There has been much written and commented on about whistleblowers, lawsuits, etc that I’m just a little confused.
When a leader trains one’s employees in ethics and values, doesn’t the leader then expect his/her people to embody those values in thought and behavior? Yet when something that is questionable happens, and no leader is listens to an employee who has a serious ethical/legal concern that it leaves this person no option but to report it to a higher authority. Everyone knows what happens, the whistleblower is fired, ostracized, and sued.
This is absurd!
First, the leader trains people in their corporate values, ethics, etc and then when they really“live them out”, in in reporting a serious ethics/compliance transgression, the person is single out and punished.
Second, I find the term “whistleblower” offensive and demeaning. That person is doing what you have trained them to do,i.e. live out the company’s values. Why don’t you call them our “Values victors” our “Ethics Examples” or ????
What message is a company sending, when after your employees that have been trained in your values, compliance and ethics, you “punish them” for doing what you trained them to believe and espouse? Shouldn’t you be rewarding them, as they did what you trained them to do?
Third, what message does it send to the rest of your people when you “hang an employee out to dry” for doing the right thing?
I just don’t get it.
fbucaro
Like you, business ethics and ethical leadership expert, Frank Bucaro has seen the challenges and problems of corporate leadership, particularly over the past few years in regards to poor decision-making, SEC violations, and record breaking financial settlements in a number of different industries.
With over two decades of executive training, speaking, writing and with real life experiences, his view and approach to ethics in the workplace is uniquely different. He emphasizes that ethics is a moment-to-moment choice and has little to do with position, titles, personalities or education. Ethics is everybody’s responsibility from the top down.
His goal is to help organizations to:
a. Strengthen their ethics training initiatives in order to significantly decrease the odds of an ethical/compliance violation.
b. Energize, train and motivate employees to understand the value of consistent “high road” behavior as a business advantage.
c. Support individuals and thereby the organization by contributing to its success by quality, ongoing values based leadership development.
Frank is known for his very practical, slightly irreverent, yet somewhat humorous approach to ethics and leadership development. His conversational style and real life stories connect with his audience in a personal, intense and practical level.
Companies such as Bayer Healthcare, BP, ReMax International, EnMax Energy, Danone, etc. have partnered with Frank when they want to proactively stress the message, tools, insights and practical applications that good ethics IS good for business!
