Transparency is the best policy and good ethics too!

After much reflection on working with a client on transparency as a focal point of their value statement, I have come to this understanding of transparency, particularly as it relates to ethics.
1. There are people smarter than us out there so don’t underestimate them.
– How much and how long can a person “hide” illegal/unethical business practices before someone “wises up” as to what is going on? Let’s not be stupid here.

2. Credibility is crucial. What is credibility based on? It is based on the reality if people can actually trust you! Don’t people want to do business with people they trust?
– It’s not what you say, but what you do that builds or destroys your credibility.

3. If trust is the basis of all relationships, then what are you doing to develop and deepen it?
-Trust is based on honesty, humility and service .
– Trust is the residue of a promise kept!

4. People will follow leaders they truly believe in and trust.
– What do the leaders need to believe in and model? Truth telling, being other-focused and accountable to all.

5. If there is no sense of pride in an organization, can there be employee loyalty?

– Pride can either be an evil or a good. Pride in an organization is doing the right thing, at the right time for the right reason and communicating that process to all.
– Yet what is the “sin of pride?”

6. Transparency is just good business practice.

– Transparency is a crucial to an organization’s reputation and a good reputation is always good for business.

7. You will sleep better at night.
– Being dishonest is extremely stressful in that one needs to remember what one said or did that was not true and isn’t there enough stress in life without willfully adding more?

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!