Few people spend their lives purposing thinking about how they can violate the law and/or ethical standards for their own gain. Yet - well-meaning and well-informed people are ethically malleable; they can end up making lapses in judgement. And this is not just confined to the business world. Nonprofit leaders are certainly subject to these breakdowns in … [Read more...] about Creating an Ethical Culture
values
Ambitious Goals and Wells Fargo
In recent years, some researchers* have suggested that setting goals – especially ambitious goals – can increase the possibility of individuals taking unethical actions to accomplish those goals. The recent revelations about practices at Wells Fargo quickly come to mind. For those not following closely, here are the highlights – or lowlights. *Regulators found that the … [Read more...] about Ambitious Goals and Wells Fargo
Promoting Mission & Values
We know that mission, vision, and values are core to the identity of any organization. And I often tell leaders that one of their most important responsibilities is to keep these in the forefront of their coworkers minds. But how do you do that? Recently, Dr. Alex Triantis – our Dean at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland – had our … [Read more...] about Promoting Mission & Values
Analysis Cannot Answer the Question “Why”
One of the really great things we do in Business School is to teach students an abundance of analytical tools. There’s the basic SWOT analysis – what are your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats? And there’s . . . Scenario Planning – let’s forecast the possible futures. Balanced Scorecard – how can we predict future performance by tracking metrics in various … [Read more...] about Analysis Cannot Answer the Question “Why”
Improve Your “Tribe’s” Performance
Interestingly enough, focusing your organization’s “tribe” on your values can actually lead to higher levels of performance. It makes sense when you think about it. Imagine that an organization has clearly answered the questions “Why are we here? & What do we stand for?” – and that this is widely understood among the staff and key volunteers; your “tribe.” Establishing … [Read more...] about Improve Your “Tribe’s” Performance