Probity - time for a revival?
I attended a meeting of a local authority / council here in the UK the other night. The purpose of the meeting was a quarterly update on the application of good governance and compliance with codes of conduct by elected members of that authority.
One of the points in the meeting agenda that caught my eye was some training for elected members involved in planning matters - a session called Planning and Probity.
It got me thinking that probity is a word that seems to have disappeared off the radar in recent years. When did you last use it? When did the word last even come to mind?
Time for a probity revival!
In my view, it's time for a "probity revival". As a word, and indeed a philosophy, it encapsulates a number of terms that those of us involved in the world of corruption and fraud investigation and prevention are more likely to use - ethics or integrity. I think a lot of us would take the view that not only has the word itself become less prominent in recent years, but the actuality of what it represents has also diminished. Jarring headlines about fraud, failures of compliance, anti-competitive behaviour and corruption are suggestive that probity is somewhat lacking in the world of business in recent years.
Probity defined
Derived from the Latin word Probitas and its root Probus meaning good or honest, the Oxford Dictionary defines probity as meaning "the quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency". The Merriam Webster dictionary offers the definition "adherence to the highest principles and ideals".
Principles, honesty, decency, ideals?
What's good about these definitions of probity are that most people have a natural understanding of the words which make up the definitions.
I know loads of people, as I'm sure you do, that uphold these concepts in their daily lives. Clear definitions make life much easier for those of us trying to explain why fraud and corruption is unacceptable.
It's also hard in my view, for any individual to claim that local cultural or business factors justify them abandoning honesty, decency, principles or ideals.
Let's revive good old fashioned, but very relevant probity as a key aspect of doing principled, honest, decent and idealistic business.
If you want to revive probity in your business or organisation then talk to me about the sorts of actions you should be taking now.
Danny McLaughlin
t +44 7940 249890