Originally published on LinkedIn · August 2015.
Every community that has faced significant loss or achievement has developed its own auditory tradition for marking it — a distinctive sound or ceremony that says: this person mattered, this moment matters, we will not let it pass in silence.
- Military: The 21-gun salute and the playing of Taps
- Ham radio operators: A final radio call using the operator’s call sign, followed by “silent key” — the designation for a licensed operator who has passed
- Law enforcement: A radio call-out of a fallen officer’s name, badge number, and final call — followed by silence
- Professional wrestling: The ringing of the match bell ten times, followed by silence, for a member of the community lost
These traditions share something important: they require the community to stop, acknowledge, and honor — out loud, together, intentionally. They are not private. They are not optional. They are part of the culture.
Does Your Organization Have One?
Does your company, your organization, your team have a defined call of honor? A way to acknowledge significant accomplishments and losses that goes beyond a cake in the break room or a forwarded email?
Authentic recognition creates lasting generational effects — for the person being honored and for those doing the honoring. It builds culture in a way that mission statements and core values posters simply do not.
Honor someone loudly today for their accomplishments in life and their impact on you personally and professionally.
Create a call of honor. Define what it sounds like. Make it part of your culture. Then use it.