Maintaining Ethical Standards: 7 Leaders Weigh in on the Values that Guide Them

What happens to communication when you're facing a global pandemic? The spread of information is fast and furious with more inaccuracies present. It's also near impossible for the public to keep up with the amount of news in a 24/7 cycle. Careful sourcing and fact-checking becomes overwhelming and practiced less when it should be practiced more. 

Why does the spread of misinformation and the inaccuracies in communication happen? Why not make more of a conscious effort to curb misinformation or even harmful communication? Your ethics are in the spotlight. You want to make sure you apply standards that focus on truthfulness, accuracy, fairness, and objectivity. Sharing information, especially during a crisis, should always be in the best interest of the public.

To answer the “Why does this happen?" question, you may say it is a sign of the times, and there is more to come. We are in a race; the speed of the news and information is distributed with a share first attitude and a worry about it later mindset. 

For instance, just recently, a preliminary study out of France was published on the effects of Ibuprofen in individuals who have Coronavirus. News articles and social media posts followed with warnings about Ibuprofen being dangerous for those people who are COVID-19 positive. Not too long after, the Acetaminophen shelves were empty at the pharmacy, and there was plenty of Ibuprofen for people to purchase.

Before substantiating the french study with more conclusive data, sharing occurred globally. Quickly, people were in fear of taking Ibuprofen for their headaches and body aches, if they suspected they had the Coronavirus. This is when journalists, communications professionals, lawmakers, and the public have to check and double-check the source(s) of information and the confirmed health data before sharing across their vast networks. Proper sourcing and substantiation of data from the experts help you to exercise good judgment during these uncertain times. Of course, anyone spreading disinformation to invoke fear and panic is embarking on unethical communication.

Later, the WHO came out stating that you do not have to avoid Ibuprofen. When you face uncertain times, it does become more critical than ever to scrutinize your communication. Using ethics and sound judgment in communication, whether it is during a crisis, or even during the regular business "as usual" helps to build trust with the public. When you breach the trust by exercising poor judgment or taking unethical actions, you risk severing your relationship.

After I discovered how much millennials expected and valued ethics in communication from their leaders in business, I included Ethics as a significant component of my FEEL communication model. However, it is not just the results of my FEEL research study that has an emphasis on ethics. According to the Deloitte Millennial Study in 2018, about 48% of millennials believe businesses are behaving unethically. Clearly, ethics matter. 

In these uncertain times, my advice is for professionals to take a step back to define their own values. Ethics and values are personal so you have to start with yourself. Once you have your personal standards in place, you can align them professionally whether you own your own business or work for someone else. Of course, saying what you value and that you're ethical in communication are not enough. It's showing your values in your communication, especially at the crossroads. In other words, practice makes perfect.

I've asked several colleagues and friends, who are members of the Women Worldwide Network to weigh in on their ethics in these uncertain times. I wanted to know how much their ethics and values guide them every day, crisis, or no crisis. Here's what these leaders shared on the subject: 

Lindsay Griffiths, Executive Director, International Lawyers Network

I hold the same set of values across my personal and professional actions - empathy is paramount for me. When I can engage with how another person is feeling, then I can respond to the situation with the appropriate care, concern, and intuitiveness. I also strive to have integrity in all my personal and professional matters, honesty and truthfulness, and responsibility, dependability, and reliability. For me, what you see is what you get, and I work hard to always be transparent in my dealings and fair and forthright.

Dolores Hirschmann, Chief Clarity Officer, Masters in Clarity

At Masters in Clarity, we believe in community, integrity, love, positivity, and creativity. We strive to consistently honor these values in every interaction, both personally and professionally.

Sandra Macleod, Group CEO, Echo Research

1. Make a promise, keep a promise.
2. Don’t let people down.
3. If it can’t take the full view of the sun, don’t do it.

Crystal Martinez, President, Fieldwork Webwork

Ethics drive everything I do. My decisions have an impact on others, and I think it would be irresponsible not to consider those people in every step. 

Sheila Murphy, President & CEO, Focus Forward Consulting

My business, like many, is predicated on having trusted relationships with individuals and some of the strong ethics that guide me relate to creating this trust. To form these relationships-- I must be fully committed to the individual. When speaking to the person, I actively listen focused solely on her and her development. I hear not just what she is saying with her voice, but also her body-- as well as to what is not being said. In addition, to create trusted relationships, I maintain the utmost confidentiality as to what has been shared.

Tricia O’Malley, Director of Client Relations & Marketing, Northwestern Mutual

My purpose is to live every moment fully, embrace being perfectly imperfect and contribute by nurturing my children and others to unleash their talents to make their own beautiful impact in the world.

So when I am faced with a decision, whether it is big or small, I reread this statement, and usually, the path becomes clear. Am I living fully? Or am I entangled in other minutia? Am I embracing my imperfections? Or am I struggling with a perceived lack of mastery? Am I contributing, or am I taking? Am I nurturing my children and others? Am I helping people find their talent? And am I making an impact?

And, by the way, ethical dilemmas are not singular to personal or professional life. They are the wholeness of life. There is a saying that the new “work-life balance” theory is actually “integration”. I couldn’t agree more.

Laura Gassner Otting, Keynote Speaker, Best-Selling Author, Executive Coach

At the end of the day, I worry less about “what” I am, and more about “how” I am. Am I being the type of person that I would be proud to look back upon? Am I showing up to the very best of my abilities for the people I love and the causes I hold dear? Am I better today than I was yesterday?

Sharing information, in uncertain times, requires ethics in communication with truth and transparency leading the way. When you do you're able to build trust with people who come to rely on you for accurate and timely information. Of course, it's more than the words you speak, and the information you share; you'll also be judged on your ethical actions.

What kind of lens are you placing on your communication to make sure you are being ethical in uncertain times?