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Companies that are successful decade after decade have one thing in common: they have core values that are supported and modeled by those at the top. The structure and leadership of organizations may change, but core values endure change as long as the organization has leaders who advocate and model them.
If CEO’s, managers, and employees of organizations were screened using character as a major factor there would be less time spent on perfecting methods to measure accountability and more time spent on developing markets and top performers. Everyone in an organization needs to be held accountable for his or her performance and productivity. But many Boards of Directors soft pedal their oversight of the CEO’s behavior and as a result many CEO’s then soft pedal their oversight of senior management behavior. As a result, managers may work to quantify accountability only in general terms in order to avoid being held accountable themselves.
In many organizations there are few incentives from leaders to support the “right thing to do” and few consequences if one does not. There are organizations that have successfully connected ethics with the various facets of accountability. These organizations have been successful because they set out to hire leaders with character, who have used common values to achieve uncommon results.
I did not write this article for us all to have a reason to blame our organizations and a reason to find excuse, but for us all to take stock of our own actions! Statistics show that many child molesters have children that later will molest their own children. Many husbands that beat their wives, had fathers who they saw beat their mother. What example are you modeling for your children who will continue on for generations to come and to pass on traits that you personally exhibit, as well as for employees you work with or subordinates that work for you.
When I first started working in this industry there was a huge amount of loyalty and pride most employees had for the company they worked for. Today, companies encourage employees to look out for themselves, encouraging them to keep their skills up to date, because it soothes their conscience when later they know they will be laid off because of the company's lack of commitment to its people, and purely for reasons of being concerned only for the financial betterment of the company, or for what is best for the executives financial well being, or because wall street believes it is the right thing to do maintain competitiveness with peer groups. These comments may sound like they come from someone who has had a bad experience with a layoff, but my anxiety is not for me as I have never been laid off, but for friends of mine that gave their life in devotion to companies only to be laid off at 49, in the company's attempt to avoid expensive retirement benefits. I don't care what pressure wallstreet places on the Board of Directors to do what is financially expedient for the company, these kinds of decisions have resulted in the apathy we see today in our organizations. Our industry is reaping today the results of the seeds that have been sewn over the past 20 years of poor ethical modeling by those that are at the top. There are good companies in our industry that are great examples for us all to follow, because they have quality leaders at the top.
Despite what your company has done or not done, concerning any of the things that I have written about today. I encourage you to do what is right! Be the example in your shop by showing others that ethics is more important to you than money or position or prestige.
Happy Prospecting!
Mike Cherry
Back to June 2004 Newsletter
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