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Let's Talk Ethics by David Cohrs |
Those of us charged with developing the people asset of the organization are keenly aware of the critical aspects of the role. More importantly, we prepare ourselves for the ever-changing challenges related to maintaining the focus of enhancing the effectiveness of the workplace. What follows is a scenario that might be taking place in your professional life soon.
A Colleague
Let's drop in on corporate training manager, Ellen. She has been in the business for over 15 years; mastering the art of balancing resources, employee development needs, and the latest training trends. Her recitation of the KSA handbook is exact as she discerns the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes for organizational success. Sometimes, a whole week passes by without a discouraging word from the ranks of employees or management. Ellen, in all her wisdom, knows that those moments of contentment are often followed by new twists of perceived learning activities, competency targets, and 'just in time' interventions.
It is a typical day in Company Land when the CEO e-mails Ellen and requests that she meet with him the next day. Her mind races through the various programs supported by the boss – leadership, diversity, team training, technical skills workshops, and a myriad of compliance topics.
The Journey Begins
At the meeting CEO Joe gets right to the point. "Ellen, I've been doing a lot of reading lately about corporate social responsibility and the specific topic of ethics. I worry about the implications and unintended consequences that unethical behavior might have on our company. We've worked hard to build our reputation and I think this is our next topic to tackle. I'm sending you an e-mail with some interesting information from the Ethics Resource Center. Get back to me with a plan, as soon as possible."
Ellen wisely decides to evaluate the current tools that the company has in place related to ethics. There are the stated corporate values, the code of conduct documents that everyone has to sign, the annual online assessment requirements, and the occasional didactic speeches by leaders, lawyers, and ethicists. Aren't these doing the job? What is CEO Joe worried about?
Survey Says… the 2007 National Business Ethics Survey (www.ethics.org)
Ellen studies the e-mail that CEO Joe has sent her, along with the additional data from the Ethics Resource Center website. She learns that:
• The number of companies that are successful in incorporating a strong enterprise-wide ethical culture into their business has declined since 2005. Only 9% of companies have strong ethical cultures.
• Many employees do not report what they observe – they are fearful about retaliation and skeptical that their reporting will make a difference. In fact, one in eight employees experiences some form of retaliation for reporting misconduct.
• The number of formal ethics and compliance programs is on the rise. Furthermore, in companies with well-implemented programs, there is increased reporting, reducing ethics risk.
Pulling It All Together
Ellen finds this information to be useful but it also causes her to examine the big picture of ethics as it exists in an organization. She begins to have conversations with other experts, friends, and associates to share their views based on personal experiences and values. After a few weeks of gathering input, Ellen reaches some conclusions:
• A breach of ethics can indeed have a major effect on the finances, reputation, and stability of an organization. Internal and external stakeholders are all impacted.
• Ethics is different than many common training topics because it is very personal and is often explained as 'situational'.
• Ethics may not be easily 'taught' because of its human nature; instead standards or guidelines may be applied with clear consequences outlined.
• Most people have a 'moral compass' that keeps them on track regarding right versus wrong, yet that compass can sometimes become inaccurate based on the pressures of job performance, others' expectations, or life crisis situations. Wow!
• KSA (knowledge, skills, attitude) issues are joined with a new characteristic – Character – when addressing the topic of ethics.
• As always, ethical culture starts at the top and moves downward through the organization, emphasizing the need for integrity from the executive level to create the climate for success.
• The common methods of training delivery (workshops, online assessments, codes of conduct, speeches) are effective in delivering the expectation message but lack the ability to truly engage the participants beyond basic compliance.
There IS a Solution!
While conducting research, Ellen discovers an innovative new product that utilizes the 'Big 3' effective training methods: Role Play, Game, and Simulation. Participants from top down become highly engaged in a process called Ethical Enlightenment where their own experiences and values are used to promote effective decision making, leadership, and teamwork as they deal with the challenging topic of ethics. E-Factor!™ becomes the foundational piece for all other ethics related programs. Go to www.e-factorgame.com to find out more.
Author David Cohrs is a partner in the e-Factor! organization, serving as Director of Sales and Facilitation. He has expertise in people development, sales, manufacturing, and process facilitation. His experience ranges from Fortune 500 to helping entrepreneurs develop their people asset. He holds a Masters of Adult Education degree from National Louis University. |
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