As we shed light on the impactful “Art of Kindness” week, we’re reminded of the power that emerges when a company rallies around the ethos of giving back. Don’t miss our Q&A with Anne Spangenberg, where we gain insights into her perspective on the “Art of Kindness” week! Her leadership, much like the heart of this endeavor, exemplifies the remarkable influence individuals have in shaping a commitment to community involvement. As we celebrate this dedicated week of giving back, let’s draw inspiration from the authentic stories and experiences born from this initiative, propelling the momentum for positive change within our company and beyond.
Art of Kindness aims to inspire and encourage acts of goodwill. As a leader, how do you plan to personally participate and inspire others within our organization to get involved during this week?
I am volunteering twice during the week, starting my week on Monday at the Eastside United Boys & Girls Club with my ELT partners and ending the week participating in the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade with my team and my niece Claire, who is coming down from San Francisco to experience both AOK week and our 50th Anniversary party!
I’ll be sending out messaging sharing my plan with the team and encouraging each and every team member to find the time to contribute in a way that is meaningful to them.
What does Art of Kindness mean to you? How does this initiative align with our core values and mission?
I was drawn to the community spirit and positive energy of Deckers through this idea of “Do Good and Do Great.” I love this week of focus on giving back to each other and the community through a range of projects across the globe. I also love that there are both virtual and in-person opportunities and that we are flexible enough as an organization to understand that the week can be extended if necessary given team members’ personal commitments and needs.
During the “Week of Art of Kindness,” we’re focusing on volunteerism and community support. How do you see this initiative contributing to team cohesion and employee satisfaction?
It is so satisfying and so much fun to see the impact you can make with hands-on volunteering and community support as a group. Spending time with teammates who you may know very well and see every day, and maybe some you know a little less well, allows you to view them in a different light and experience their gifts and capabilities in new ways. Last year during Bucket Brigade, I learned so much about people through the stories they shared. I loved hearing what they loved about the parks we were cleaning up, and why those parks mattered to their families and even the awesome dogs they brought along!
Giving back to communities can take various forms, such as volunteering, donations, or skills-sharing. How do you believe our company can leverage its unique strengths and resources to make a meaningful contribution?
We can leverage our unique strengths and resources to make meaningful contributions by allowing our team members to let their passions guide their impact. I appreciate the fact that there is no one set model for contribution. We are encouraging the time off to volunteer – but you can choose whether to do it individually or as a team, and to volunteer for something that is meaningful to you or that you want to learn more about. It’s less about what you do and how you do it, and more about showing your care in your own unique way for others and your community.
I worked for a company many years ago that insisted that we support a specific large charitable organization with money. Their heart was in the right place, but it felt much less personal and authentic than my experience with Deckers.
Community initiatives often provide valuable opportunities for employee development and growth. How can our engagement in Art of Kindness enhance employee skills and leadership capabilities?
There is so much to explore here. These one-time experiences can lead to a lifetime of contribution and development. If you are volunteering for something that you are curious about, that you want to go deeper into, you can choose something that will allow you to share your unique skills with others, or you can choose something that you want to learn about that will allow you to build skills in a new way. When I worked at Nike, I was part of a group of Leaders sent to the Portland Public Schools to help their Principals build strategic keynote decks. These decks were built to request funding, lead teacher initiatives, and drive more impactful communication with their communities. It’s funny to think about volunteering to make a strategic presentation (since we all would love fewer meetings!) but to the school’s community, we were creating magic and valuable support.
Beyond the “Week of Art of Kindness,” how can we ensure that the spirit of giving back becomes an integral part of our company culture and is sustained throughout the year?
We talk a lot as a team about “vacuuming our own house” – which essentially means that Kindness begins with each other and in our own home (or office!). I see this spirit of giving back and kindness which we focus on during this week as nurturing those seeds of gratitude for what we’ve been given, appreciation for each other and our community, and care for the planet that extends to what we deliver to each other and our communities year-round.
Deckers Careers 