We recently had the pleasure of meeting the great people of charity: water, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.
Lindsay Ratowsky, charity: water’s Community and Culture Manager, graciously sat down with us to share how the organization strives to create a work environment that instills passion, fun, a true sense of fulfillment, and strong interpersonal relationships amongst the staff and leadership team.
The Takeaways
Here are five simple things charity: water teaches us about working in the grey.
1. Make work playful. Whether it is an “all staff meeting” for beer and pizza or encouraging colleagues to participate in team sports together, encourage employees to hang out in a non-work related way.
2. Stay connected to the mission. Large imagery of the places and faces directly impacted by your work is a daily reminder of why you got out of bed in the first place. At charity: water, this serves as a way to stay connected to the lives of real people, who are often thousands of miles away. In the video above, you may have also noticed big yellow cans all over the office. These are jerry cans, and they are used to collect and transport water from collection points to homes. The jerry can silhouette is also the official symbol of the organization Did you know? A full jerry can can weigh up to 44 lbs!
3.Personalize your space. Employees at charity: water are encouraged to bring in photos and otherwise decorate at their desk and throughout the office. This simple addition allows employees to blend their personal passions within their professional environment. It also creates an awesome looking space.
4. Find your strengths. charity: water has each applicant to the organization take an assessment called Strengths Finder. The reason? Quite simply, charity: water wants people to succeed. When hired, a person’s strengths are displayed prominently on their desks. With knowledge of everyone’s strengths, the company can make sure each employee contributes to their true potential. Ratowsky recently shared with us how this tool is really helpful in understanding your co-workers, “You learn what to expect from people, how they work best, and what projects might be best suited for each individual.”