MEI — Or Just MEH?

In a drastic shift for American workplace culture, President Trump signed Executive Order 14173 earlier this year. The title? Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity. Behind this formal title, there’s a new federal approach for hiring, advancement, and workplace dynamics. At its core, the order outlines a framework centered on merit, excellence, and individual initiative. (Let’s call it MEI for short because let’s be honest — it’s acronym-worthy! But I digress — back to business.) This framework operates on the principle that merit drives opportunity, excellence can be a daily reality, and individual initiative is intrinsic to everyone.

For leaders, this paradigm shift may represent both an opportunity and a challenge. Translating MEI from policy to practice takes more than a motivational poster and a standing meeting. So let’s dig in.

Merit: Elevate Performance Over Popularity

• Build clear evaluation criteria that focus on skills, results, and contributions.
• Recognize high performers consistently and transparently. Merit-driven feedback should be routine, not reserved.
• Rethink promotions and stretch assignments — prioritize those who’ve shown evidence of capability, not just tenure or likability.

Merit is more than a metric — it’s the compass, steering every decision from hiring to career progression. It helps you navigate complexity without getting lost in charisma, keeping you focused on what truly matters.

Excellence: Lead Like Standards Matter

• Set ambitious but achievable expectations. Make excellence the default, not the exception.
• Remove tolerance for mediocrity cloaked in legacy status — push toward continuous improvement.
• Celebrate craftsmanship. Whether it’s a report, a presentation, or a field exercise, reward work that shows pride and precision.

Excellence under MEI means asking not “Is this good enough?” but “Is this our best?” Because culture follows the tone you set. And when leaders raise the bar, teams tend to bring their ladders.

Individual Initiative: Fuel the Next Advantage

• Empower individuals to take calculated risks and propose bold solutions. Individual initiative thrives where experimentation is respected — even if it means learning from failure.
• Create environments where self-starters are cultivated, not controlled. Give employees room to pursue projects that push boundaries and stretch their capabilities.
• Recognize and honor initiative-takers who lead from where they stand, spotting and solving problems independently.

Initiative isn’t about going rogue. It’s about choosing progress without needing permission slips. When people know their contributions matter, they don’t just participate — they invest.

Whether you’re leading a team of two or two thousand, remember that MEI isn’t just an executive order. It demands more than policy compliance — it necessitates a cultural change and a new leadership approach. So before you check the box on your performance plans, pause and ask: “Are we MEI yet — or just MEH?”

Adeline (Addy) Maissonet is a Procurement Analyst for the Defense Pricing, Contracting, and Acquisition Policy (DPCAP) within the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). She serves as a senior advisor on contracting policies and procedures and the agency’s representative on the Department’s views on proposed legislation to Congressional members, their staff, and committee staffers. Prior to her current role, Addy served as a Division Chief and Contracting Officer with unlimited warrant authority for the U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC) – Fort Eustis, Virginia. Addy holds an MBA in Management and Contracting Level III Certification under the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act. She is a graduate from Cornell University’s Executive Leadership Certificate Program. In her free time, Addy enjoys hiking and overlanding with her family and friends.

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense.

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