This is a guest post by Simon North, founder of career consultants Position Ignition and co-author of the book 135 Networking Career Tips.
May has been a bad month for corporate ethics. Alleged proprietary trading by J.P. Morgan Chase that resulted in multibillion-dollar losses came to light. Jamie Dimon, the bank’s CEO, agreed today to testify before the Senate Banking Committee on June 13, and to appear before a House panel later in the month.
Two weeks earlier, former Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson resigned in the face of charges that he fudged his résumé. Thompson blamed a search firm, which pointed the finger right back at him. (See "The High Price Of Career Lies.")
Next, Richard M. Schulze, a founder of Best Buy, resigned after the company’s internal audit showed he turned the other cheek to a former chief executive’s romantic involvement with a subordinate. The executive, Brian J. Dunn, had resigned one month earlier in the face of the company’s announcement that it was investigating his “personal conduct.” (See "At Best Buy, A Cold Shower For Office Romance.") During the investigation, “some employees said that they felt that the rules appeared to apply to every employee except the CEO,” the company’s May report stated.
Down the corporate ladder at these businesses and others, employees are probably wondering, "What's the premium on doing the right thing when the guys and gals at the top seem to have lost their moral compass?"
The answer is: Look at the damage they have wrought--to themselves and to their employers. Here's what others can learn from these recent events.
1. Be trustworthy. Situations such as these come down to a matter of trust. Indeed, trust is a key component in our lives generally. During a recent search for a high-potential senior manager, the chairman of the company's board emphasized to me the importance of not having to look over the executive's shoulder. This director wanted to be sure that if something went wrong, he could count on the executive to report back to the board.
2. Stay beyond reproach. Take the course of action that will allow you to be right with yourself--what you would do even if there was no one else in the world. Don’t do something just because you think that's what's expected.
3. Say "no" sometimes. Sure, it’s hard to say no to the boss. Everyone wants to be validated. But there's a danger to giving the leader deity status; then all weaknesses will be hidden and the people with power and influence become insulated and isolated from the real world.
4. Watch your back. Understand that anything you do can come back to haunt you. It’s quicker and easier than ever before to identify hypocrisy in the workplace. Older generations were able to hide mistakes. We live in a time of greater transparency because of easy access to data. This has significant ramifications for people in a corporate environment.
5. Mold your profile. Look at how you project yourself to the world. Do you reach out to others or do you put up barriers—especially when you (and everyone else) know you’re in the wrong? Think about how you would see yourself if you were a person on the outside.
If necessary, ask people whom you trust what areas they think you could improve on. Asking this question shows humility, which, after all, is one of the qualities you’re trying to get across.
Review your social media profiles, too. Have you asked recent employers or clients for recommendations on LinkedIn? Does your Twitter bio succinctly say what you do or what you want to do? (For more information, see "How To Grandstand (Gracefully) On The Web" and "What To Say On LinkedIn When You’ve Been Laid Off.")
6. Prune your network. Look at the relationships you have within your tribes and networks and jettison anyone you believe does not follow the same standards that you do. Even if you consider yourself to be a strong, independent person, you can still be influenced by the type of people you spend time with. Surround yourself with positive people. Instead of trying to justify some of the things others do, ask yourself if you really want to be around individuals who need their actions to be justified out loud.
7. Assess your behavior patterns. Think about how you relate to others. Are you honest and reliable or are you taking people for a ride? No matter how long you’ve known someone in your network or how loyal a customer, employee or superior is to you, don’t take them for granted. Arrogance and complacency causes us to behave in a way that doesn’t fit with how we want to be perceived. It can also hinder our ability to make amends for such behavior after the fact.
8. Give as well as you get. Remember to frequently give and receive feedback from people who are key within your professional circles. Regular contact is the infrastructure of trust in relationships. (See "How To Work A Room Like You Own The Place.") In a professional context, for example, make the effort to have scheduled briefings but also be accommodating to the idea of informal catch-ups as needed. Being more accountable to one another in this way is vital to keeping each other honest.
9. Manage risk. Think carefully about what someone else is trying to get you to do before agreeing to do it. Consider the implications. Then check your moral compass. By changing direction, you might be doing your boss, your company--and yourself--a huge favor.
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