How to Encourage Ethical Behavior in the Workplace

Ethics in the workplace is defined as a set of rules that guide employees to act in line with the morals and values of the company as a whole. These principles should be implemented and followed by everyone within the organization to reinforce the importance of these ethical standards.

Ethics in the workplace should be a core value of any organization. Aside from doing the right thing, conducting ourselves ethically has great rewards and returns. Being ethical is essential to fixing problems and improving processes. It is needed to establish baseline measures and increase efficiencies. Most importantly, it is essential to having strong working relationships with people.

We need to ask ourselves: “Do I really value honesty like I say I do? If I am willing to lie or avoid to hide up my error, what am I really valuing?” When we lie to cover up our mistakes, we are doing so to protect ourselves from the consequences of our actions. We aren’t thinking about the team. So, what is the greater value to us, honesty or self-protection? This is an especially important question for leaders, as leaders set the standard for the culture of an organization and ethics in the workplace.

As leaders, the importance of being ethical must be emphasized more, not less. Leaders must always be cognizant of the fact that they are in a “fishbowl” and how they behave is clearly visible to everyone. Whatever they do will not only be seen by others, but may be duplicated as well.

So how do we ensure that we not only say that honesty is important, but that we “walk the talk?”?

EXAMPLES OF ETHICAL BEHAVIOR IN THE WORKPLACE

There are a wide variety of examples of ethical behavior in the workplace. Some common workplace ethics include trustworthiness, accountability, respect, transparency, and integrity.

Trustworthiness.?

Companies rely on trust within their organization as well as between their clients in order to foster dependable relationships. Fulfilling your duties and staying on top of your commitments is key in maintaining trust.?

Accountability.?

Mistakes are inevitable, but how you deal with them is important. Taking ownership of your mistakes and learning from them is an important part of creating an ethical workplace.

Respect.?

Regardless of what level an employee is at in a company, whether it be an intern, manager, or CEO, everyone deserves to be treated with respect. Companies that implement this value into the workplace are perceived in a positive light.?

Transparency.?

Communicating openly and honestly with coworkers and clients paves the way for strong, successful relationships. Transparency includes presenting honest information and disclosing important details to one another.

Integrity.?

A well-known definition is: Integrity is doing the right thing (through your words, actions and beliefs) when no-one is watching. Workers who display integrity have a strong moral code that they use to guide them throughout their everyday decision-making process, regardless of who is watching.