8 Inspiring Business Trends in 2017
It's safe to say 2017 saw its fair share of challenges. Yet there was good news as well, and we should celebrate it.
Organizations big and small stood up for what they believe in this past year, helping those in need, advancing life-enhancing technologies, and giving back to their local and global communities. From IBM and local coffee shops to People Piece clients like Solar Mosaic, Cirrus Logic and The ClimateWorks Foundation, business and non-profits helped disaster victims, stood up for gender equality, protected the environment, and gave refugees a second chance.
We were really inspired by these stories and want to share them with you here at year's end. Here are some of our favorites:
1. Helping natural disaster victims
After Hurricane Maria left most of the island of Puerto Rico without power, alternative energy powerhouse Tesla installed solar panels and battery systems throughout the US territory to bring electricity back to hospitals, senior centers, and water treatment plants. Michelin-starred chef José Andrés—known in the Washington, DC, area for his ThinkFood group of restaurants—set up a network of kitchens that has served more than 2.5 million meals. (Photo: Credit Eric Rojas for The New York Times)
2. Protecting public lands
When the President threatened to pull back protections on national park land, outdoor companies—who once struggled to catch lawmakers’ attention—stepped up to keep these areas pristine and wild for everyone. REI CEO Jerry Stritzke urged people to ask the US Government to keep protections against drilling and fracking in place. And Patagonia’s website claimed in bold letters, “The President stole your land,” after announcements that two million acres of pristine wilderness in Utah would lose federal protections.
3. Giving refugees a fresh start
In Berkeley, 1951 Coffee Company received a grant from the Starbucks Foundation to expand its program to train refugees in cafe management, helping them get on their feet and learn essential business skills. Globally, the cafe chain announced in January that the company would hire 10,000 refugees across 75 countries over the next 5 years. (Photo: Mikaela Raphael / DailyCal)
4. Standing up for immigrants
After several visa and immigration restrictions for people from seven Muslim-majority countries, several tech industry giants—including the CEOs of Apple, Twitter, and Netflix—issued public statements against the increased restrictions. After tens of thousands of Americans took to streets and airports in protest, the courts blocked most of the moves.
When the White House called to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (known as DACA), IBM, Salesforce, and Facebook all made public statements in support of the program. DACA helps undocumented immigrants, referred to as Dreamers, who came to the US as children get driver’s licenses, register for college, and find employment. (Photo: Luis Largo / Twitter)
5. Women on the rise
The #metoo movement was named TIME magazine’s “Person of the Year,” and we’re inspired to see more companies valuing women’s skills and listening to their voices, particularly in the tech sector. Since Susan Wojcicki (seen at left) took over YouTube in 2014, she has increased the number of female employees there from 24% to 30%.
A recent report by the Brookings Institute revealed that while men still dominate the tech sector, women are developing tech skills faster than men. When a workplace is good for women, it’s good for everyone who works there. Of course, it takes time to change workplace culture and there is a lot left to do, but we’re heartened to see women’s voices and concerns take the spotlight. (Photo: Adam Fedderly / FastCompany)
6. Volunteering and giving back
It’s no secret that when you do good, you feel good. Giving back to the community is a great way to increase employee engagement and satisfaction, particularly as several recent surveys indicate that employee engagement is on the decline. Apple, Salesforce, People Piece client Whole Foods Market and others all have extensive employee volunteer programs, so it’s no surprise that they’re on Forbes Magazine’s list of 100 best companies to work for. (Photo: Duy Ho Photography)
7. Employee engagement on the rise
After years of discouraging news, Gallup’s recent State of the American Workforce survey showed a slight uptick in employee engagement. The level is still low—only 34.1% of employees. But we see this number as an opportunity. Younger workers, particularly Millennials, want to work for companies whose values align with their own.
What's the greatest driver of employee engagement? Great management. It's one reason People Piece client Cirrus Logic consistently makes the Great Place to Work Top 100 list: a whopping 96% of the firm's employees say they have a great boss.
8. Renewable energy takes center stage
Renewable and sustainable energy generation continued to increase in 2017. We're proud of our clients who are leading the way. The San Francicisco-based ClimateWorks Foundation collaborates with funders, regional and research partners, and other climate leaders to strengthen philanthropy’s response to climate change. We’re helping the organization grow a culture of increased feedback and open discussion. (Photo: Jacob Kepler, Bloomberg, Getty Images)
In Oakland, Solar Mosaic is the national leader in residential solar lending. We're working with this rapidly growing firm to help its leaders and managers coach, give feedback, and develop team members. At Liberty Utilities, which has made a commitment to vastly increasing its renewable energy generation, we're helping the company drive its engagement scores by focusing on ownership, communication and accountability.
At The People Piece, we work with growing, values-driven organizations committed to developing the best people, workplaces and organizational cultures. Get in touch if you’d like to learn more about how our tailored coaching and training programs for individual contributors, managers, leaders and teams can help develop your people and strengthen your company culture.
We hope that these stories gave you hope for the coming year and sparked a little extra holiday joy.
Roni Krouzman and The People Piece team
We develop great leaders, managers, and teams