Working with an organization that your values align with?

From my experience, a significant number of people (in particular marketing people, although not limited to this field) think about how their values align with organization, but how many of them actually mean it? How many of those “organizational values” actually are “put into practice” and manifested in their organizational culture?

I think these are interesting questions and a concern that will be asked more and more by our generation. I’ve been thinking about this idea a lot lately.

On January 10, 2011,  I joined the team again, in a different capacity this time,  at Just Us! Coffee Roasters as their Marketing Coordinator. It is my second and will be my third coop placement (it’s an 8 month term). Every day I appreciate it more and more as I believe in the work that I am doing. We produce 100% Fair Trade, Organic products that put social, economic, and environmental development as number. What other company has a mission of “People and Planet Before Profits?” None, because it is trademarked, but you get the point. We have a Sustainable Development Committee that works very hard to bring new initiatives in every part of our business.

On Monday, I had the privilege of sitting in on a meeting and there are some very ambitious environmental goals for 2011. It’s exciting when one of the questions that’s posed is “how do we become 100% carbon offset?” I won’t ruin the surprise, but the goals will be up on our new website that is coming in the next few months.

Working for an organization that is doing business “different,” that is innovative, and that is willing to change,  it’s exciting. Working in a model that’s not perfect (worker coop), but heading in the right direction is truly refreshing.