Do good deeds: great merit!

I have been riding motorcycles for over 50 years; I ride for pure enjoyment. In 2013, I had the opportunity to complete one of the most important items on my motorcycle bucket list: a 32-day, 34-state, 13,000-mile solo motorcycle ride along the U.S. border.

But before I started riding, I was introduced to The Boot Campaign, an organization founded by five Texas women whose mission is to provide support and services to active duty military personnel, veterans, and their families. Inspired by their commitment to giving back, and with a new sense of purpose, my ride became more than just a road trip. It became a personal mission to help people and organizations find meaningful ways to give back to the communities where they live, work, and gather.

We know that giving back makes us feel better, but when we try to viscerally tie what we do and its value to the organization’s bottom line, we should ask, is giving back actually good business?

A few years ago, I started a serious conversation with industry colleague Rowan Pickering of The Event Team about better opportunities to have a sustainable and transferable impact on team culture and performance. At the time, both of our companies were offering traditional team building events, but we had come to the conclusion that “team building” was just a buzzword to “try” to increase a sense of togetherness, belonging and purpose, without actually providing any real structure or transformation other than creating “winners and losers”.

Traditional team building activities focus primarily on competition and fun, but are too general to address specific organizational needs or support team growth. Often, any gains made in the moment fade and are forgotten once everyone returns to their daily work environment.

An organization is only as strong as its culture, and developing the skills, knowledge, work ethic, health, and teamwork of its employees is a serious matter. Experts agree:

• A study by Harvard Business Review shows that fostering effective teamwork and instilling a strong sense of purpose can increase employee belonging, commitment, and engagement.
• Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends report notes that companies that actively foster a sense of community and purpose are more likely to retain top talent.
• In his book Team of Teams, former JSOC Commander General Stanley McChrystal stressed the importance of intentional culture and mission in building effective teams.

Creating adaptive experiences that make people feel like they’re doing something meaningful that makes a difference in the lives of others (and themselves) is a concept Rowan began calling “Team Giving.” We decided to adopt and scale this concept through a “good cause” alliance we named “Two Doing Good.”

Read more: Unity through team building

Today, we work with nearly 100 charitable organizations to provide resources to address food insecurity, homelessness, literacy, disaster relief, health, wellness and the environment by partnering with organizations such as service clubs, hospitals, senior living centers, veterans service organizations and animal shelters. The needs are great, the opportunities are endless and the return on investment is gratifying.

If you bring people together through conferences and events to connect, learn and improve; it is so important to give them the opportunity to work together on a project that, when completed, will fundamentally change someone else’s life in a profoundly positive way. We always want anything that participants build, assemble and customize to remain local, as we want the “good” to benefit the destination.

Some of our favorites are In the Doghouse (pet shelter), Bee Good (community garden beehive), Wheelchairs for Warriors (veterans mobility), Uke Can Do It (music therapy instruments), Community Connections (autism LEGO art), Saddle-Up (rocking horses), Seasons of Service (holiday stocking stuffers), and BIG Box of Smiles (children’s hospital).

We always complete a “heart thing,” which is a surprise moment on the spot that highlights the impact of doing good. Often the recipient will participate, thank everyone who participated, and explain how their contribution will improve and advance someone else’s life journey. It is truly the most meaningful moment of the entire experience.

Read more: 5 ways to build community loyalty

This engagement creates some very tangible value propositions, as customers and employees alike see the experience as life-changing and community-building. The culture of team giving is also a key differentiator for the company; research confirms that nearly 90% of consumers will choose a brand associated with a good cause.

The “bottom line”: The results of these efforts (the outcomes) compared to the effort (the stress) that went into producing them definitely make good business sense.

2 Guys Doing Good connects good people with great causes to truly change the world through conferences and events. There is no better feeling than being a filler and force multiplier of kindness.

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Steven G. Foster, CMP, is one man, one motorcycle, and one mission: to help others energize their personal and professional lives with passion, power, and purpose; creating what he calls “full-on leadership.” Steven is an award-winning speaker, author, and business consultant, and the managing partner of Foster+Fathom, a leadership and kindness development group based in Dallas, Texas.

Steven’s leadership principle is simple: “Your perspective always determines your results, so go all in.” This is not surprising, as he is also a Harley-Davidson LIFE member and in 2013 he completed a 32-day, 34-state, 13,000-mile solo motorcycle ride along the U.S. border to raise awareness and support for the U.S. military; a journey he documented in his book, “Leadership Through All In: Passion, Power and Purpose at the Edge of America.” Steven can be reached at stevenfoster@foster-fathom.com or foster-fathom.com