(the first in a series of Total Quality Leadership (TQL)...Everything you learned in the sandbox)
How an organization achieves world class quality excellence depends on its leaders within the organization, at all levels of the organization. Whether your organization has just started its quality journey with ISO certification or are ready to apply for the world renowned Deming award, the critical success factor to world class quality excellence…it’s all in the leadership!
It is my (proven) belief that the leadership skills that make an environment successful are the same skills that we learned when we were little and playing in the sandbox. The first sandbox skill I want to talk about is ethics.
One of the first things we teach our kids is not to lie. As they get a bit older, we teach them not to steal. We teach them the difference between “right” and “wrong”. When we did do something wrong and then tried to deny it (“it wasn’t me”), our parents would say, “don’t lie to me. Tell me the truth and it (punishment) won’t be as bad.” Today, as adults, we know it’s not so much the initial act itself that gets us in deep hoo-ha, it is the cover-up afterwards.
One of the first things we teach our kids is not to lie. As they get a bit older, we teach them not to steal. We teach them the difference between “right” and “wrong”. When we did do something wrong and then tried to deny it (“it wasn’t me”), our parents would say, “don’t lie to me. Tell me the truth and it (punishment) won’t be as bad.” Today, as adults, we know it’s not so much the initial act itself that gets us in deep hoo-ha, it is the cover-up afterwards.
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Don’t know unethical behavior when you do it, take a sample test:
Ÿ Have you ever lied to your boss, a customer, an associate?
Ÿ Revealed confidential information?
Ÿ Given or received gifts in return for orders?
Ÿ Called in sick on a sunny day?
Ÿ Taken credit for someone else’s idea?
Ÿ Falsified information on an application blank?
If you answered “yes”, your ethics is to be questioned.
Would you take items from a friend’s house as freely as you would from the workplace?
Ÿ What would your spouse think?
Ÿ What would members of your church think?
Ÿ Is there anyone who is important to you who would be appalled?
Faced with the demands of overtime, balancing work and family, and downsizing, a survey of 1324 workers said they feel more stress than 5 years ago, as well as more pressure to act unethically. Companies are just catching on to the legal need for a strong ethics program. Under current federal sentencing guidelines, a corporation that is charged with negligence or bad behavior can receive a far lighter fine if it can prove that the evil act violated company policy.
The objective of your ethics plan should be zero tolerance for unethical behavior. It’s one thing to say you have an effective ethics compliance system but effective process goes beyond a written report that sits in a drawer. It has to be a meaningful part of business development. Does your workplace set high ethical standards, behave in very ethical ways, sponsor training programs on ethics, and stress the hiring of ethical people? These are some of the initial steps that should be taken to insure that ethics is placed at the top of the values list.
A better informed public may resist investing in or buying products from companies with damaged reputations. Brand loyalty is based on the good reputation of the company. Ethical skills play a large part in validating the values the company espouses. “The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose”. Make sure the environment created in your organization is one that “tempts” people to choose to do the right thing.
Education webinar reminder:
No Pain, No Gain, No Instant Pudding...
Driving World Class Excellence into Your Organization!
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