On Sunday, I attended the annual “Life Is Short, Eat Dessert First” breast cancer awareness and fundraising event. A local Longaberger sales leader hosts this great afternoon for her clients and friends, raising awareness and dollars for breast cancer research. As survivors, both she and her sister tell emotional – and sometimes, funny – stories of their cancer journey. All cancer survivors in attendance are inidividually honored. Each one is a fighter, and a winner, in her own right.
What does this have to do with business?
Everything. Business is about people. And I dare say that most of your people, if not all of them, will somehow be touched by cancer. 
As a business leader, you can show you care by observing Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October). Work with your Human Resources team to share preventative, diagnostic and/or treatment information from your healthcare benefits provider or a local cancer treatment center. Some companies arrange for onsite mobile mammography this month. Others invite a clinician to the office to discuss individual concerns. Many companies participate in a fundraising walk or other event to raise both awareness and research dollars.
Take the time to honor the people on your team who have fought or are fighting cancer. Whether it’s a personal note to the person surviving quietly and privately or an all out party in pink for the more public survivors, don’t let the opportunity slip by. Applaud the individual fight. Acknowledge the team support. Celebrate the victory, sometimes found in a cure and always found in the day-to-day will to live.
If someone on your team is currently in treatment, be aware that the rest of your team may feel helpless, not knowing how best to show support. Being engaged in something tangible will help the team cope. Being useful in the fight will help them manage their own anxiety. Below are just a few ideas to consider:
- Take turns providing healthy meals for the co-worker and family
- Send a weekly “thinking of you” card if the co-worker is out of office for an extended period of time
- Have a bake sale to raise money for cancer research
- Offer pink ribbons for a small donation
- Create posters with local cancer resources to raise awareness
- Work with HR to allow staff time off to accompany the co-worker to treatments
- Offer to chauffer the co-worker’s children to after-school events
- If the co-worker can’t attend a school or sports event due to treatments, offer to go in her place and take a lot of pictures to bring back to her
Be sure to designate one person as the go-between so the co-worker in treatment doesn’t get overwhelmed with calls or emails from too many people. This designee can also confirm what help is really needed and would be most appreciated.
While we all hope for a cure for cancer, it is just as important to honor those who have fought or are still fighting to live fully present to each and every day.
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Further reading:
Get Beyond The Shock, a free, online, comprehensive guide to understanding breast cancer.
For all other cancers, visit The American Cancer Society’s website.
For information about what to do when someone you work with has cancer, click here.
