Think Globally, Act Locally

March 11, 2017

“Think Globally, Act Locally” has been a rallying cry for the environmental movement for many years. I say it is time that we expand the use of this slogan and apply its message to social responsibility as well. There is a lot of anger and unrest in the country, more than we’ve seen in a long time. What if we refocused that anger and turned it toward positive, hands-on efforts to create the social changes we are seeking at the grassroots level? 

A lot of that anger has been directed at the government. Personally, I don’t expect positive social change to come from our government, and I haven’t for a long time. Government is too fragmented. Through political eyes, a positive change for one person is a negative change for the next person, so agreement is difficult to reach. In addition to the political division, government just doesn’t have the resources to make profound differences anymore. The government is spread too thin financially and is no longer able to make broad changes or mobilize people as it once did. 

To me, the best way to move forward with positive social change is by rolling up our collective sleeves and getting to work in local communities. As Gandhi said, “be the change you want to see in the world.” Change needs to happen at the grassroots level. Your time and resources are best spent serving those in your hometown. What’s your passion? Is it public education? Ending discrimination? Feeding the hungry? No matter the cause, you can find ways to get involved and make a difference here in northern Michigan.

The Petoskey Regional Chamber made the decision to lead change in Petoskey last year. In the past, as a business organization, our work was focused on programs and services that have helped businesses succeed. Now we’ve broadened that vision to help our community succeed through the work of local businesses. 

Businesses are sometimes portrayed as evil, driven by corporate greed. And yes, there are bad businesses out there, but they are a small minority. The businesses I know are led by good people who provide good jobs and have positive impact on their communities. They are the same businesses who support Little League Baseball, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, student robotics programs, food banks, land protection agencies, the arts, and on and on. Attend any community-led event and you will find it is sponsored or supported by local businesses.

My friend Nathan Havey of northern Michigan’s own Thrive Consulting has been mentoring me for the past couple of years on the concept of elevating humanity through businesses. It’s known by many names: corporate social responsibility, conscious capitalism, conscious business, triple bottom line, positive business practices. No matter the name, the idea is that businesses should find a purpose beyond their profits, and then continue to do business to help fulfill that higher purpose.

Why businesses? As Nathan has taught me, businesses are the largest conveners of human effort. Businesses are the organizations that get things done. They are innovative, resourceful, efficient, and capable of doing great things by leading the people they employ. For more and more businesses, the great things they are doing go beyond the service or product they provide, and go way beyond their bottom line. Instead their efforts go toward enhancing the environment in which they live and the communities that support them.

Northern Michigan is blessed with a strong and effective nonprofit network. Much of the social change in our region is led by these organizations, and some of our strongest leaders are at their helms. We are fortunate to have them and I’m grateful for the work that they do. But think about it, much of the work that comes from the nonprofit sector comes on the backs of businesses. Many of their donors are businesses or individuals who acquired wealth through business success. 

I see the business community as being poised and ready to make the next level of change we want to see in our hometowns. In Petoskey, our Chamber is leading an initiative called “Thriving Petoskey” with a mission of promoting positive business practices that help our businesses and communities thrive. 

Over the two years of this initiative, I’ve heard many good stories about area businesses doing great things to enhance the lives of their employees or giving back to their community. Businesses are really the good guys after all. They’ve been quietly doing good things, supporting local causes, being environmentally friendly, and giving their employees a great place to work. Through Thriving Petoskey we will be telling those stories in hopes of growing the momentum and getting businesses accurately portrayed as the organizations making a positive difference.

This is a movement I can get behind.

Carlin Smith is the president of the Petoskey Area Chamber of Commerce.