IN April 2020, pretty much at the onset of the pandemic, I decided to make my restaurant, The Fire Grill in TTDI, a useful hub for the most displaced in our community.
In the past 24 months, my team and I have successfully cooked and delivered 42,922 hot meals.
I am so filled with pride for my team because they bought-in to my vision of being a compassionate business that works for the betterment of our community. The extra hours, long days, and braving through the virus and other calamities have all been worth it.
I was especially delighted when we tabulated and worked out that we had produced this staggering number of meals in our small restaurant, manned by a passionate team.
Approximately 60% of the funds needed to mount this massive undertaking of hot meals came from our customers, well-wishers, my colleagues and clients. To all these wonderful people; we are eternally grateful for their kindness and generosity.
The rest of the funds came from our own coffers, by redirecting a part of our revenue for this project.
The Fire Grill Meals Initiative continues today even as we enter the endemic phase. 500 meals are being consistently cooked and delivered every single week to the most deserving in our community.
I now truly understand that compassion is a phenomenal emotion at the workplace.
Compassion has three main components. The first is to be able to understand other people and their problems. Next is to care for others and selflessly help those in need. And third, to give without any expectation.
At work, you may know people who volunteer their skills for various causes. And, it is interesting that a significant number of studies demonstrate that volunteering and being compassionate at the workplace actually reduces stress and offers more job satisfaction for many employees.
Research done by a leading British university discovered that any emotionally intelligent organisation is one that encourages volunteerism and actively promotes compassion within their team.
The same study said that workplace empathy invites more loyalty, dedication, and employee engagement.
So, what does community service do for your career?
Let's start by acknowledging that the world seems to be experiencing a shortage of real leaders.
Many people in leadership roles, both in the public and corporate sectors, are plagued with negativity. In Malaysia alone, there are numerous stories involving our compromised leaders.
There is an insightful analysis of this problem by James S. Rosebush. He spent six years observing, and learning leadership skills in the 1980s, while being an assistant to the then US President.
In a Harvard Business Review article titled "Why Great Leaders are in Short Supply"; he suggests that "…there is an increasing perception of incompetence, greed, and frivolity at the expense of the governed, the taxed, and the managed".
It is clear that to be a good leader, you must become competent, generous, and thoughtful.
In my experience of founding and managing this Meals Initiative at The Fire Grill, I know that engaging in an altruistic activity like this is the greatest teacher of these fundamental human values.
For young executives who are reading this, please remember that aside from your qualifications and skills, many employers look to hire candidates who are active in their community.
As recruiter myself, I can attest that most employers don't just want book-smart people. They want candidates with well-rounded experiences. This means that when I recruit for my clients, I tend to closely examine your activities outside work, from volunteering roles to internships, traveling, and more.
For example, if you are volunteering with an NGO or a service organisation, when you are being interviewed for a promotion or a better job, you can highlight how that experience relates to your commitment, focus and readiness to pursue something outside of your comfort zone.
I always ask behaviour-based questions when I interview a candidate. I am looking for real-life examples of what drives them when they answer my questions. And, I cannot think of a better way for someone to stand out from other candidates than by showing their commitment to helping others.
As for managers, and leaders of organisations; it is very easy for you to lose sight of your company's larger purpose as you get embroiled in the hassle and bother of day-to-day operations, meetings and crises.
Volunteering and community projects will give you and your team real, organic, and practical ways to represent your company positively in the communities that sustain your businesses.
A company also retains good talent when they engage in useful community work.
The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey indicates that around 80% of young people say that they would be more motivated, and committed at work, if they felt their employer made a positive impact in society.
I have always maintained that we must all be invested in increasing our personal value.
But we become valuable only when we add value to others. So, go out like my team at The Fire Grill, and be useful to your community, if you want to be valuable yourself.
Shankar R. Santhiram is managing consultant and executive leadership coach at EQTD Consulting. He is also the author of the national bestseller "So, You Want To Get Promoted?
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
