In Greek, the word “character” translates roughly as “enduring, lasting, or indelible mark.” Character is the distinguishing mark of an individual (or organization). We often say that “character is values in action.” It becomes your distinguishing mark as you repeatedly (and consistently) put your espoused values into action. Mother Teresa is remembered as just, loving, faithful (and faith-filled) because of how she lived her life. She consistently matched her actions to her deeply held values.
Often we focus a lot on the knowledge aspect of character (What does justice mean? What does it look like? How should we think about justice?). The cognitive piece isn’t unimportant, but in our work we’ve become much more focused on how to help folks consistently put their espoused values into action, believing that when you repeatedly perform an action it becomes a habit—a stable and automated response. I don’t have to think about how or why to do something a certain way, I just act; it’s who I am and how I operate.
How does this happen? How does character go from an espoused value (this is important) to a consistent behavior (this is my consistent response when faced with similar situations or stimuli)? Is character caught or is it taught? Do we “catch” character from being around good role-models and in an environment where particular values are consistently lived out? Or, are we taught what good character looks like, sounds like, and feels like? Sociologists and psychologists—as well as practitioners from every walk of life—might certainly argue for one or the other.
Our belief is that it’s both. Character develops when it is both caught and taught. What’s that mean? It means character develops best when we explicitly teach the skills (or competencies) needed to put values in action. However, these skills must also be lived; they have to be part of the core norms guiding everyday behavior. Character skills don’t really become stable until, like fish in water that learn to swim and breathe in and through their environment, we cannot separate who we are from how we live.
Consider a context like the military. Regardless of how you feel about the military and their reason for existing and ways of operating, the military is almost without equal in their ability to consistently shape character and culture. They begin with a vision of the character needed for success—leadership, work ethic, grit, integrity, etc. Then they clearly teach you their “way”. They don’t leave anything to chance—how you dress, how you stand, how you communicate, etc. You will understand the military way—which is likely very different than other ways of acting. But it’s not enough that they teach the expectations (like a class); they expectations must be lived. They make you practice these skills so often that your response becomes automated. You’re not thinking about “what are the three steps?” or “what was it they said about how to handle this?”. Instinct takes over. It doesn’t mean that there isn’t thinking required, it just means that there is core set of essential skills that we know, believe, and do.
Now, you might say. Most organizations aren’t like the military. We’ll grant you that. But we’d argue that every effective organization (school, home, team, or business) must shape character and culture with the same intentionality. And unfortunately, most organizations are often decidedly unintentional about essential elements of their everyday life. They may focus on certain big items, like overall philosophy, goals, and strategy, but most ignore or neglect to shape the character and culture needed for those philosophies, goals, and strategies.
Here’s a concrete example using a Power2Achieve Brainstorming tool as a model. Teamwork, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking—these are commonly desired character and culture assets. Many organizational philosophies, goals, and strategies require these character attributes in order for success. But, how do these develop? Do you just put these in your mission statement? Do you reward and punish, exhort and plead? You can, but you’re likely to be very inconsistent in shaping character and culture.
Instead, we would argue that if these are needed for success in your organization, you can’t recruit for them or hope for them, you must teach them. So if you want teamwork and collaboration and critical thinking, you probably want to make sure your team knows how to brainstorm. (How many times do folks get into problem solving, or launch into production, or shoot down ideas, etc.?). Brainstorming is one essential process that contributes to creativity, teamwork, collaboration, etc. Therefore we must teach how to do it.
The following Power2Achieve Rubric clearly defines what we mean by brainstorming (and what we don’t mean). 
Next, you must make this the operating norm for how you will brainstorm. It has to become part and parcel of who you are. You must use this consistently and pervasively. It has to become an automated habit. Getting there will take time, coaching, accountability (praise and polish); but eventually it will become a distinguishing mark of your organization. And for those who experience this way of being, it then produces stable or consistent character habits so that when they go into other contexts they still act this way—not because they have to or because they’ll get in trouble, but because it’s what they know, believe, and have experienced. And, because this approach has worked for them.
Is brainstorming really that important? Well, it is if you want creativity, teamwork, and the identified traits above. Do we really have to do it your way? No. But what’s your way? Can you teach it? Do your people know it and live it? If you don’t intentionally teach it, you get what you get–both in terms of character development and in terms of positive and productive work. And, don’t be surprised if you’re running around like a fire-fighter stamping out unintended habits and behaviors.
This tool, and the battery of Power2Achieve tools, provide what Darcia Narvaez calls “good enough heuristics”—or, simple guides for behavior. They compress the theoretical fidelity of the existing research into convenient (i.e., simple, concrete, memorable, action-oriented) norms for behavior. These are intentional norms for guiding action and reflection; consistent and pervasive operation according to these norms define an organizations “way” (i.e., culture), which in term shapes the character of those operating according to that way.
You aren’t born knowing how to communicate, collaborate, work hard, make ethical decisions or so many of the character skills needed for success in school, work, and beyond. Neither do you learn to do these consistently without practice. Building an intentional culture of excellence and ethics requires that character be taught and caught. Next time you’re frustrated with a missing character skill in your organization, ask yourself if you’ve explicitly taught the skill in simple (not simplistic), memorable, replicable action steps. Then ask yourself if this skill is something that is a lived norm within your culture. Is this a signature practice or way of operating, or is it a slogan on a wall? Amazing what is possible when character is caught and taught.
Updates from matt-d 
