Your parents and teachers may have told you “just do the right thing” when you were younger. But it turns out that the real world is complicated and messy. Just planning to be “good” is not good enough. Authors in a recent Harvard Business Review article* say that we all need to develop our “Moral Humility” – the recognition that we all have the capacity to do the “wrong … [Read more...] about Develop Your Ethical Vigilance
values
Confronting Unethical Behavior
What do you do when you encounter unethical behavior in your workplace? Ethics expert and Giving Voice to Values author, Mary Gentile, offers these suggestions in a Harvard Business Review* article: *Treat the Conflict as a Business Matter. Craft a carefully prepared, persuasive business argument – supported by facts. This is much better than giving a little … [Read more...] about Confronting Unethical Behavior
Integrity Gap Survey
Leaders work hard to put systems in place to discourage unethical behavior, to create a culture of integrity, and to role model ethical leadership. Yet – even with all this – every organization faces possible breakdowns in ethical behavior. Human nature simply poses challenges to consistent integrity. What can leaders do to be even more vigilant in detecting possible … [Read more...] about Integrity Gap Survey
Creating an Ethical Culture
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
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