Developing The Courage To Be Ethical
– Be on the right side
Profits must be judged as moral or immoral by how they are earned and how they are disposed of. Without a new barometer, we are left with the old barometer—profit for its own sake, regardless of whether it is sustainable or ultimately ruinous..
IN A NUTSHELL
Companies, like people, need to come with their own ethics – but it’s more important for them to follow through with them. When a company lives and breathes what it preaches, it not only encourages their employees to be a part of the ethical culture but also creates a strong foundation of trust in the company’s brand.
Ethics are an important ingredient when it comes to a company’s efforts to create the right culture with the right kind of people. But, many companies, in their fight for growth and profit forget their core values and ethics, making it something abstract and to be upheld only on paper. When that’s the case, it creates a sense of disillusionment among employees and clients alike – a loss of trust that’s often irrevocable.
Which is why creating an ethical business culture is paramount. In other words, businesses need to create an environment where doing the right thing is not just expected but also easy; where not just employees are expected to uphold the ethics, but leaders as well; and the company stands behind its employees and defends them if necessary.
An important consequence of being ethical is the effect it has on employee morale and their sense of belonging – when employees feel like they work for an ethical company where the leaders stand by the core values and walk the talk, it automatically makes the workplace more positive and happy.