by john@johnhagerman.com |
By John Hagerman For the past eight months I’ve been teaching public relations and public speaking. When I teach, I’m not always very subtle, so I’m pretty blunt about telling my students that part of their future jobs should be advising their employers to get on the bandwagon for doing good things in the community. I showed them the Edelman Good Purpose survey that says customers expect companies to do more than just write checks. I also shared some of my 10 years of experiences working with employees and organizations helping them find ways to make a difference. The positive impact on employees who are encouraged to get involved in doing good in the community is measured by more than increases in productivity; it’s measured by greater satisfaction in their work, better retention rates, and the shared connections that build stronger communities both inside and outside of the workplace. I can easily trace the roots of my commitment to making a difference to a single day in 2003. As I gave the eulogy at my mother’s funeral in October of 2003, I looked out and saw a church overflowing with people. Two days later we filled the Old Log Theater, the home of her actress soul, with another 400 people. I couldn’t help but wonder how many people would show up at my funeral. I didn’t like the answer and knew I needed to make some changes, but I wasn’t sure what to do. My wife gave me the answer a few months later when she gave me a framed Winston Churchill quote that read, “You make a living...
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