The 10-word rule every Tesla employee must follow

Tesla released its 2021 impact report earlier this summer, and in it, the company noted many significant accomplishments — like how it helped customers "avoid emitting 8.4 million metric tons of CO2e." But like many of Tesla’s writings, it also includes mission-minded statements that offer insights as to how the Elon Musk-run company puts its ethos into practice.

As one example, the 144-page report talked about a specific 10-word rule every Tesla employee should aspire to, as detailed in a report from Inc.com. Beyond the simple environmental impact upon which Tesla is always trying to improve, the company says it’s focused on doing the “right thing,” a guideline by which the automaker’s employees are meant to hold closely to.

"Tesla aspires to be a 'do the right thing' company," says Tesla in the corporate governance section of the impact report, listed on page 12.

Corporate governance largely refers to the way a company promotes good practice amongst employees, to ensure nothing illegal or unethical for workers and stakeholders is happening. To be focused on being the kind of company to do the right thing is not a one-time event — and Tesla knows it.

The statement including the word “aspires” emphasizes a continual process of improvement, and a general self-awareness surrounding the fact that it can always be done better. It also creates an expectation for individual employees to take part in that culture, and to keep focused on what’s most important — in Tesla’s case, reducing carbon emissions for the average driver.

Tesla employees are encouraged to do the right thing, as if to suggest their actions as workers have moral implications. When it comes to encouraging the masses to shift to zero-emission vehicles, the automaker already has a pretty good foundation for doing what’s right for the environment.

Still, the very purpose of releasing a yearly impact report is a part of the automaker’s mission to constantly improve. Keeping detailed track of data regarding its environmental practices points out what Tesla has done to improve each year, and it even includes a section about the company’s people and culture in the process of a world shift to sustainable tech.

Like any company, Tesla’s not perfect. The automaker strives to be acclaimed by onlookers, shareholders and employees alike as a “do the right thing” company, and this defines much of their reach as an EV company.

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