BUILDING CHARACTER IN THE WORKPLACE

There are many opportunities to promote good character in the workplace, in the homes of employees and in the community. Managers should constantly strive to think of (and employ) creative means of stressing the importance of good character in the workplace and the home. Messages that tend to undermine commitment to the Six Pillars should be systematically countered.

FIVE INFLUENCES
• Employee hiring, training, and promotion activities
• Internal communications
• External communications
• Financial and human resources
• Community outreach and relations

EMPLOYEE HIRING, TRAINING AND PROMOTION ACTIVITIES
• Prominently and explicitly include character considerations in recruiting materials, during interviews and in the hiring deliberations.
• Emphasize the importance of character and adherence to the Six Pillars in orientation, initial job training, and in-service education.
• Include evaluation of fundamental character values such as honesty, promise keeping, accountability, fairness, and caring in reviews.
• Think of your employees, especially your younger ones, as people whose personal and work values will be influenced by what you expect of them and how you treat them.
• Think of your employees as present or future parents, grandparents, mentors, coaches, scout leaders, and volunteers.

INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
Use internal communication channels to create a family-friendly environment that overtly praises positive role modeling at work, in the home and in the community by encouraging voluntarism, mentoring and superior parenting. Create or use existing:
• Internal newsletters
• Mailers/Workplace postings
• Electronic bulletin boards
• Cafeteria “table tents”
• Parenting kits

EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
• In relations with customers, vendors and others, consciously communicate and model affirming messages about character and ethics.
• Advertise and market only in a manner that honors consensual values (the Six Pillars).
• Assure that none of your products and services undermine character building.
• Include positive messages about voluntarism and parenting and celebrate CHARACTER COUNTS! Week in advertising, billings and other mailers.
• Distribute positive parenting kits to customers and vendors.

FINANCIAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES
• Support local and national CHARACTER COUNTS! projects and the activities of the Coalition’s members by encouraging staff members to get involved. Offer incentives such as paying employees for the time they contribute at a local youth-service organization.
• Become a financial supporter of the national CHARACTER COUNTS! movement through a multi-year sponsorship commitment.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH
• Use public outreach structures to encourage mentoring and other character-building programs.
• Encourage educational and youth-serving organizations to become active in CHARACTER COUNTS!
• Use corporate influence to encourage business groups (chambers of commerce, business roundtables, conference boards) and other companies to support CHARACTER COUNTS!