How can ethics not be an essential conversation in our lives and how can we avoid practicing personal ethics?
The answer to both parts is actually quite simple. We can throw words around as loose as the wind blows, but practicing personal ethics; and implementing our morals, principles, and values on a daily basis is easier said than done.
Make no mistake about it…………how we conduct ourselves every day is the truest test of how we are measured by others.
A friend of mine who was a former global human resources manager for a $2 billion company said to me today over coffee that most companies care about personal ethics, but rarely make it one of the most important priorities and strategic objectives in their business plan.
Why do we let this blindness continue in the face of escalating discrimination complaints, lawsuits, and now a more troubling trend— employer retaliation against employees who were wronged or observed unethical behavior?
Is it right to let a handful of people hoard power in companies and organizations at the continued expense of the common worker? Has the leadership team demonstrated that they are in fact transparent, ethical, honest, and fair in the daily treatment of their colleagues, suppliers, customers, stakeholders, shareholders, and the communities they serve?
The cost of poor personal ethics is staggering; and a real drag on any organization and society as a whole.
Companies who conduct annual ethics training and make their employees take online classes are taking steps in the right direction.
It’s not enough. Do we really believe that this frequency of training is going to result in values based cultures?
It’s laughable and a bunch of window dressing in my view. The statistics support my position.
As large companies continue to use their size to circumvent regulations, tax loopholes, and influence lawmakers, the lack of personal ethics continues unabated.
Their entitlement, power, and need to control breeds arrogance, greed, and indifference to those who are less privileged and impoverished. Maybe they don’t care about their final imprints and legacies.
It is our mission and moral responsibility to call them out for their continued arrogance and indifference to the majority.
A colleague of mine, Chris Maher, recently said to me very simplistically, “Mark, ethics IS a conversation.”
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