Humane Tech Journal: Change means doing something
As you may or may not know, here at Gravitywell we’re working towards becoming a B Corp. We’re doing pretty well - we’ve talked about how we’re doing right now, written an absolute mountain of policy to back those things up, and brainstormed about what we can do better in future.
Start changing something
One thing we’ve done is a lot of thinking. Thinking about who we are, what we want to be, thinking with others at networking events, thinking about other businesses we admire. What I’ve realised lately is that the B Corp community, and similar communities centred around ethics and sustainability, are often based on thinking. There’s an idea that if we inform enough people, there won’t be a problem anymore. If we can convince companies that B Corp is a good idea, get the MPs to listen, or publicise the science - then there’ll be a social epiphany and suddenly everything will shift in the direction we want it. There’s a sense that it’s more valuable to inform others than to change ourselves and our businesses.
But as it turns out, what counts isn’t the thinking or the desire for change. It’s the actual change - and the only way to do that is to actually start changing something.
This is a daunting prospect. Our safe haven of talking about changing things doesn’t feel so safe when we actually start making those changes. Real changes mean real effort, and those efforts often come with negotiations, disagreements and profit margins to worry about.
Take action!
So start small - but take action. Build momentum by doing things that make you feel good, and use that energy to tackle bigger, tougher problems. Does rewriting your parental leave policy sound too hard right now, but team volunteering is on the cards? Go out and rewild an area, feel good about yourselves and trust me, you’ll come back wanting to give those bigger-ticket items a shot.
Right now at Gravitywell, we’re trying to take more opportunities to engage with what we believe in, rather than stressing ourselves out over our awareness of what’s wrong. We’ve arranged a team coffee break to chat about what we value as individuals, and to start doing more of what matters to us. We’re looking at working with Neighbourly to get out and about volunteering. I’ve started the Center for Humane Technology’s Foundations of Humane Technology course - and it’s awesome.
What’s great is that in just a few days, I feel more motivated than ever to get through the practical stuff and into more of what we love. We might not be perfect right now, but we’ll never have the energy or drive to keep going if we don’t start doing some of the things we’ve been looking forward to!
In the Humane Tech Journal series, we reflect on our experiences and give insights into ethical and sustainable decision-making in tech. Watch this space!
