As one of the world’s largest IT and business consulting services companies, we have established a long-standing and deep commitment to global environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG), which extends to each country in which we operate.
Committed to social responsibility
STEPtember stands as Australia’s leading virtual health and wellness fundraising challenge, where Australians are encouraged to walk, swim, ride, wheel or spin their way to 10,000 steps every day during the month of September. These efforts are dedicated to raising funds for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance, that support individuals living with cerebral palsy across Australia.
While focusing on this cause is a priority for us, uniting a community and conveying the significance of such initiatives can sometimes be challenging. However, a positive aspect of an initiative of this nature lies in the promotion of team-building, pride, well-being and health, alongside fundraising efforts.
This is just one example of our ongoing commitment to ESG both locally and globally.
My threefold personal motivation
Let me start by explaining why I personally choose to get involved. First, this initiative and charity hold incredible importance. Our interest here goes beyond the physical activities required - our efforts are also focused on raising funds in support of the cause.
Second, I believe it’s important to raise awareness of cerebral palsy in our communities. I know that there are many other noteworthy initiatives and charities out there. This makes it easy to get lost among all these different initiatives but this is one that I am particularly interested in supporting.
Finally, this initiative contributes to the health and well-being of individuals. In my case, I could definitely do with losing a few kilos and raising my well-being and health levels. With this occurring in September, it is a good run into summer.
As people transition to more relaxed clothing, and aim to look and feel their best, the opportunity to get outside and enjoy the great weather becomes enticing. So it is hitting all the right notes.
From a corporate standpoint, STEPtember has also contributed positively to our employees’ physical and mental well-being. As a high-performance business, it’s only natural that those who thrive in such an environment carry that work ethic into their personal and professional lives.
What this means is that when our employees choose to participate in STEPtember, they tend to go above and beyond. As a result, we raise a lot of money as a team. This has a tremendous impact on the psyche of our people, on their contribution to society as a whole, and to teamwork.
There's an old saying, ‘Think good, feel good, do good.’
When you are in a position where you are losing weight and getting fit, you will start to feel great. This positive transformation has a significant impact on your emotional and intellectual well-being, influencing not just your work environment, but also your interactions with family and social circles.
Over the last five years that I have enjoyed doing this activity with my team and the broader organisation, I’ve observed a consistently uplifting experience. People tend to feel better, and as a result, they excel at whatever it is they are doing, wouldn’t you agree?
Knock-on positive impact at the workplace
Morale is a straightforward aspect, in that, once you put people into teams and they start working together, a sense of camaraderie emerges. Gradually, this can cascade down into how they feel about themselves too, which is wonderful.
However, let’s address the importance of a sense of purpose too, for we know the impact this has. CGI provides financial support for initiatives such as this - it is not just the employees’ own contributions but their family and friends too because this is how the system works.
Before you know it, you’re looking for any excuse to go for a little walk, perhaps a walk down to the beach. Personally, heading to Coogee Beach, marching up and down the promenade either early in the morning or late in the day is an amazing experience. It boosts my enthusiasm for work but don’t let this overshadow our biggest objective here - we want to be able to give back and contribute.
I can’t help but come back to the other fun and beneficial aspects of STEPtember perhaps because it offers a unique combination of health, teamwork, and community engagement.
I am drawn to the camaraderie, in particular, and a shared sense of purpose that emerges. Obviously, this sort of activity can create a very competitive environment but then, it also builds team spirit.
At CGI, we publish our leaderboards weekly, for our top steppers and fundraisers. The leaderboard becomes a focal point, so you’ll find people looking at how to do 20,000 steps in a day!
This competition drives individuals to push harder, go a little further, and do just one more thing, all in the name of a worthy cause.
Everyone becomes a little bit trimmer, a little bit healthier, and I’d even dare say, a little bit happier too.
At CGI, environmental, social, and corporate governance is an intrinsic part of our business and we embrace this wholeheartedly, as individuals as well. If this resonates with you, be sure to check out our ESG page for details on our ESG priorities, local news, case studies, articles and more.