Recently, I was in Dallas, where I saw a T-shirt in a gift shop that advised: “Don’t mess with Texas.” Like many of you, I’ve heard that expression before. For whatever reason, as I stared at those words, I found myself wondering about their origins.
Did it come from cattle ranching? The cowboy way? The battle at the Alamo? My curiosity sent me down a historical rabbit hole.
As it turns out, the expression didn’t come from any of those sources. Forty years ago this month, the Texas Department of Transportation launched a public service campaign aimed at reducing litter on its highways. That campaign’s slogan was “Don’t mess with Texas.”
In the mid-1980s, Texas spent about $20 million annually to clean litter from highways, a cost that fell sharply after the campaign produced an estimated 72% reduction in litter.
The “Don’t mess with Texas” campaign offers two important good teammate reminders:
1. Choosing the right terms matters
Mike Blair and Tim McClure of Austin-based GSD&M Advertising created the campaign. In a CNN interview, McClure said their slogan targeted “bubbas in pickup trucks” who were chucking beer cans out their windows as well as the average Texan who felt that littering was their “God-given right.”
McClure came up with the slogan while walking near his home, noticing litter and recalling how his mother used to tell him his room was a mess.
“It occurred to me that the only time I’d heard the word litter was in reference to dogs,” McClure said. “Mess seemed like it would resonate better.”
But the older, more conservative Texas Department of Transportation officials weren’t immediately sold on McClure’s slogan. They were looking for a lighter, politer, Keep America Beautiful–type campaign. When one of the officials asked McClure if they could at least add “please” to the slogan, McClure reminded her that their audience was 18–24-year-old males and the line wouldn’t work “if you put ‘please’ in front of it.”
On teams, effective communication depends on choosing the right terms, which requires a clear understanding of your audience and the outcome you’re trying to achieve.
The nature of teamwork renders certain terms more effective than others. For example, using the term “good teammate moves” compels purposeful action in a way that phrases like random acts of kindness or good deeds never will, because it taps into our natural competitive instincts and desire to acquire.
If you want members of your team to be proactive, use the term “good teammate move.”
2. Mutation Mandates Clarification
What started as a campaign to reduce littering unexpectedly mutated over the years into a cultural phenomenon, proudly embraced as a statement of identity and a declaration of Texas swagger.
Upon discovering that 96% of Texans had heard the expression “Don’t mess with Texas” but only 61% of them knew the slogan meant don’t litter, the Texas Department of Transportation launched a new campaign featuring famous Texas musicians such as George Strait and Post Malone, reminding people that “Don’t mess with Texas means don’t litter.”
This same mutation can happen to team communication.
Over time, familiarity can lead to staleness and assumptions that distort a term’s intended meaning. Even a small addendum—like “means don’t litter”—can provide necessary clarification and restore the term’s effectiveness.
For example, making “good teammate moves” means acting selflessly. Being in “the WE gear” means putting the needs of your team ahead of your individual wants. And “Don’t feed the gators” means resisting haters’ negativity.
Language plays a crucial role in shaping team culture because words evoke emotion. The terms teammates use reveal how they see their roles, connect with each other, and pursue team goals. If you want to build a culture that values good teammates, don’t mess with the wrong terms.
As always…Good teammates care. Good teammates share. Good teammates listen. Go be a good teammate.
