Character Counts – If You Count It 568.1
Why are so many corporations and government agencies spending time and money on ethics surveys and training? What’s the ROI – return on investment? Is it about doing the right thing because virtue is its own reward, or is it about doing the smart thing because good ethics pays and bad ethics costs?
Although I wish it were otherwise, appeals to self-interest are more compelling than appeals to conscience. The best way to get the attention of executives is to talk in terms of risk management.
It’s easy to make the case that dishonest, irresponsible, or illegal actions can be enormously costly. Thus, responsible leaders understand the value of creating and sustaining an ethical workplace culture.
Meaningful efforts, however, need to go beyond codes and classes.
Codes of conduct are important to provide a framework for compliance. And training courses can teach legal requirements, raise ethical consciousness, and encourage employees to do the right thing. But unless ethical values are advocated and enforced in everyday decision-making, the risk of reputation-damaging and resource-draining misconduct will remain high.
In an ethical culture, values and character play a prominent role in recruitment, employment, orientation, in-service training, performance reviews, and discipline.
In an ethical culture, formal and informal incentive systems promote honesty, moral courage, responsibility, and fairness. Contrary behavior is risky, not simply because it harms the organization, but because it endangers the careers of those who take moral shortcuts.
In the workplace, you get the behavior you reward. Character counts – if you count it.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
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Comments
America is great because America is good; when America quits being good, it will quit being great.
It is always a question of leadership and right now we are in a vacuum regarding leadership. None in the public or privae sector. Washington, D.C. is too busy fighting among each other, public sector only cares how much money they put in their coffers. Is it Obama or McCain who reaches across the isle but isn't inspiring anyone with his empty words. Will the media identify a leader? If not, then who? I believe it starts at the local level where character does count and catches on. I'm not holding my breath, a recession, high energy prices, high food prices, medical costs soaring, and a war on terrorism. I have nothing to look forward to in November. Where are the founding fathers when we need them??
Posted by: Ken Morris | May 29, 2008 9:14 PM
I have personally experienced working within an organization where ethics was not exercised. Due to this there was chaos within the company's employees. Reason being was some employees understood the meaning of ethics and stood behind it; while others had no clue as to how to conduct themselves in a professional manner. This was a very stressful and painful work environment. To this day I do not know if they ever "got it" because I had to leave the company.
Only God knows how they are now doing.
Posted by: Vicky Taggart | May 30, 2008 7:03 AM
Enjoyed reading "If You Count It" (568.1). Only issue I might take with the piece is it neglects to identify the behavior of the highest layers of management as the most influential component of ethical behavior in corporations. As long as executives get perks and salaries well beyond reason, any corporate training program is hollow and seen as hypocritical by the employee base, thus sending the company's ethical culture into a corporate tailspin. In fact, management must go the extra mile and not just lead ethical corporate lives but must avoid ANYTHING that may be construed as unethical behavior.
It's lonely at the top, as well it should be. A person with the highest ethical standards is a rare bird indeed!
Posted by: Tom Barker | May 30, 2008 10:23 AM
I recently was at a Charcter Counts workshop for teens and it was terrible.
Posted by: Bristel | September 22, 2008 4:59 PM