What do we mean by ‘good work’?

by Elizabeth Benefield

When discussing the vision of Radiate Works with a wonderful colleague the other day, he asked Melissa and me, “So what do y’all mean by good work?”

After a bit of stumbling and over-explaining, I turned the tables. “If your company was doing good work, then you would be . . . ” Hmm . . . he thought for a moment and said, “Our employees would feel they are doing meaningful work; we would be deeply engaged in our community; we would have a supportive and joyful work culture that encourages creativity and a sense of connection and purpose, one in which every member of the team feels valued.” He then went on to mention the importance of excellence in their work, and that the company is productive and profitable. (forgive me, Will, for paraphrasing or missing something important!)

The ordering of his response didn’t surprise us. At Radiate Works we believe that if your organization is successful in achieving a positive culture centered on purposeful work, one that values the contributions of every staff member and encourages creativity, there is a good chance this will be reflected in the bottom line - better employee recruitment and retention, a happier workforce, collaboration and teamwork, effective problem solving, and a community of stakeholders that sees value in your mission.

Our team at Radiate Works helps organizations achieve good work by learning how to embed innovation practice into their day-to-day operations. We work with organizations who are courageously seeking to align their mission to deliver a valuable product or service with a desire to also be good stewards of the planet and humankind. We partner with those committed to creating amazing and productive teams. We break inertia, and help visionary leadership bring about thoughtful cultural change. We are catalysts, strategists and educators.

Our methodology helps uncover points of tension, and more importantly, amplifies hidden assets and talent. Our superpower is a diverse team that brings the sensibilities of the business world together with those of the public sector, helping to level set market demands with innovative and sustainable practice. We are committed to results that achieve higher levels of stakeholder engagement and in return, productivity.

This process of opening new channels of innovation is inherently optimistic and aspirational. It is neither top down nor bottom up. Rather, we assert that peak performance and results often come from the center and radiate outward. This is the Radiate EffectTM. And this is what we mean by doing good work.