How can we give back?

So many things are happening in the world today: terrorism, environmental issues, people forced to flee their homes, to name a few… The world is a rough place right now! At InSites Consulting, 170 passionate and young (at heart) people are working for 30% of the world’s global brands every day. Following the NextGen trend identified by Joeri Van den Bergh, we are part of the realistic generation, driven to make the world a better place. We love our job and what it brings us but we also like to give back.
As Ben Carson said: “Happiness doesn’t result from what we get, but from what we give”. In all our offices, the desire to give back appears to be growing. This became clear during our latest congress in Ibiza, where we had several group discussions, presentations and brainstorms on this topic and everyone was encouraged to think along regarding our next steps. And in the spirit of this week’s #GivingTuesday and the forthcoming holiday season we want to share 7 suggestions as to how we think the InSites Consulting team can give something back to society (keeping our company values in mind). All inspired by the discussions with, and suggestions from our colleagues.

1. Forward thinking

“We want to lead change instead of just follow, embracing the future and being pro-active and critical.’’

As Rebecca Salama stated in her congress presentation: “Our goal should be to become a green leader”. So, how do we become greener? She immediately added a few good ideas:

  • Implementing (smart) sensors and switches to be sure all lights, screens and heaters are off when the office is closed at night.
  • Getting rid of all disposable cups and start using our own reusable mugs.
  • Furthermore, something which is even easier to implement: how about introducing a sweater day once a week, so we can turn down the heating and realize how many times we unnecessarily turn it up.

2. Openness

“We embrace diversity in thoughts, opinions and background and are open to learn from others.’’

We believe it is important to realize that having a job and being able to do what we like are things we should not take for granted. Over 3 billion people are living on less than $2.50 a day. Luckily there are organizations around us which offer their help and do what they can to fight poverty. What if we would support these organizations by offering our market research knowledge and resources, conducting research projects for them at cost price?

3. Result-driven

“We are serious about commitment and obtaining results. We work hard and put in the extra effort to get things done.’’

In line with this thinking, InSites Consulting organized the 100 miles cycle from the Rotterdam office to the Ghent office in 2013, which was great fun. What if we could organize a yearly InSites Consulting sports event where we challenge our sporting capabilities and at the same time raise money for a worthy cause?!
The 100Miles team

4. WE-oriented

“We are more than just the sum of great individuals. We care for and put trust in each other. We team up with one another for bigger impact and greater happiness.”

We already have great team building initiatives within our organizations; why not start looking for connections in our direct environment and increase our neighbors’ happiness?! We could all support a local charity project, for example via initiatives as NLdoet, a platform in the Netherlands that connects volunteers to those who need all kinds of help, such as painting a local school or organizing a fun afternoon for the elderly.

5. Adaptive

“We plan and prepare for constant change without losing track of our long-term ambitions.’’

One of InSites Consulting’s recent initiatives was to completely revise our current car policy. Even though current facilities for electric cars are still limited and not yet implemented through all areas in Belgium and the Netherlands, InSites Consulting has decided to be adaptive to the future and ordered 25 fully-electric BMWs to reduce our ecological footprint.
Prominent green parking spaces

6. Respectful

“We are respectful to everyone, no matter what happens. We create harmony with each other and everyone else we interact with.’’

Animal agriculture and the burning of fossil fuels for energy are among the main contributors to global warming, along with deforestation. The global livestock industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all cars, planes, trains and ships combined. So, animal agriculture and meat consumption are significant contributors to global warming. This is why we support having a veggie day once a week: no meat allowed on Mondays at any InSites Consulting office, worldwide!

7. Daring

“We are a little weird. We allow crazy things to happen and even support it.’’

What if we think big and create green roofs on top of our office buildings? The Flemish government even provides subsidies for green roof development. And while we are at it, why would we not install some solar panels too?
As Michael Jackson said: “If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make that change.”
We were inspired by many colleagues who started thinking about giving back already; a special thanks to Tim, Rebecca, Pieter, Vincent, Giulia, Andrej, Anita, Simona, Jilke and everyone else who stimulated the discussions and came up with these good suggestions which will enable us to give back. At InSites Consulting we have already implemented some great ways of giving back to society but we can definitely do more. As we saw: giving back fits very well with our values and a small effort can already make a change. Let’s embrace the above-mentioned ideas and make the word a better place. Note: don’t be surprised when you see us with veggie meals and sweaters, feel free to follow our lead ;-).

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