When was the last time you were asked, “What do you do?” at a dinner party or when meeting someone new? What we do often defines who we are, our talents and our status.  

We all know how to answer the what, but have you asked yourself, why? Why do we do the work that we do? The work that occupies nearly all of our waking hours and takes us away from our homes, families, hobbies and our beloved pjs.  

There is a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” Are you feeling warm and fuzzy or filled with anxiety to step up your game? Either way the answer to “why do we do the work we do?” is an extremely important one.  

Having a sense of purpose in our life is critical to our well-being. In fact, in one study researchers found that people who demonstrate a sense of purpose in their lives have a 15 percent lower risk of death. Purpose in our roles at work is equally important seeing that we spend nearly all of our adult lives working. The average person works 92,100 hours over a 50-year career. Science says we all need a good reason to get out of bed every day, one that is greater than a paycheck and finding it means that we might live longer.  

Purpose driven organizations also seem to live longer. Many of the largest corporations in the United States have recognized that investing in their employees and communities can do more than give them material for a nice press release, it actually increases the long-term health of their business. Leading with passion, purpose and conviction seems to also increase profitability.   

As far back as 2013, a Harvard Business Review article showed companies that practice Conscious Capitalism perform ten times better than their peers. Nine in ten Americans expect companies to do more than make a profit. Consumers are more likely to trust, are more loyal to, and have a more positive image of companies that support social and environmental issues.  

Each year the percentage of workforce that wants to be part of a company that impacts the world around them grows. This is especially true of millennials. The Harvard Business Review found that roughly 50 percent of the global millennial workforce wants work that connects to a larger purpose. The 2015 U.S. Purpose Index study found that purpose-oriented employees have 64 percent higher levels of fulfillment in their work. One might conclude that future employee engagement is likely to be impacted by a company’s stance on corporate social responsibility.

So, what is your “why” beyond making money? Who are you trying to serve? As you explore the answers to these questions, remember that people on your team and company are more likely to own your purpose if they have a part in it. Even the smallest company can impact social change by making a simple donation. We as the produce industry collective already serve a larger purpose of feeding the world healthy and nutritious food so it naturally makes sense that many of our organizations choose a greater purpose in the areas of nutrition education, hunger, eliminating food waste and expanding access to healthy nutritious food. By 2050 we’ll need to feed two billion more people on this planet.  

Here are some great examples of how to add real purpose to your team and organization while adding purpose to your brand and position within the industry:

Make a donation of time
Volunteer as a team in the community or at your local food bank. The benefits of team volunteering are practically endless. Not only are you helping others, but you’re helping yourself improve as a person. Giving back gives you the opportunity to help make change in a community and work towards something great while also empowering teamwork and accomplishing something together outside of a conference room.  

Goods and services
Divert trucks, organize a food or clothing drive, donate your expertise, run or participate in a cause related marketing campaign that benefits your community.  

Charitable giving
While making a financial donation might seem obvious, be sure you are reviewing and updating your corporate giving program to include charities that align with your employees’ and customers’ social interest. Aligning with a cause marketing program to boost sales while making a difference is also a trending avenue for corporate giving.

Reduce food waste
Every year, American consumers, businesses and farms spend $218 billion a year, growing, processing, transporting and disposing of food that is never eaten. That’s 52 million tons of food sent to landfill annually, plus another 10 million tons that is discarded or left unharvested on farms. Meanwhile, one in seven Americans is food insecure. Task your team to find ways to reduce waste within your supply chain and reward them when they do.    

There’s no reason why even the most commercially successful companies can’t also contribute in meaningful ways in their communities.

(Lesley Daniels, account development director for Produce for Kids)