the “I spotted a need in the marketplace,” answer.

I am looking for the story you tell your friends (maybe after a drink or two.)

Was it because you knew your former boss could have been serving customers better? (Or was a jerk and you swore you could run a company better?)

Was it as a by-product of trying to improving your own life; you were looking for a better tasting, healthier snack; a more efficient way to get work done; something that would keep you 15 month old amused for more than 12 seconds?

In short, what I am looking for is your story….and so are your customers and potential customers.

A story makes everything better.

There are literally thousands of companies out there–some of whom are your competition–who offer a product or service as good as the one your provide.

 

How can you stand out?

By having a story.

How did you end up creating the product or service that you did? What was unique about your journey? What was funny? Odd? Different? What might customers truly want to know about you and what you have to sell.

In other words, how can you humanize your company and make yourself memorable?

Whatever it is, tell people. In your marketing materials. On your web site. Through social media. Face-to-face.

It will help make you stand out.

 

Need proof?

Think about the stories you tell about a product you love.

For example, if you come over to our house for dinner, odds are we are going to offer you a California wine you have never heard of.

It is not that we are wine snobs. We’re not. I can barely tell a white from a red.

And it is not that the wine is extremely pricey. It isn’t.

We serve it because it is our favourite. And it’s our favourite because of the story we are sure to tell you.

We were out in wine country and made it a point to visit the winery that makes the Chardonay we like, the expensive one, the one we have on special occasions.

The winery was lovely. The wine we tasted was great. But the experience was awful.

The place was mobbed. (They had valet parking.) They were trying to sell you not only wine glasses and sweatshirts (with the winery’s logo) at every turn and overall it felt like Disney World during school vacation. It was a zoo.

We worked our way to a tasting section that was furthest from the crowds–yes, they had multiple places to sample the wine. We shared with the person pouring our negative reaction to the experience and asked “if you were us, which wineries would you visit.”

That’s simple, he said. Just head north on the Silverado Trail, the main road through Napa, and “stop in at places you have never heard of. You’ll have a great time.”

We took his advice and the first winery we came to couldn’t have been more different the palace we had just left.

There were dogs running around the property. The tasting took place in their barn and the wine glasses for the sampling were laid out on a plank that rested across two wine barrels. (You could see that the barn cat, who kept circling around us was thinking about how much fun it would be to jump up and knock them over.)

The entire experience was terrific. We left with a case and have them ship us at least one more every six months or so.

Is the wine truly wonderful? Well, it’s good. But we have had better.

What makes it our favourite was the experience and the story we can tell.

So, what’s your story?

Image by Getty Images

Article by Paul B. Brown

This story originally appeared on inc.com

Method to Their Madness: The Oddball Habits of 7 Business Masterminds (Infographic)

Big thinkers often rely on small rituals to keep their creative juices flowing.

Mark Parker, the CEO of Nike, likes to doodle. And Warren Buffett, the billionaire investor at the helm of legendary investing house Berkshire Hathaway, devotes time to sitting, reading and thinking.

Have a look at this infographic, generated by the U.K.-based design company NeoMam Studios, for a look at some of the more quirky habits of some of the most successful minds in business.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

Article by Catherine Clifford

This story originally appeared on entrepreneur.com

What Will Get You Hired Isn’t on Your Resume

It’s the holiday season, and millions of people are about to get a flood of unsolicited career advice from older relatives.

Most of it will be useless.

You don’t need to be told that a resume should be clear, uncluttered, and typo free. (A good summary of common, deal-breaking mistakes comes from Google HR head Laszlo Bock.) But don’t obsess over format and wording, which have rapidly diminishing returns.

Nor should you winnow stacks of job ads to find the one that you fit perfectly. (Obsessively tailoring a cover letter to such a job isn’t as important as you might think either.) As we’ve said before, job ads are mostly nonsense. They describe an ideal candidate who the company doesn’t actually expect to find. In fact, if you perfectly match a job, you’re likely a bit overqualified.

No, statistically speaking, there’s one thing that matters far more than any of these so-called bits of advice: Do you know someone at the company? A candidate with such a referral is much more likely to have their resume read, land an interview, and, ultimately, get an offer.

Referrals account for between 30 and 50 percent of hires in the U.S. In a paper published earlier this year, researchers from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and MIT studied data from a financial services company, and found that while referrals only made up about six percent of total applications, they resulted in more than a quarter of hires. That’s more than the number hired via online job boards, even though those job hunters accounted for 60 percent of applications and 40 percent of interviews.

In fact, a referral who gets an interview has a 40 percent better chance of getting hired than other candidates.

Applicants’ Fates Vary Based on How They Find Out About a Job

Another recent paper from researchers at the University of Minnesota and UC Berkeley found that these hires aren’t necessarily more skilled or smarter than other applicants. But researchers found that the referral hiring advantage exists across a big range of industries—in this case trucking, call centers, and technology.

A recent story on the phenomenon at The New York Times found that at EY (formerly Ernst & Young), 45 percent of non-entry placements are referrals after an aggressive move to increase them. The figure from Deloitte is 49 percent. At Sodexho, referrals are 10 times more likely to be hired, reflecting research finding that lower skilled jobs tend to be even more referral-dependent.

Employees are frequently incentivized with bonuses to refer people, usually with some tie to retention so they’re not passing along people who aren’t very good. It’s usually in the $1,000-$3,000 range. But the technology industry has taken things to extremes, offering upwards of $10,000. Some 70 percent of firms have formal programs to encourage referrals.

There’s a reason companies prefer to hire people who are referred. Such applicants have been shown repeatedly in studies to be significantly more likely to stay at a firm for longer, and to be more productive. This might be because the workers are better matches, or because they have a pre-existing mentor or monitor in the person that helped hire them.

Referrals also come pre-vetted—to a certain extent—and cost less to find.

Of course, there are downsides to the referral obsession. People overwhelmingly tend to refer those who are like themselves. A significant majority of referrals tend to be people of the same gender and race, and of a similar educational and socio-economic background. That can lead to a great deal of homogeneity in the workplace.

Perhaps the biggest current real-world example is Silicon Valley. Referrals are much more common in strong labor markets, and tech certainly qualifies. That has helped contribute to a workforce where some 80 plus percent of employees are men at the industry’s leading companies, and almost all white or Asian.

Referrals have a diversity cost. But companies will generally take the easier path that’s cheaper and more productive.

For those without the inclination to network, this can be tough news to hear. But the data is clear: Making connections pays off more than another dozen online applications.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

Image by COD Newsroom/Flickr

Article by Max Nisen

This story originally appeared on theatlantic.com

Why Giving Back Is Good for Business

During the holiday season, giving back is a powerful theme, especially if it’s something you focus on year round. Intellinet, a management-consulting and Microsoft-centric technology-services firm, is one great example. The company is committed to promoting and supporting the non-profit initiatives of individual employees, providing company sponsored volunteer opportunities, and incorporating the act of giving into company events. Through its Intellinet Serves and Intellinet Foundation, Intellinet has supported more than 50 local, national, and global charities since its inception in 1993. “Intellinet Serves was created to fulfill our goal of servant leadership and live out the core value of Service,” its mission statement reads.

Given the company’s core value of service and a clear vision to serve others as its primary business goal, I was curious what impact this can have on a business. So I recently sat down with Mark Seeley, Intellinet’s President and Senior Partner, to get his thoughts on the topic–and identify lessons for other entrepreneurs eager to give back.

You say service is one of your core business values. Why is that?

Intellinet was founded 20 years ago with a set of core values, and service was a key part of that. We are driven by a God-given sense of stewardship, whether that’s with the challenging projects we get to work on with our clients or the amazing group of people that choose to entrust us with their careers. One of the driving forces around our stewardship principle is that profitable growth is essential for the vitality of the business, but it’s not the most important reason for why we exist. While our core values are around leadership–accountability, passion, integrity, and purpose–our purpose is all-around service.

What comprises your “service” agenda?

Through our Intellient Foundation, we focus on three main areas. The first is actual time in service to nonprofits. We encourage and sponsor team-building days at local and national charities, such as Atlanta Food Bank, Atlanta Mission, Habitat for Humanity, JDRF, and others.

The second core tenet is integrating these charities into our activities. First is the Interlines Athletic Club, to help the health and well-being of our employees.

The third is the actual giving of our profits to these charities. The Intellinet Foundation was set up at the inception of our founding for this key purpose. We have been fortunate to give $250,000 to these charities–they have benefited from our time but also from our profit.

How does this focus on service affect employee’s happiness?

First, we want Intellinet to be the best place they have worked. Employees feel that they are working for more than a paycheck. These comments come from surveys that we do both externally and internally. One of our employees said it was a true blessing to work for a company that cares about others as much as we do. That dedication to service bleeds into the type of service you provide for your clients.

You mention impact being more important than money. How has that focus affected your company’s financial success?

Our customers almost invariably comment on the quality of people. By having a service-based mission and purpose, it’s allowed us to attract a mission-based person. Our employees value the mindset and it shows in their dedication to their work ethic and our clients.

How has the service-orientated focus benefited your organization in ways you would not have imagined?

By having strong core values, it has definitely allowed us to attract employees that have the same strong core values. In the consulting world, your business is about people helping people, and our employees are the ambassadors of our brand and the potential value that can be unlocked in our clients. It makes for an amazing team of sharp, driven, and compassionate people that help us live out our motto of promises kept.

My partner realized the value of a purpose-driven company, but it was reassuring to see that other employees and clients would fully embrace that purpose–that is more than just profit. Again, it’s attracted great people and great clients that have been longstanding friends.

What impact has your organization had on the community as a result of your service focus?

I think that companies such as Intellinet and others that stand for a purpose greater than themselves can and do truly impact the community. Not only financially and through time invested to help, but also through encouraging a broader group of companies to do the same. Our company started a program eight years ago over the holidays. Instead of giving out cards or cakes to clients, we would purposefully select charities that were important and impactful to employees. In lieu of those gifts, we allow our clients and partners to individually make a donation to the charity of their choice. We did this instead of a gift. The feedback we have gotten is that it’s great and that they want to do it in their companies. So the practice has moved on to other firms. I get a joy out of knowing we are helping our community–and others are inspired and following suit with similar initiatives.

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Image by Getty Images

Article by Laura Garnett

This story originally appeared on inc.com.