When was the last time you thanked someone who had helped you, who had supported you unconditionally during a certain time?
Showing gratitude is something simple but it can have great impact on everyone involved. Helping others is an important step towards being happy / content. A research study by the London School of Economics shows that volunteers are happier. Those who volunteer once a month are 7% happier than those who do not get involved in such activities. Those who are volunteers every two weeks are 12% happier (Simple Changes, Big Rewards: A Practical, easy guide for healthy, happy living, Harvard Health Publications).
To be honest, I did not believe that such activities are meant for me. I thought that there are very sociable, empathetic, warm pacifist people who work in the field of volunteering, of NGOs.
And yet: a few years ago we (I and my colleagues from Interact) started working for ASPSE (The Association of Students in Psychology and Educational Sciences), the HR School. We participated in their volunteering actions, in their conferences, in their Change Management, gamification, learning and development workshops, did business simulations for them, in order to support them in their preparation for integration into organizations. There were whole weekends that we spent with these students, both myself and my colleagues. It was a way of showing that we care about them. More than that, volunteering can be a great way to make friends, to build better relationships with colleagues, by committing to a common cause without getting paid.
For the past two years we have participated in the Different Week (at two schools) and have worked with grade-0 and first-grade children. It was hard but rewarding to see kids so full of energy, creative, cheerful, willing to interact with us, to play, to sing, to dance. Children notice everything we do. They are extraordinarily good observers of our actions, and can learn how good it feels to help others, they can learn to shape good behaviours for their future.
Volunteering also gives us the opportunity to test some types of activities that may be interesting for our career in the long run.
Working with students and children has helped us shift our attention from our own problems and concerns for a while, and put things into perspective. We can compare ourselves with others and we realize that our own problems are not really that serious. Helping others can help our own self-esteem, help us grow as individuals, develop ourselves.
Earlier this year, I started to support through a series of actions a few women entrepreneurs in the world. I think there is still much room for the progress of female entrepreneurship both in the world, in general, and in Romania, in particular. I have become a volunteer in the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards this year, an international competition created in 2006, which involves developing a business plan by women entrepreneurs around the globe. The goal is to identify, support and encourage female entrepreneur projects on all continents to solve the problems that the world is facing globally; the project supports and rewards creative women who make their contribution to finding solutions for the future of humanity. The program is supported by Cartier, Insead Business School and McKinsey & Company.
Cartier is one of the world’s most prestigious luxury houses, founded in 1847, and produces exclusive collections of watches, jewelery, bags, and accessories.
Selected by the Financial Times for the past two years as the world’s No 1 School of Business, Insead offers participants a truly global experience, with all programs bringing together very diverse nationalities. Insead has campuses in Fontainebleau, France, Singapore and in Abu Dhabi.
McKinsey is one of the global management consultancy firms whose goal is to be the trusted consultant of all its clients. The company is present in over 60 countries.
Since the beginning of the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards, in 2006, more than 12900 entrepreneurs have entered the competition. There were selected 181 finalists from 46 countries and 58 laureates. 80% of these companies still work and have created over 5000 jobs.
I had the privilege of being an executive coach from Insead for Katie Andersen, the US entrepreneur who established Save Water Co. started in 2014, Save Water Co. works with owners and managers of large real estate companies to reduce water consumption by solving the problem of water leakage from sanitary facilities and kitchens.
The World Economic Forum considers the water crisis to be one of the greatest risks for business and society over the next ten years. Katie Anderson, the Dallas entrepreneur, launched this business that helps families save 113 million litres of water per month. To understand the magnitude, this quantity can meet a daily average consumption of 126000 households.
I believe all finalists are winners. This competition is a success story in itself and I am glad to be part of it. I’m glad I have had the opportunity to help someone, as I have had people from whom I learned, in the past, as well as now). And now, coaching with her, I have myself developed personally and professionally. You may say: Yes, of course, you have too much time on your hands.
I, too, have a lot on my head, and I have a high level of stress. But after each interaction I had a better perspective, with every meeting I had, I became a better person, I hope, both personally and professionally.
So wherever you are, whatever you do, I encourage you to give back / pay forward to others. You can start by thanking those who have done something for you. Then take some uninterested actions that will help the others. I do not think we can change the world with dramatic acts; but I think we can help others, little by little, so that, step by step, we can help transform the world. And maybe, in this process, we will also turn into better people.