(Part 2 of an ongoing series)
As a business ethics motivational speaker, business ethics consultant and business ethics book author, I am frequently called upon to define the topic of business ethics in the easiest possible way.
“I don’t need a textbook answer or a university thesis,” I am told. “Put it in a form my people can understand.”
My immediate reaction to the request is generally, “Do you fully understand the questions you must first ask of yourself?”
We want easy answers
The questions every executive leader should pose to themselves are easy and straightforward. To answer the question of how can business ethics be explained easily, absolute honesty is necessary. As a business ethics and corporate social responsibility consultant, I can lead executive leaders to – and through – these types of questions however, only the executive leader can answer in a heartfelt and honest manner.
A sampling of the questions a leader should ask include:
- How do I answer what my business contributes to the good of our society?
- How do I answer the business ethics question above in terms of the good it does for my customers, those who work for us, the places and/or communities (actual or virtual) where we “live?”
- How does my organization impact the environment, equity and the world?
- How do I balance what my shareholders demand against the common good we are trying to accomplish?
- How does my executive team make wise ethical choices? Are we hypocrites? Do we have two sets of values for those in the “executive suite” and hourly or contract workers?
- How do we view ethical problems so that the ethical playing field is level?
- How does each member of our team ethically influence the organization?
- Are we close to an ethical environment or must we put in stronger policies and procedures to become the organization we say we are?
- Who tracks our progress and how do we know we’ve made progress?
- Can we easily explain business ethics to our employees?
As a business ethics motivational speaker, business ethics consultant and business ethics book author, let me be honest and point out that perhaps 10 percent of the organizations I have interviewed over the years can answer the questions I pose. A major part of the problem are standards. In many organizations they are non-existent.
Standards of ethical consistency
Again, to answer how can business ethics be explained easily? The questions I pose should, in large part, answered the same by the CEO or the line worker. For example, if I were to ask the CEO about environmental commitment and the answer was, “We have an outstanding environmental record,” I would expect the same answer from the a shift foreman, and not, “Last year the EPA came in and fined us for dumping.”
There must be an ethical consistency. It is a statement of “we are the same company no matter who we are questioning.
In a similar manner, “progress” is another important measurement. If the company claims it has instituted tough ethical standards after serious violations of company policy, how is that measured? For example, if the organization was found to have an abysmal record on diversity and inclusion three years ago, and it claims to have taken corrective action, how was that measured or was it merely a feel-good statement?
Contributing to the good
Ultimately, any business should be ethically larger than “we give value to our shareholders.” What are the intangibles a corporation should be remembered by? A cautionary note to key executives: times have ethically changed. As a business ethics motivational speaker and business ethics consultant, I can assure you that your organization is under scrutiny as never before.
This is a new time and a more ethical time. To falsify or misrepresent an ethics policy, is worse than not having one at all. In short, ask no questions you cannot answer yourself.
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