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We often talk about ethics and practicing ethics in organisation. But communicating ethics and these practices takes a lot of harwork and tactics. Here are some measures through which we can communicate ethics in a proper manner to our people.
What goes around up ultimately comes back down! Life is cyclic in nature and intent. Checking in on ethics-related beliefs and behaviours can be enriching to an organisation. The following tips can help incorporating organisational ethics into day-to-day business or departmental activity:
# Scrutinise: The underlying intention for establishing organisational ethics has to be examined. Such raison d'être will help resolve how and why to communicate ethical messages to employees.
# Emphasise: Every organisation has stories that demonstrate their ethics. For example, Nordstrom made a full refund to a man who returned his car tyres. The organisation does not even sell them. Ethics ought to be a part of the organisational mainstream. The positive effects of ethical behaviour have to be communicated. The best way to do this is by modelling another person's rewarded behaviour.
# Demonstrate: Actions speak. Top management must demonstrate ethical behaviour, to inculcate ethics in their employees.
# Standardise: Devise and develop guidelines and strategies that support ethical behaviour. Ethics need to be translated into comprehensible actions and these expectations have to be communicated to employees consistently.
# Confer: Group discussions help finding new ways of incorporating ethics effectively into the organisational mainstream. 'Dialogue' allow participants to share ideas and beliefs free of judgement and suppositions. Such discussions demonstrate respect for employees' differences and insecurities around the subject matter. They also throw light on the source of their beliefs around ethics. Engaging a skilled and objective facilitator for such discussions is a good idea.
# Integrate: Ethics need to become an integral part of the business. Organisations need to "use ethics" in all their activities including hiring, pricing products, providing service and choosing clients.
# Measure: Why should any employee comply with the organisational code of ethics? Link the behaviour to performance and change is not far.
# Safe feedback: Unethical behaviour has to be reported, immediately. However, a safe feedback mechanism is required for this. Anonymous hotlines, suggestion boxes or one-on-one meetings allow employees to provide such feedback without feeling threatened.
The above tips for communicating ethics is not customised counsel. Any organisational communication programme can be successful, provided it is tailored to meet the unique needs of the organisation. donna |
