Why Dignity? Why Now?
by Carson Smith
It's January 14th. How are those workplace culture goals going?
If you're like most people I've talked to this week, you're already feeling the weight of it. The same issues from December are still there. The tension in yesterday’s committee meeting felt exactly like last month’s. And that difficult colleague who talks over people unfortunately hasn't magically transformed.
2025 was a challenging year for many of us, and we desperately want 2026 to feel different. But here we are, just two weeks in, wondering how and when the shift is going to happen.
I spent 20 years in project management and operations trying to solve "communication problems", "cultural issues” and "personality conflicts." It wasn't until I encountered Dr. Donna Hicks' dignity research that I understood that these actually aren't separate problems. We tend to blame these issues on communication styles and personality differences, because they’re safer to talk about. Naming them as dignity violations takes more honesty and more courage.
So, what are dignity violations? They are the many small, often invisible ways we undermine one another's worth every single day.
The Missing Framework
After decades in international conflict resolution, Dr. Hicks developed The Dignity Model and identified what every human being needs in order to thrive: the Ten Essential Elements of Dignity.
When these elements are honored, trust grows. When they’re violated, typically unintentionally, trust and collaboration in the workplace disappear. People protect themselves by disengaging and eventually leaving.
The Dignity Model provides a framework for strengthening relationships, repairing conflict, and building healthy, effective organizations. Violations of dignity don’t just hurt feelings – they undermine your most precious resource – your people.
“Treat people as they want to be treated and you help them become what they are capable of being.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The Ten Essential Elements of Dignity
Acceptance of Identity: Treat me as neither inferior nor superior; allow me to be my authentic self.
Recognition: Acknowledge that my contributions and efforts matter.
Acknowledgment: Give me your full attention.
Inclusion: Make me feel that I belong.
Safety: Put me at ease physically and psychologically.
Fairness: Treat me justly, with consistency.
Independence: Empower me to act on my own behalf.
Understanding: Seek to understand my perspective.
Benefit of the Doubt: Believe I am trustworthy and have good intentions.
Accountability: Apologize to me if you have treated me with hurtful behaviors.
Why Now?
Because your people don’t deserve another year of this and quite frankly neither do you.
The Great Resignation didn’t end, it evolved. People are leaving entire sectors. Education, healthcare, nonprofits. Younger workers aren’t “soft”; they were taught to have boundaries, and they’re using them.
Remote work revealed something many can’t unsee: what it feels like to not be constantly interrupted, dismissed, or subtly diminished. Returning to the office environment now feels unbearable to some.
And the cost is real. Conservative estimates place employee replacement costs anywhere from 30–50 percent of salary, often more for leadership roles, before you factor in morale, lost knowledge, and mission impact.
Look at your 2026 workplace goals. I bet they include some version of:
Reduce turnover
Improve culture
Increase engagement
Build trust
Better communication
Now look at what you're planning to do about it. Another survey? More team building? A new communication framework?
Here’s the truth: none of it works without addressing the daily breakdown of trust. You can’t build psychological safety on a foundation shaped by unacknowledged disrespect. You can’t practice “radical candor” when people don’t feel safe speaking honestly. And, you can’t achieve operational excellence when half your energy is spent putting out personnel fires.
What Actually Changes
When The Dignity Model is implemented, the outcomes become clear:
A school that had lost teachers mid-year for three consecutive years now has zero openings – and teachers who say they feel safe speaking up and heard when they do.
An organization suffering from burnout and quiet disengagement introduced peer-to-peer recognition, and engagement and collaboration improved.
A nonprofit board that struggled with avoidance and tension learned how to name issues directly and take responsibility – restoring trust and momentum.
So, what changed?
They all learned to see what had been invisible before: the daily breakdowns in trust that quietly erode relationships, communication, and performance.
The Bottom Line
If pizza parties and bonuses worked, HR would have solved culture years ago.
Most leaders aren’t failing because they don’t care. They’re failing because they’re trying to solve human problems with perks and policies, while ignoring the daily interactions that chip away at connection and trust.
The organizations that will thrive in 2026 won’t be the ones with the trendiest benefits. They’ll be the ones where people don’t need a new culture initiative every six months just to get through the day. They’ll be the ones that don’t brace themselves before meetings. They will be the ones that know how to honor one another – especially when things are hard.
Thanks for reading,
Carson
My Book Recommendations for 2026
Leading with Dignity: How to Create a Culture that Brings out the Best in People by Donna Hicks
Dignity: It’s Essential Role in Resolving Conflict by Donna Hicks
Ready to explore this for your workplace? Find a time for a complimentary 30-minute call through Calendly here.
