Putting ethics programs in the spotlight
Conventional processes for corporate ethics programs are flawed because they are too top down and fail to create a culture that encourages and welcomes the voicing of values, says Mary Gentile, a research scholar at Babson College in Massachusetts.
Typically, companies decide on a mission statement and corporate values that are then communicated to employees, with training about relevant laws, regulations and corporate policies, as well as spelling out consequences for failing to follow the rules.
In Ivey Business Journal, she describes a more practical and action-oriented program called "Giving Voice to Values." Here are its main features:
Ask a different question
Ethics programs usually employ rules and policies to help a person figure out what to do in a given situation. The alternative view starts with the assumption that employees usually already know what is right. The question they must answer is: "When I know what the right thing to do is, how do I get it done?"
The program thus focuses on figuring out, scripting and practising what people need to say and do to be heard. "This approach is not about preaching or arguing or even merely inspiring; it's about building the 'muscle memory' for voicing values by means of actual rehearsal, individually, in organizational training sessions, or by means of internal coaching," Ms. Gentile explains.
Spotlight the positive
Storytelling helps in creating an ethical culture. But too often when organizations and their leaders try to set the framework for ethical behaviour, they focus on negative stories. They essentially try to scare staff into acting correctly. It's better to share stories of instances when people have found ways to respond to the values challenges in an organization. The stories should not serve as examples of heroism, but instead as road maps and tool kits that offer effective strategies. This counters the cynicism that no one actually does act ethically in tough situations and provides concrete examples on how it might be done well.
Play to strengths
Instead of working to clarify a person's values, as is common in ethical programs, this approach focuses instead on identifying the person's communication and style preferences and showing how to use that to become more effective at voicing values. "In other words, rather than preach to assertive risk-embracing managers that they should be more cautious and restrain themselves, this approach would say 'embrace that risk-taking personality and use it to take risks in the service of your best values,'" Ms. Gentile notes.
Scripting
Preparation helps. So the Giving Voice to Values program gives employees opportunities to script their approach to ethical dilemmas. Team meetings and formal training sessions are used to provide a chance to identify the most frequently heard reasons and rationalizations for not acting on your values. Employees then work together to develop persuasive responses to those arguments - and then practise giving those responses.
Peer coaching
Formal and informal opportunities are built to practise those scripts, working along with colleagues. That serves to counter organizational cynicism and the feeling of futility that often accompanies the prospect of acting on your values in a corporation.
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FOLLOWERSHIP / THE DISORGANIZED BOSS
After working with a disorganized boss, blogger Craig Jarrow shares some secrets to maintaining your own effectiveness on timemanagementninja.com:
Keep ahead: You need to stay one step ahead of the boss, ensuring that your work is always done, knowing that at some point the boss will hit the crisis stage and frantically ask you for it.
Find the best way to communicate: A disorganized boss can be frustrating to communicate with, as you can never sure if he is reading your e-mails or losing your status reports left in this physical inbox. Figure out which communication methods work best and stick to those.
Plan for problems: If the boss routinely invites a crisis, be prepared by leaving slack time in your schedule to douse the fire. Keep on top of the status of projects yourself.
Don't wait: If the boss is always late or missing meetings, don't wait for him. Go on with your regular work, and leave it to the boss to track you down.
Don't assume: Don't assume your disorganized boss read your report or knows about a looming deadline. Check the facts yourself, and approach the boss if he seems unaware of something that should be on the radar screen.
Bring solutions to the table: The disorganized boss doesn't need more problems when things are falling apart. Offer solutions.
LEADERSHIP / TO CENTRALIZE OR NOT?
One of the tough calls facing a CEO is whether to centralize the organization. In the McKinsey Quarterly, Andrew Campbell of Ashridge Business School, and Sven Kunisch and Gunter Muller-Stewens of the University of St. Gallen Institute of Management, offer three questions to help assess the issue:
Is centralization mandated?
For some matters, such as the annual report and consolidated business statements, centralization is required and the task can't be delegated. For others, decentralization may be an option.
Does it add significant value?
Determine whether centralization will add significant value. The authors set a high bar: 10-per-cent improvement. That hurdle makes it difficult for centralization advocates to "game" the analysis, twisting it to serve their ends, and saves the top team time by quickly eliminating small opportunities from discussion.
Are the risks low?
Determine whether the impact of centralization - business rigidity, reduced motivation, bureaucracy, distraction while implementing the new system - are low.
A centralization proposal should be able to survive at least one of these questions.
POWER POINTS
MANAGEMENT
Hold the praise, pass the feedback
Praise and positive feedback may seem the same but long-time executive Eric Jacobson insists they are different: Positive feedback focuses on the specifics of job performance while praise is usually a very general statement such as "keep up the good work."
He argues that praise, without positive feedback, leaves employees with empty feelings. So focus on detailed positive feedback, rather than simple shots of praise.
EricJacobsonOnManagement
STRATEGY
What can you do? Take the long view
Entrepreneur Derek Sivers (founder of CD Baby, the online independent CD store, among other ventures) says most people overestimate what they can accomplish in one year and underestimate what they can do in 10 years.
Instead of trying to do too much, or too many things, at one time, think long term: Do just one thing for a few years, then another for a few years, then another. Sivers.org
Marketing
MARKETING
E-mail pitching: Skip the bullets
Denver-based consultant Kendra Lee advises that you start you e-mail marketing messages with a statement, not a question, and use paragraphs rather than bullet points to make your pitch. The tactic of opening with a question simply doesn't work, and bullet points signal you are trying to make a sale, encouraging the recipient to delete the message.
RainToday.com
TECH TIP
Taking a break with free shareware
If you're the kind of person who wonders where the day went, and why you didn't take a break, help is at hand. Breaker is shareware software that allows you to program in break times, and their lengths, for your work day. You can download the software at: http://davidevitelaru.com/software/breaker.
AddictiveTips.com
