I find that many people are under the false assumption that to make an impact at work, you have to be a CEO or executive – and that’s not true. Pragmatic altruism – that is, my philosophy that doing good is good business – is not just for the “higher-ups.” There are opportunities for everyone to put this into practice.

Regardless of the industries we’re in, all of us should strive to be the best version of ourselves for the people we serve. In other words, bring your best self to work – and when you do that, you’ll be using your skills and talents in a way that not only positively impacts your co-workers but also those you serve. We all have the opportunity to do good in our workplace and the surrounding community as a whole.

That sounds great, but what does this look like in the daily grind? Let me give you a few specific examples.

• If you work on a manufacturing line, use attention to detail, be a good co-worker and team member. In other words, do everything in your power to ensure you’re delivering a quality product.
• If you’re a nurse, ensure you have the expertise necessary for the role you’re in and use that expertise to provide the highest quality of care you can.
• If you happen to be a manager in any industry, invest time in getting to know your employees and understand their needs and motivations. Then, do everything you can to meet those needs and tend to those motivations. Happy employees are more productive employees – and they do a better job of promoting your business or organization to clients and customers.

In addition to these examples, I have one more note about making an impact – as individuals, it’s vital for us to be strategic givers. Supporting organizations we believe in is important. While some may support several organizations with smaller gifts, increasingly, people are making fewer gifts in larger amounts to significantly impact a few organizations. Regardless of how you approach your giving, know that your financial contributions have the power to make an impact, no matter how small. This has always been the case, but it is especially true in the midst of a pandemic.