How can you refine your company culture to make a greater impact on your customer satisfaction and your bottom line while also motivating and encouraging each staff member?

Build acts of generosity into your core business values and watch how it transforms your company.

People who give their time, talents, or resources– expecting nothing in return– are personally more fulfilled, happier, and more peaceful, not to mention more productive at home and in the workplace. A recent study conducted by the University of California proved that generous individuals live a longer, healthier, happier life.

If that’s not enough reason to have generosity fuel your mission, let’s dive in a little deeper.

Generosity Starts The “Pay-It-Forward” Cycle

Generosity creates a ripple effect. When you do one act of kindness, it’s like throwing a stone into the water. That one simple act spreads and has a broader reach than you may expect it to have. The same University of California study (mentioned above) proved generosity produces more generosity. It spreads and transfers, creating a pay-it-forward effect. Someone affected by your generosity will act more generously toward others.

Imagine an internal work culture that is not “me first” but “you first” in its thinking. How would that affect your day-to-day operations?  How would that culture change your perspective and relationship with your clients?

Cultivating a culture of generosity is one of the easiest, most controllable things you can do for your business. At the end of this article, you’ll find a few simple ways to express generosity more freely. 

Generosity Turns To Gratitude

Generous people are grateful people. This truth is important because studies have shown that gratitude is essential to living a successful and fulfilled life. When we are thankful, our fear disappears, and abundance emerges. Grateful people also report fewer physical symptoms of illness, express greater optimism, attain loftier goals, and show a decrease in anxiety and depression.

Are you ready for a more positive work environment? Do you want to change the way your clients see you, so they keep coming back to you again and again?

Let your generosity remove negativity and stressors. It may take effort and sacrifices, but your generosity will have huge payoffs. Generosity fuels our brains with gratitude. And gratitude prepares our brains for generosity. Therefore, making generosity a goal of your business creates an unbreakable cycle.

Generosity Reaps Rewards

When generosity fuels your mission, you are not just doing good deeds during the holidays. You are creating lasting value by building generosity into your business model. While it seems counterintuitive, the more you give, the more benefits you will gain.

If you're looking for a way to grow, don't do it by cutting corners and squeezing everything you possibly can out of your customers and employees. Take a different, more thoughtful, more impactful approach. Give. Be generous. It's good for your customers. It's good for the communities you serve. And it's good for business.

Being generous earns great rewards, many of which compound over time as your reputation and impact grow.

3 Quick And Easy Ways To Be More Generous

#1: Share Knowledge Freely

Educate your target customers on various aspects of what you do and how it can change their life. Give it away. He who teaches leads.

#2: Give A Percent of Profits

Donate a portion of your sales to help those in need or support a charity—this type of giving yields the highest level of brand value.

#3: Delight Every Customer

Become radically generous with your customer service. Give away smiles and joy. Remove obstacles. Make it a pleasure to work with your company.  

Be generous with your time. Give away praise. Acknowledge good work. Share empathy. Listen attentively. 

If you are generous with your clients, partners, and employees, they're likely to return the favor. By making generosity one of your top priorities as a business leader, you'll likely find it reciprocated, and you may end up getting much more than you expected. 

Always remember, however, that you give to start the cycle of generosity and gratitude.