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Just Because You Have the Title Doesn’t Mean You’ve Earned It

  • info3928830
  • 4 days ago
  • 2 min read

When Katy Perry and her fellow passengers flew beyond the Karman line aboard Blue Origin’s spacecraft, they technically entered space—but the FAA won’t recognize them as astronauts.


Why?


Because they didn’t actively contribute to the mission’s safety or operation. They were passive participants, not mission-critical players.


Now let’s bring this back to Earth—and into the world of HR.


1. Titles Alone Don’t Equal Impact

Just as not everyone who goes to space qualifies as an astronaut, not every employee with a title is necessarily making a strategic impact. This brings up a valuable lesson for HR teams and leaders:

  • Are your job titles truly aligned with the responsibilities and contributions of the role?

  • Do your high-potential employees feel empowered to contribute—or are they merely passengers?

HR takeaway: Recognition, promotions, and performance rewards should be tied to actual contributions—not just presence or position.


2. Define “Mission-Critical” in Your Teams

In the FAA’s eyes, astronauts are people who actively contribute to the mission. Similarly, organizations need to define what it means to be mission-critical in their own context.

  • Are your employees clear on what success looks like?

  • Are they trained, empowered, and trusted to take ownership of outcomes?

HR strategy: Create performance frameworks that highlight not just what an employee does, but how they impact safety, efficiency, innovation, or customer success.


3. Empower Participation, Don’t Just Invite It

Blue Origin’s crew had no control over the spacecraft—they were along for the ride. In the workplace, employees who aren’t empowered to act will also feel like passengers, not contributors.

This can lead to:

  • Lower engagement

  • Reduced accountability

  • Minimal innovation

HR solution: Develop structures where every role—regardless of level—can contribute ideas, make decisions, and feel ownership over outcomes. Employee voice = employee value.


4. Rethink Recognition & Career Pathways

The FAA retired its astronaut wings program because space tourism made the term “astronaut” too diluted. The same risk exists in organizations that overuse recognition without clear criteria.

  • Is everyone getting rewarded equally, regardless of contribution?

  • Are your star performers being meaningfully acknowledged?

HR implication: Recognition should be earned, specific, and strategic. Move away from symbolic rewards and instead focus on value-based recognition tied to measurable outcomes.


Final Thought: Create a Culture of True Contribution


Katy Perry and her peers may have crossed into space—but they weren’t part of the mission’s operation. That’s the difference between visibility and value.

HR’s job is to ensure that in your organization:

  • Every employee knows their role in the mission

  • Leaders recognize actual impact

  • Growth and recognition are based on engagement, contribution, and outcomes


Because in the workplace, just like in space:


Being on board isn’t the same as piloting the ship.

 

About Black Pearl


At Black Pearl, we help organizations move beyond surface-level hiring and develop high-impact teams built on purpose, empowerment, and results. Whether you’re looking to recruit top talent or develop a culture of contribution, we’re here to help you build better.

Let’s talk: connect@blackpearlconsult.comVisit us: www.blackpearlconsult.com

 

 

 
 
 

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