Put It In Writing
“Why write anything at work at all?” That was the question posed to us by Sue Hershkowitz-Coore, aka “Speaker Sue“, at BOOST, a recent Kimmell Foundation leadership event. We gave her a bunch of answers: to communicate intent, to create clarity, to tell people what we need from them, to transmit data, and so on. To each one she said, “That’s really good, but NO.”
She said the answer was, “To let them know you care—about them, about their needs, about their success. That’s it.” All our answers were about us. They needed to be about the people we are leading. So simple, but we ALL got it wrong. Sue went on to explain how we can improve our written communications, but that’s not the point of this musing.
The phrase “put it in writing” emerged from the historical need for permanent, verifiable records in legal and business contexts. As commerce and formal legal systems developed in the 17th-19th centuries, written documentation became the standard for important agreements. In everyday usage, “put it in writing” became a way to request formality and accountability. The phrase essentially reflects humanity’s recognition that written communication provides the clarity, permanence, and protection that oral communication alone cannot offer.
The people we lead need to know that we care about them. Simply saying that we care is not enough. As we’ve learned from legal and business agreements, sometimes people say things they don’t mean. As leaders, we need to “put it in writing” when it comes to caring for our team members. We do this through consistent behaviors—clear actions that, over time, build permanence and provide protection for everyone in the community.
Clarity comes from actions that are unmistakable in their intent. When we consistently show up for people—really show up—they know we care. This means being present in conversations, remembering what matters to them, and following through on commitments. It means responding to their emails, acknowledging their contributions publicly, and checking in when they’re struggling. Clear caring doesn’t require grand gestures; it requires consistent small actions that can’t be misinterpreted.
Permanence is built through the accumulation of those clear actions over time. Like compound interest, small deposits of care build into substantial accounts of trust. When we demonstrate care consistently—not just when it’s convenient or when we need something—people begin to believe it’s real. They stop questioning our motives and start relying on our support. This permanence creates psychological safety—the foundation of healthy communities.
Protection happens when our caring behaviors create an environment where people feel safe to be vulnerable, to make mistakes, and to grow. When team members know we genuinely care about their success, they’re more likely to bring us problems before they become crises, to admit when they need help, and to take the risks necessary for innovation and growth. Our consistent care becomes a shield that protects them from the harsh realities that exist in many organizations.
Here’s what putting care in writing truly looks like: It’s remembering that someone mentioned their child was starting college and asking how the adjustment is going. It’s defending team members when they’re not in the room. It’s creating policies that serve people rather than just protecting the organization. It’s investing in their development even when it means they might outgrow their current role.
The most important “writing” we do as leaders isn’t done with pen and paper; it’s written in the daily experiences we create for the people we serve. Every interaction is a sentence in the story we’re telling about how much we value them. Every decision is a paragraph that reveals our true priorities.
Like those historical legal agreements, our caring needs documentation—not in contracts, but in consistent behavior that people can point to and say, “This person really does care about me.” Because when people know you care about them, they’ll care about the work, care about each other, and care about the community you’re building together.
Great leaders understand that their most important communication isn’t what they write in emails or memos; it’s what they write in the hearts and minds of their people through their actions. That kind of writing lasts forever, creates loyalty that can’t be bought, and builds communities where everyone thrives. When we put our care in writing through our daily behaviors, we create the permanence, clarity, and protection that people need to do their best work and live their best lives. That’s what real leadership looks like, and it’s the Bison Way.