If Your Values Don’t Drive Behavior, They’re Just Posters🔥

These daily messages began as discussion starters for a luxury hotel pre‑opening, where leaders wanted their corporate values to guide daily behavior — not sit on a wall as abstract ideals. That’s the challenge many companies face: values are declared, but not operationalized.

To make values real, they must be embedded into the systems that shape how people work:

·       Integrate into talent management: Use values in hiring, orientation, onboarding, job training, and performance reviews.

·       Leader modeling: Employees believe what leaders do, not what they say.

·       Reward and recognize: Celebrate employees who demonstrate values in action.

·       Decision‑making: Use values as a filter for choices, trade‑offs, and priorities.

·       Consistent communication: Reinforce values across multiple channels.

·       Operational structure: Start meetings with a “value check‑in” to keep them alive.

Values should reflect a shared vision, not forced conformity. When referencing a value, explain why it matters in that moment. In training, describe the behaviors and outcomes you expect. Storytelling helps employees articulate what values mean to them and how they bring them to life.

Review and update your values: move beyond broad nouns like “Integrity” or “Innovation” by defining specific, observable behaviors — often in their own language (“We own it” instead of “Accountability”). Map out opportunities for managers and employees to use and live your values. This makes expectations clear and enforceable. 

Values must evolve as the company evolves. Regularly reassess them with input from managers and employees to ensure alignment and relevance.

Help your people know exactly what they stand for today.

Alexander Hamilton (1755 – 1804): American military officer, statesman, Founding Father, the first U.S. secretary of the treasury, and founder America's first political party, the Federalist Party.

Spot 👀 the Pride That Strengthens — And the Pride That Spoils

When I started writing these daily messages for a luxury hotel pre‑opening, one of the core values they wanted to address was “pride in yourself and your work.”

But the more I studied pride, the more I realized: not all pride is created equal.

There are two very different kinds:

·       Authentic Pride (Healthy Pride): Earned through effort, discipline, and real accomplishment.

·       Hubristic Pride (Arrogance): Rooted in superiority, ego, and unearned self‑importance.

Put simply:

·      Authentic pride is feeling good about what you’ve done. 

·      Hubris is feeling good about who you think you are.

Both show up in the workplace. One strengthens culture. The other quietly corrodes it.

Leaders must do two things at once:

·       Coach down hubris — because arrogance disrupts teamwork, damages trust, and makes people, as Colton said, “ridiculous.”

·     Recognize and reinforce authentic pride — because it fuels excellence, collegiality, and the confidence people need to do their best work.

This is another form of diversity managers must navigate — not demographic diversity, but behavioral diversity. And it requires skill. 

Budget for the management skills training your leaders need to address these issues. Help them build the confidence, humility, and emotional intelligence to handle both kinds of pride well.

Your managers should feel proud of how they lead, not just that they lead — today.

Charles Caleb Colton (1777 – 1832): English cleric, writer, and collector, well known for his eccentricities.

Development Takes Time — Pride Takes Practice 🎯

I grew up in a family of three boys. But my married life has been filled with girls — my wife, daughter, and two granddaughters. My son‑in‑law and I have learned a lot about early childhood development.

At birth, they’re full of promise — much like new employees on their first day of work. And the similarities don’t stop there:

·       Parents and managers both work hard to create a nurturing environment filled with care and support

·       They stay attuned to subtle signs of growth without overwhelming them with too much information

·       They balance mentoring and coaching, allowing room for discovery

·       Like teaching a child to ride a bike, they learn when to let go

·       They can’t prevent every learning “accident,” but they’re always watching for danger

·       They learn to say no while still conveying care

·       And like the family dinner table, they provide a safe place to return, recharge, and feel grounded

As much as we’d like development to be faster or more seamless, it takes time for people to learn what they need to know, develop their style, and grow into who they can become. They’re not born with all that — they have to earn it.

In the end, it’s about creating an environment that fosters growth and excellence. It’s about being a coach, not a disciplinarian. It’s about catching people doing things right. And letting them become who they want — and are capable — of being.

Be more like a parent than a manager today.

Donna Ball (born 1951): American writer of over 90 novels, mainly romantic novels since 1982, including A Year on a Ladybug Farm (where this quote came from).

Pride + Effort = Championship Teams at Work 🧩

Super Bowls always send me looking for sports quotes. Two teams at the top of their game — only one walks away as champion. But as tough as losing feels, both teams are winners. They got there because they showed up, worked hard, and played with pride.

For 25 years, I managed Employee of the Month events. Multiple nominees, one winner. And I often worried that the nominees who didn’t win — the vast majority — might leave feeling like they lost. But being nominated is proof of outstanding skill and attitude. That should never be diminished.

Today, recognition has evolved far beyond annual ceremonies or big monetary awards. The best companies now use continuous, personalized “micro‑recognition” to reward both performance and attitude. Here are some of the most effective approaches:

·       Peer‑to‑Peer Recognition Platforms: Instant kudos from colleagues

·       Spot Bonuses: Small, immediate rewards managers can give on the spot

·       Public Shout‑Outs: Celebrating wins in front of the team

·       Personalized Rewards: Tailored to what each employee values

·       Time Off or Flex Scheduling: A powerful non‑monetary motivator

·       Professional Development: Investing in potential, not just output

·       Values‑Aligned Recognition: Rewarding how people work, not just what they produce

·       Stretch Assignments: Letting high‑performers lead or shadow executives

·       Premium Swag or Behind‑the‑Scenes Access: Fun, memorable, pride‑building

·       Charitable Contributions: Supporting causes employees care about

My favorite team wasn’t in yesterday’s game, but both teams played with pride — the same pride employees feel when they’re at their best.

Let’s make sure we recognize people every time they do great work, coach them when they need a boost, and let everyone know their contributions matter today.

Vince Lombardi (1913 – 1970): American professional football coach, considered by many to be among the greatest coaches and leaders in American sports.[1]

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[1] He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight and five total NFL Championships in seven years, in addition to winning the first two Super Bowls at the conclusion of the 1966 and 1967 NFL seasons.

Hire for Will AND Character — Not Just Skill💥

Clients often ask what they should look for in applicants. Most default to education and technical skills. Those matter — but they’re not what separates good employees from great ones. I always recommend they also look for character traits like optimism, flexibility, resilience, and grit.

Ask any manager what they want most from their employees. Before they mention technical competencies, they almost always say two things: (#1) show up every day, and (#2) work hard, persevere, and finish the job.

·      Number 1 is strength of character. Number 2 is strength of will.

o   Strength of character includes courage, integrity, resilience, and honesty.

o   Strength of will is the ability to stay focused, manage emotions, honor commitments, and push through difficulty.

Isn’t that what you want in your employees? If the answer is yes — and it should be — here are two practical behavioral interview questions that reveal each:

1. “Tell me about a time when you were under intense pressure to hit a deadline, but doing so would have meant compromising quality or your personal ethics. What did you do?”

·      Why it works: It forces a choice between will (get it done) and character (do it right).

·      Character Indicators: Integrity, honesty, accountability, empathy.

2. “Describe a project that failed or a time you received significant negative feedback. How did you react, and what steps did you take afterward?”

·    Why it works: It tests emotional resilience and humility (character) and the drive to improve (will).

·      Will Indicators: Persistence, proactivity, solution‑orientation, stress management.

It’s simple — but breaking old interview habits is not. Talk with your hiring managers about adding these questions to the technical ones they already use. Have them practice. Encourage them to try these in their next round of interviews and see whether they uncover more well‑rounded candidates.

My experience is that they will. Let them try and come to their own conclusions today.

 

 

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869 – 1948): Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British rule.[1]

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[1] He inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. The honorific Mahātmā (from Sanskrit, meaning great-souled, or venerable), first applied to him in South Africa in 1914, is used worldwide.

 

The Real Employee Benefit No One Talks About: Upward Mobility🚀

If that’s true, then the most powerful HR policy any company can embrace is simple: promote from within. Nothing drives performance, retention, loyalty, satisfaction, customer experience, or company spirit more than the promise of personal growth.

Performance. When people see a path forward, they raise their game. Attention to detail, timeliness, and personal excellence all improve when advancement is possible.

Retention. Your best employees stay when they believe the company recognizes and supports their growth. Opportunity is the strongest retention tool you have.

Loyalty. Promotions signal loyalty from the company — and employees return that loyalty with commitment and pride.

Employee Satisfaction. Few things matter more than knowing your manager is invested in your future. Growth is one of the deepest drivers of satisfaction.

Customer Experience. Motivated employees don’t just serve customers; they create memorable experiences.

Company Spirit. Happy employees talk. They become ambassadors for the company without being asked.

Employees live in the real world. They see layoffs in the news, hear friends being asked to do more with less, and notice the “help wanted” signs everywhere. In that environment, they either worry about their future — or they’re grateful to work for a company that recognizes and rewards performance. Which one describes your organization?

Managers can influence the answer. By recognizing great work, promoting deserving employees, practicing emotional intelligence, and staying engaged, they create pockets of excellence that spread.

Leaders with a passion for taking care of their employees are the ones with the happiest, most loyal teams. They’re the ones whose departments outperform others. They’re the ones employees talk about with pride.

In any company, in any industry, at any moment in time, those leaders and their employees are the ones who will get ahead today.

Mary Ann Evans (1819 – 1880): known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era.