Authentic Values

Recently we spoke at a panel on the subject of what ‘Good’ means. Some difficult discussions came up around whether the means justify the ends: what if you’re a charity but your funds come from the NZ Lottery community grants (which is sourced from poker machines)? Does the potential harm of the source of the funds outweigh the good that your charity does with those funds in the community?

At Common Code we’ve delved into the ‘tech for good’ definition many times, but we’ve not necessarily reflected on our own leadership journeys and our authenticity in assessing what it means to ‘lead for good’.

Common Code subscribes to the idea that ‘good’ means social good - impacts or influence which benefits the community. Typically, we’re excited about projects that relate to renewable energy, education, or healthcare to name a few industries we like to work in.

Recently, social good has been defined as local and global citizens working together to unleash the potential of individuals, technology and collaboration. It's all about 'for good' here at Common Code but that ‘good’ also means being broad and inclusive. ‘For good’ may mean different things to different people in different contexts.

You can be part of a large organisation where the mandate/work is ‘for good’ (for example the health sector), or you can be in the commercial/corporate world where there is the chance to bring a ‘for good’ project to the table.

Every day more organisations commit to prioritising purpose and doing good, whether they are charities, public institutions, social enterprises or commercial organisations. As the world around us continues to change, and industries, businesses and communities rapidly evolve in this direction, thinking about authentic value in ourselves and our products or services is key to ensuring that Common Code truly works and leads for good.