Creating A Culture Of Character

In recent months, Owasso’s Character Initiative has been a topic of great interest.  This increased awareness has been stimulated most recently by a newspaper article and a television news story.  Since implementation of the Character Initiative, it has not been uncommon to get emails and comments from citizens ranging from high praise of the Character Initiative to even the questioning of its validity.

 

In 2002 the Owasso City Council adopted a resolution declaring Owasso’s intent to become a City of Character and the City Council’s desire to create a culture of character through a focus on individual character qualities.  Because we may not often think about character as being a choice that affects our attitudes as well as our actions, the foremost goal of the Character Initiative is to keep the pursuit of good character at the forefront of our minds through character awareness and character development.  In addition to promoting a culture of character in the community, the City as an employer finds focusing on character invaluable in emphasizing and recognizing good character within our own organization.  Owasso residents deserve to be served by individuals who believe that good character is essential to good public service.  To do this as an employer, we have shifted our hiring process from focusing solely on an applicant’s employment history to the character and attitude of the applicant.  Far too many times, individuals are hired because of an effective resume, only to be later terminated for a character issue, such as a lack of punctuality or lack of dependability or even lack of truthfulness.  The City’s success in this effort can be seen in lower employee turnover and fewer disciplinary actions since character, attitude, and trainability became the key components in the hiring process.

 

Businesses, families, and communities can focus on character by emphasizing, role modeling, and recognizing good character.  Recognizing good character in others can make a lasting impact.  Often at home or at work we recognize others for their achievements instead of the character behind the achievements.  However, “Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent.  Most talents are to some extent, a gift.  Good character, by contrast, is not given to us.  We have to build it piece by piece, by thought, choice, courage and determination.”[i]  The difference between recognizing someone for an achievement versus the character behind the achievement is the focus of the praise.  Consider a parent praising a child for receiving straight A’s.  The A’s may be important, but they are not more important than how these grades were achieved.  For example, the parent would not want the child to cheat in order to make straight A’s.  To praise for character, the parent might praise the child for the determination it took to make such good grades, or for the diligence it took to keep up with the homework and studying required to make straight A’s, or even for the thoroughness displayed.  The child is still being praised for the good grades, but what the child will recognize is that it is the determination, diligence or thoroughness that is earning the recognition.  It is important to look for opportunities to praise for character because behaviors, good or bad, that are praised are most often repeated.

 

Creating a culture of character is a way of life.  It is a journey, not a race with a start and a finish.  As individuals and as a community, we will not come upon the day when we can say we have arrived and we no longer need to focus on character.  Creating a culture of character is a lifelong process that can produce stronger businesses, families, and community.