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Frame 1: Boss Betta: Hermie, I gotta say, I strolled through the office, and I really like the enthusiasm of your ESG team.
Frame 2: Hermie: ESG team? Oh, you mean the plants with motivational signs about sustainability?
Frame 3: Boss Betta: Yes! What a fine crew. That’s a great example of our values here. Send a memo to the rest of the company telling them to be more like that team.
Frame 4: Gary Gecko is sunning himself drinking water in a reclining chair.
Hermie: Uh, Gary, what are you doing?
Gary: I’m photosynthesizing. Just modeling the ESG team per your memo, Hermie.
Lessons from Motivated Flora
In this Hermie the HR Hermit Crab cartoon, Hermie finds himself tangled in another well-intentioned misunderstanding—this time involving Boss Betta’s unshakable confidence in the motivational power of… potted plants.
After a quick stroll through the office, Boss Betta is charmed by a cluster of leafy greenery adorned with motivational signs about environmental sustainability. Mistaking these silent, photosynthesizing décor items for an enthusiastic “ESG team,” he praises their spirit and orders Hermie to send a memo encouraging everyone to “be more like that team.”
The result? Gary Gecko snarkily lounges in a recliner and soaking up rays from a sun lamp, proudly declaring, “I’m photosynthesizing. Just modeling the ESG team per your memo, Hermie.”
Funny, yes. However, perhaps we can take away some deeper meaning here for leaders and organizations aiming to shape their culture intentionally.
What is ESG (and EESG)?
Before we dig deeper, let’s clarify what ESG actually means. ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance—a framework used to evaluate a company’s performance and accountability in non-financial areas like sustainability, community engagement, and ethical decision-making. This has become a core principle for socially responsible investing and long-term risk management.
Expanding on this, some organizations adopt the EESG model:
Environmental, Equity, Social, and Governance.
This newer framework places equity—fairness in access, opportunity, and treatment—at the forefront, recognizing that sustainable and ethical companies must go beyond environmental care and governance to ensure their workplaces are inclusive, just, and supportive for all.
So… no, it’s not about ferns with flair. It’s about frameworks for real accountability and change.
Lesson 1: You Can’t Cultivate Culture by Decoration Alone
Posters, slogans, and “motivational décor” can help reinforce a culture—but they don’t build one. As OD practitioners know, leaders create and maintain culture through shared behaviors, norms, and experiences—not leafy metaphors.
When Boss Betta praised the plants, he overlooked the real drivers of employee engagement and ESG action: employees who act with purpose, autonomy, and the resources to create meaningful impact.
Takeaway: Culture culture stems from things you do every day. Signs and artifacts help, but positive cultures require action.
Lesson 2: Behavior Modeling Requires Clarity and Context
When Gary Gecko “models” the ESG team’s behavior, he does so in the most literal, surface-level way—by pretending to photosynthesize. He acts like a cynic reacting to a poorly communicated expectation. Behavior modeling, especially in OD initiatives, only works when the organization communicates the desired behavior in a clear, observable, and contextualized way.
Saying “be like the ESG team” without defining what they do or how that behavior aligns with values and strategy leads to confusion, not culture change. Leaders must model the behavior they want to see—and describe it in terms that others can emulate with purpose.
Takeaway: People don’t follow vague directives; they follow clarity, consistency, and context.
Lesson 3: Alignment > Imitation
Gary’s sunbathing moment satirically demonstrates what happens when organizations confuse alignment with imitation. Organizational development should simply copy what looks good on the surface. Change leaders must ensure that every individual’s behavior and effort align with organizational goals.
True culture change involves systems, structures, and social reinforcement—not just visual cues or quirky memos.
Takeaway: Align behavior with strategic action, systems, and training.
Wrapping It Up (in a shell, of course)
Hermie’s latest challenge reminds us that workplace culture grows best when leaders:
- Make values actionable,
- Communicate expectations clearly,
- Model the behaviors they expect,
- And foster alignment across teams and departments.
A sustainable, inclusive, and value-driven culture takes more than a few motivational ferns. It takes intention, clarity, and the willingness to go beyond surface-level solutions.
So, if someone says, “Be like that plant,” maybe ask: Do you mean rooted in purpose, resilient under pressure, and reaching for the light? If not… we might just have another Gary on our hands.
Need help cultivating real behavior change?
At Harmonious Workplaces, we help organizations grow people and culture from the roots up—with science, strategy, and a little bit of Hermie-style humor. Contact us today for a complimentary strategy session.
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