Part 3 of an Ongoing Series
As a business ethics keynote speaker, business ethics consultant and business ethics book author, I have had the privilege of being privy to several “insider” discussions in regard to corporate ethical culture.
It is always a point of interest when I hear management express: “So-and-so violated our policies on corporate culture,” while at the same time other employees might express sentiments such as “I have no idea of what our ethical culture is,” or worse, “The big shots tell us one thing, and then they immediately violate their own policies.”
When points-of-view so widely differ, I know that as a business ethics motivational speaker, business ethics workplace consultant, there is no effective business ethics training in place. In order for business ethics training to be effective, the ethical behavior at the top must equal the expected ethical behavior at the bottom.
One factor for why this doesn’t happen, often lies with the negative connotation ethical behavior conveys throughout the organization.
What Can Be Done to Create Effective Business Ethics Training?
Clearly, many organizations view ethical training as a negative, gut-wrenching experience (a punishment) rather than a positive experience. If there are ethical expectations of employees, but they are never understood, or spelled out, or if somehow – and in some way, C-Suite executives are allowed egregious ethical screw-ups that would immediately result in the firing of a lower-level employee, then something is clearly amiss in the ethics training.
How is the training conducted and how is that message conveyed throughout the organization? From my experience as a speaker and business ethics consultant, most programs start with the proposition that business ethics training is intended to “keep you guys out of trouble.” In other words, do this stuff and no one will fire you!
Such a training proposition immediately turns ethics instruction negative. Further, it says, you do as I say, not as I do or we do. The “them and us” construct is never a good look. It is far better to treat ethics as inclusive; e.g., “We must ALL strive for a strong goal, and that is to be ethical. No one is above good ethics.”
When training on ethics takes on a judgmental, self-righteous or dictatorial tone, it never succeeds. To threaten every conversation about ethics with a negative consequence is to turn employees away from behaving ethically.
And that means you…
To that point, of the “them and us” mentality, employees understand (indeed, they are more perceptive, than typically given credit for in many workplace situations). Little is unknown. For example, if a vice president of marketing is harassing a marketing associate, it will be quickly known and the news of the unethical act will be spread throughout the organization. That fact aside, if the executive receives no disciplinary actions while a lower-level employee may have been fired for the same offense, it is bound to lead to resentment and dissatisfaction. What can be done to create effective business ethics training? Above all else, there must be consistency of word and action.
Clearly, if ethics is conveyed in a positive, “we are all in this together” mindset, then a violation of policy is unwavering in its application.
We all remember to 2021, when hundreds of thousands of employees walked off jobs. One of the reasons they cited was this unequal application of ethical behavior. In an atmosphere where ethics are seen as positive, employees tend to stay. When employees see executives taking advantage of ethical policy, they lose faith in the organization.
As a business ethics keynote speaker, business ethics consultant and business ethics book author, I will leave you with this thought: organizations that disregard such basic fairness almost always end of on the losing end of an industry.
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