Honesty, Integrity, Trust. (And Why They Still Matter)
by Casey Bader
When Acronyms Work – and When They Don’t
We’ve all seen acronyms that miss the mark. Organizations and marketers often wrestle with crafting names that either force-fit into a familiar acronym or settle for one that’s clunky and forgettable. Back in the early 2010’s, Handel fell short with the TIGER Award.
TIGER stood for Technology Innovator for Groundbreaking & Exceptional use of RiteTrack – a mouthful that made little sense but conveniently spelled “TIGER”. A great animal, but not a memorable or meaningful acronym. In fact, I had to look it up just to recall what it stood for.
In contrast, the HIT acronym came naturally. HIT stands for Handel Information Technologies, of course, but years ago we gave it deeper meaning: Honesty, Integrity, and Trust. Sometimes, things just click – and this was one of those times. These core values have shaped Handel not just as a successful and stable business, but as a fulfilling and rewarding place to work.
Honesty: More Than Just Telling the Truth
Honesty might seem simple: just tell the truth. But truth-telling often requires courage – especially when the message is difficult. There’s a reason why the phrase “being honest with someone” often implies a tough conversation.
At Handel, honesty means being forthright with both customers and colleagues. For customers, this could involve candid discussions about RiteTrack’s capabilities or steering them away from well-meaning but flawed design choices. Among coworkers, honesty fosters open communication and productive collaboration. It’s not always easy, but the alternative – dishonesty or evasion – undermines trust and progress.
Integrity: Doing the Right Thing, Always
Honesty is a key part of integrity, but integrity goes further. It’s about the ethical and moral principles that guide your decisions. Integrity means doing the right thing even when it is inconvenient or comes at a personal cost. It’s standing firm in your values, even when no one is watching.
At our office, integrity shows up in daily actions – respecting colleagues and customers, owning our responsibilities, keeping promises, and communicating truthfully. It’s about consistency in character and action.
Trust: The Foundation of Relationships
When honesty and integrity are consistently practiced, they naturally lead to trust. Trust is earned. It means others believe you’ll do what you say, act in their best interests, and perform reliably.
At Handel, our customers trust us to understand and meet their needs, building systems that reflect their goals. Internally, trust is critical – especially between departments like Customer Relations and Development, where coordination is key. In Sales and Marketing, we trust one another to contribute to securing and nurturing leads through every phase of the customer journey.
HIT: More Than an Acronym
Here at Handel, we believe in values. And we believe in happy customers. Honesty, Integrity, and Trust aren’t just ideals – they are the foundation of how we operate. Because we consistently live by these values, our customers know they’re working with a team that’s aligned with their best interests and committed to doing things the right way. Looking for a technology partner that believes in doing things the right way? Let’s talk about how we bring honesty, integrity, and trust into every RiteTrack implementation.
