🎯 Apply the Lesson, Don’t Just Clap for It

The Analogy

“People first” is the corporate glitter bomb. It looks good on slides, but it hides the mess underneath. It sounds human, but it’s vague by design. It's branding without proof, like putting a “Welcome” mat on a trapdoor. If you can’t name names, you’re not putting people first. You're putting them in a performance.

🦷 Root Cause of the Issue

• Vague values with no systems to back them

• Fear of specificity because it creates accountability

• Prioritization of optics over outcomes

• Lack of leadership training around people systems

• Budget hoarding used as a shield instead of a planning constraint

✅(Session One: One Hour, One Focus)

🧾 Come Prepared With:

• The last 6–12 months of pulse survey data

• Any feedback you’ve given in performance evaluations

• Any feedback you’ve received from your team

• Your current People First-related policies (values statements, culture docs, onboarding language, etc.)

🧠 In-Session Focus: Making “People” Personal

1. The Language Swap Exercise
Replace every mention of “people” in your company documents or values statements with the actual names of your direct reports or team members.

Example: Instead of “We put our people first,” say, “We put Jasmin, Marcus, and Lee first.”
Now read it back to yourself. Does it still feel true? If not, where does it break?

2. Flexibility or Folly?
Choose one core policy (PTO, remote work, scheduling, evaluations, etc.).

• Where does manager discretion come into play?

• Is that discretion consistent?

• Could that flexibility actually be enabling harm or favoritism?
  Name a situation where it helped — and one where it hurt.

3. Role of Power in People First
List out who holds the final say on “people” decisions — hiring, firing, pay, time off, exceptions.

• Are they in the room with feedback?

• Do they ever explain “why” decisions are made?

• If not, how can anyone trust the system?

🧭 End-of-Meeting Deliverables:

• Identify 1 policy or value statement that needs revision to reflect real behavior or expectations

• Schedule a follow-up conversation with one team member whose experience may contradict the current narrative

🛠️ Action Items

1. Choose one person.
Pick someone you know the company hasn’t shown up for. Not “the team,” not “our staff” — one person. Think about how your actions, decisions, or silence have impacted them. What would “people first” actually look like for them? If your plan ends up helping more than one person, that’s beautiful. But if it only helps them? That matters too.

2. Schedule two follow-ups.
Put time on your calendar right now — not just to plan, but to check in and follow through. And if you’re serious about accountability, say something to that person. Let them know you see the gap, you’re trying to close it, and you won’t pretend it’s fixed yet. Talk to someone above you too. Add it to their calendar, their agenda. No more “oh by the way.” If it matters, it needs intention.