What we can learn from Ebeneezer Scrooge about Caring for our Team, our Customers and our Community

Dominic, one of the mini Boos, is currenting shining as Tiny Tim in the Octagon A Christmas Carol. We couldn’t be prouder, so Helen must be bursting! It’s a brilliant production, with such a fun fresh take on the story – go and see it.

The story of A Christmas Carol reminds us that we still often see enterprise and compassion as incompatible things, a view we at Boo challenge every day.

Most of us probably assume that the lessons in this 178-year old morality tale are no longer relevant to present day society. We’d certainly assume that Ebeneezer Scrooge would not be the obvious embodiment of one of our company’s core values – Caring for Our Teams, Our Customers and Our Community.

Ebenezer Scrooge is a tight fisted ‘man of business’ – a title he proudly wields to justify his lack of charity and concern for others.

In the beginning of the story, he is asked to give money; simply to pledge a donation so that a third party can use it to take positive action in the community. This is traditionally how profit-making organisations satisfy their ‘corporate social responsibility’. The quotation marks are there because ‘CSR’ has picked up a reputation for being a bit of a box-ticking exercise. Whether this is a fair assessment in every case or not, there’s room for exploring a different relationship between giving and commerce.

Arguably, what Scrooge eventually does (as part of his atonement and redemption) is even better.

He enhances the life of his employee.

Firstly, he gives a direct donation of something he knows is needed (in this instance, a turkey) and would be welcome and appreciated, and in return he gets the pleasure of imagining their joy in receiving the gift that day.

Secondly, he improves his employee’s working conditions. Pays him enough to live on. Gives him extra time to be with his family. Makes his working environment more comfortable. Alleviates some of his worries about his dependents. What do you think Scrooge will get in return for that?

If only we’d left the phenomenon of the working poor in Dickensian times. The shameful reality is that people are not being paid enough to live on, today, in the place where you live. This is the reason we campaign for the organisations to commit to pay the Real Living Wage. You can find out more about the Living Wage movement here.

Enterprise and profit is still often associate with meanness. You are a Scrooge or you are a Have-not. We challenge that with out very existence – when we talk about Caring for your Teams, not only are we reminding you that it’s the right thing to do, we’re telling you that happy and healthy employees will look after your customers. They will stay with your business. They will bring their best selves to work.

Let’s not forget that if Scrooge hadn’t accumulated money, he wouldn’t have been able to do good with it. When we generate social value through our choices, our modus operandi and through our time bank scheme*, we choose to support organisations in a joyful, hands-on way. This means we get to see the positive impact we’ve contributed to, without the help of three ghosts!

Here are some of the causes we’re currently supporting, you can find out more about how you can help by clicking each link:

Wishing you a joyful December!

#TeamBoo

*For every day we are commissioned to deliver our programmes, we bank an hour to give back to our community.

What we can learn from Ebeneezer Scrooge about Caring for our Team, our Customers and our Community