iStock_000014757678XSmall

A Day of Infamy and Ethical Considerations

I looked at my calendar this morning and knew the significance of the day. Four years ago on July 31, 2009 my wife and two boys 14 and 11 years old drove me to a federal prison in Duluth, Minnesota to serve my sentence. Without question it was one of the worst days of my […]

Read full story Comments { 0 }
iStock_000015937343XSmall

Our Smallest Ethical Choices are Normally the Biggest Decisions

The following is a short ethical tale from July 1 involving yours truly that occurred on the spot and without warning. Having depleted my stock of manila clasped envelopes size 10″ X 13″, I was on a mission to modestly reload. Two important business letters with supporting documents needed to be mailed out. The closest retailer […]

Read full story Comments { 2 }
iStock_000001331217XSmall

Why Boards of Directors Need Codes of Conduct and Ethics

Every company needs to understand it’s purpose and why they are in business. Values and ethics are a critical part of who they are, what they are all about, and the impact they have on consumers. A Board of Directors has a legal and fiduciary responsibility to make sure that the company’s officers and employees represent […]

Read full story Comments { 0 }
ethics related topics

Ethical Behavior & Human Conduct

Nobody can claim they have their arms around human conduct, but we certainly can teach at all levels why the construction of our moral compasses is a mandatory exercise in ethical self-awareness and revelation. Who are we, what do we stand for, and what we believe in are key questions for all of us to […]

Read full story Comments { 1 }
iStock_000017213782XSmall

Organizations & Their Ethical Reporting Systems

The morals, principles, and values that any organization designs and the ethical reporting systems they deploy in good theory should be self-policing. Every employee has to have equal input, be accountable, be ethical, and take ownership of problems. These are the components that build strong foundations; they represent the highest standards for conduct and they precede […]

Read full story Comments { 8 }
DSC00908

The Ethical Practitioner vs. the Ethical Consultant

There are ethical people out there and they are in the majority by my counting. Whatever the number is or the percentages, we need a lot more of them because American businesses are largely dysfunctional when it comes to how we hire people, how we train, and how we treat each other. We just aren’t […]

Read full story Comments { 0 }
Wise monkeys that see no evil, speak no evil and hear no evil

Willful Blindness & Personal Ethics

You might ask yourselves just what do personal ethics and the three wise monkeys have in common? The answer just may be more than you think. Sometimes referred to as the three mystic apes, they are a pictorial saying of see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil. In any organization or business […]

Read full story Comments { 0 }
Cost-value graph on blackboard

A Tale of Poor Ethics and Entitlement

Poor personal ethics and entitlement seem to go hand in hand like dirt and germs. More often than not, even warm water and soap can’t scrub them away. It has been my observation and experience that poor personal ethics breeds entitlement. When individuals have a sense of entitlement, they will rationalize and justify the smallest […]

Read full story Comments { 0 }
iStock_000009517861XSmall

Personal Ethics & The Reflections of Quality Leaders

Personal ethics: The basic principles and values that govern interactions among  individuals. For those of us who have been leaders in business or otherwise, it is essential that we understand our personal ethics and what our job is. Very simply stated, it is to teach, enrich, and develop others to be successful. It can’t be […]

Read full story Comments { 0 }
iStock_000014700034XSmall

Teaching Personal Ethics & Values to Young People

How do you teach personal ethics and values to young people? If you are an experienced business person like me and someone who has crossed the line taking shortcuts in the corporate world, you volunteer your time and share your experiences. Several weeks ago, I was invited by a local high school in the Minneapolis […]

Read full story Comments { 0 }