Six laws to promote a corporate culture of integrity.
By Kelly Schmit
Truer words have never been spoken… “Raise your hand if you have taught your children not to lie,” Larry Johnson asked the audience at CUES' Directors Conference this week. Over 400 hands reached for the sky. “Raise your hand if you have ever told a lie,” followed up Johnson, co-author of Absolute Honesty: Building a Corporate Culture That Values Straight Talk and Rewards Integrity. Again, over 400 arms went into the air. So, where is the disconnect? How can we say one thing, but practice the complete opposite? More importantly, how can we build a corporate culture that values straight talk and rewards integrity when we are all less than stellar at always telling the truth? At Directors Conference, Johnson presented "Six Laws of Absolute Honesty."
Law #1: Tell the truth. We know everyone tells white lies from time to time. The problem is, individuals have different opinions about when the total truth should be told. When Johnson asked the audience, “What is your criteria for not telling a white lie?” several answers came back, including:
- if the consequence is worse than the lie
- if it is for something illegal, immoral or unethical
- if the lie is unfair to others
Because each person has a different definition of what constitutes a white lie, we need to know where our own personal line is--when we feel telling a white lie is OK. Life comes at us fast, and it is easy to cross the line. Therefore we need to know our own boundaries.
Law #2: Tackle the problem. Sometimes we lie because we don’t want to tackle problems when we should, maybe because it requires a big mind shift. Change is not easy, but confronting issues (and the people involved) is important. Taking ownership of issues is even more important, as you can control your own actions, but not the actions of others. Three tips for constructive confrontation include:
- Use “I” language. What are you going to do about it?
- Focus on the present and the future. Dwelling on the past will make others defensive.
- Listen to be heard. Let the other person speak before you do, and keep your defenses down.
Law #3: Disagree and commit. For important decisions to be made, it is critical for everyone to stand up and be heard. Make it an expectation at your organization that everyone stands up for what they think is right, disagrees when that’s the case, and supports a fact-based decision. Don’t leave a meeting and then talk about the decisions in the parking lot. You have a voice; use it.
Law #4: Welcome the truth. Don’t argue right off the bat. Welcome valuable information and thank people for their feedback. Taking others' opinions into consideration can better the outcome.
Law #5: Reward the messenger. When someone goes out on a limb to voice thoughts, don’t strike the idea down immediately.
Law #6 – Build a platform of integrity. Every organization should have an underlying set of values driving its business practices, even during arguments. Can each employee at your credit union name the values you are working under? When you lead people, what you do is always more important than what you say. Practice these six laws to the best of your ability and your employees will start to follow suit.
Kelly Schmit is marketing coordinator for CUES.
