The evening was dedicated to celebrating the 50thanniversary of the Department of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia. All around me were other award recipients. My heart skipped a beat as I heard my name called out to come on stage to receive a service award for my work over the years with the department.
I never volunteered with my alma matter in order to receive an award. The fact that my work was recognized was both a surprise and a delight to me. The others who received awards felt the same way. So why give back at all? Here are some reasons I do.
Getting Out of Your Head
As entrepreneurs, building a business consumes us. We are on 24/7 as we operate on the complexities of understanding markets, creating products, delivering service, while hiring, managing, and growing those people we are lucky enough to have join us. Volunteering for something you care about naturally forces you to focus time and thinking about something completely different.
Gaining Perspective
Gain a different perspective on your business by getting away to focus on someone else. We can become so self-focused on ourselves and our business, that we lose sight of just how much we have. Working with those less fortunate or mentoring people at an early stage in their career than you, will remind you of just how far you have come and what you do have, instead of what you don’t have.
Showing Another Side of Yourself
Entrepreneurs are complicated multi-faceted individuals. Getting involved in giving back to your community shows a different side of yourself from the one always focused on business. People see those things that interest and motivate you, whether it is board members, investors, or employees. This in turn helps them to relate to you, which then builds trust over time.
Having an Impact
In 1990, Karalee and I started a scholarship in Computer Science at UBC. It took many years of steady contributions, but now the scholarship is self-funding. What amazes us is that 49 awards have been given of our scholarship. We have had a direct impact on 49 people’s university experience. Your efforts to give back will have direct and indirect impacts that will last days, months, and years after you have put in the effort. What you do today has a massive impact on those that you help.
Congratulations to the UBC CS department on their 50thanniversary. Looking back, I now realize that I got my CS degree only twelve years after the founding of the department. I am very thankful for what I received from my degree and for what I have gotten from giving back to my alma matter over the years. Receiving the 50thanniversary service away was the cherry on top.
How will you give back today?
