Illustrated Blog

In recent years, thousands of Amazon workers have signed a letter making demands of their employer, hundreds of Wayfair employees have walked out in protest and 5% of Coinbase employees have quit due to unacceptable employment terms. Were these workers demanding higher pay? Work-from-home flexibility? Health care benefits? None of the above. The signatories demanded that Amazon improve its environmental sustainability. The walkers urged Wayfair to stop selling furniture to U.S. migrant detention camps. The Coinbase team members found it unacceptable that their employer didn’t publicly support Black Lives Matter. These workers were risking – or altogether forgoing – their jobs for employer actions they would not directly benefit from. They were demanding corporate practices supportive of societal causes, what is known as CSR (corporate social responsibility), ESG (environment social

Imagine allowing customers to pay whatever amount they want for your products or services. Sounds like a recipe for getting fleeced into bankruptcy, right? Yet, data from companies that use such Pay What You Want (PWYW) pricing suggests that, typically, people are not greedy jerks. Most of the time, most people will treat others fairly (see chapter 12 of Do Good at Work). Done well then, PWYW is a feasible method for allowing those who are financially stressed to benefit from your products or services. This, in turn, is a way to contribute to others or to societal causes through work, to do what I’ve termed job purposing. One company that uses PWYW is Humble Bundle, a digital storefront that sells curated sets of video games, music files, e-books and

Women who’ve recently marched for a cause are in debt to a Latin American who helped normalize female activism 200 years ago, Manuela Saenz. She was a lauded member of Peru’s independence movement against the tyranny of Spain. Among other acts of courage, Manuela took midnight rides to erase graffiti opposing the just cause of independence. Women exercising their freedom to divorce also ought to be grateful to Manuela. She left her British husband at a time when the women of his home country had no such legal right. Every woman donning a military uniform might also want to tip their beret or helmet to Manuela. She earned colonel rank in the Latin American military. In short, Manuela Saenz was a formidable force for justice. Nevertheless, the backward thinkers in

Like many of you, I’m heartsick for the people of Afghanistan–especially the girls and women left vulnerable to the Taliban squashing their rights and lives. It’s easy to feel helpless and hopeless. Let’s not forget, though, of a formidable force that we can nudge toward aiding Afghans (and other victims of displacement and human rights violations): business. We can, for example: Ask our employer to join the Tent Partnership for Refugees, a network of companies committed to integrating refugees in their host communities. Get our procurement department to join UNSTUCK, which helps businesses populate supply chains with providers that hire refugees. Encourage our employee resource groups (ERG’s) or corporate foundation to support efforts in the developing world through Alight, Global Giving, the International Rescue Committee, the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, Mercy Corps or the Malala Fund, which are all

A few days ago, I looked to the towering palm outside my window for inspiration as I often do. It was gone. Its owner cut it down that morning. Yet, for me, the Purposeful Palm is not gone. It’s as present as ever, only in an inverse form. My mind invented a palm-shaped hole in the landscape, as if a phantom tree inhabited it. I sense an absence. It occurred to me that my experience with the Purposeful Palm is a lite version of what happens when we lose someone we love. Lost ones remain present, only in the negative. We no longer see or hear them, but we feel the void they left. This, of course, can be emotionally excruciating. At a proper time in our healing journey, however, our recollection

One in five of our colleagues are returning to the workplace carrying the pain of having lost a loved one during this pandemic. The Purposeful Palm’s suggestion is one simple way to aid healthy workplace grieving. But there are many others. See, for example, “Facing Grief at Work” by Susan Hunt Stevens, Founder and CEO of WeSpire. While you’re there, subscribe to her Saturday Spark. All her posts are that good! For over 100 examples, plus 12 techniques, for otherwise to make meaningful contributions through your job, see Bea’s new book Do Good at Work: How Simple Acts of Social Purpose Drive Success and Wellbeing.