CURRENT ISSUE
| Cover Story |
| Columns |
| The Leadership Cookbook: Step Into Roles |
| Column | |
| By Rudy Miick | |
| Friday, 28 March 2008 | |
 Definitive values provide “hand rails” along the way, keeping business teams on course. What if it were the other way around? You got more for the money? More than likely, this has happened to you already. Do you call the vendor then to correct the invoice? This happens in daily life all of the time, whether we’re grocery shopping or dining out. The second we notice we’ve been overcharged for a product that’s on sale, we squawk. But if we’re not billed for the side of poppers, we let it go. At root, these simple examples begin to shed light on business ethics in its simplest mode. When the dollars get higher and times are tighter, values and ethics can be pushed to the edge. In the real world, what are the implications to your brand when this occurs? Big Three I’m asking (and hopefully answering) three questions in this column: First, what if any difference is there between ethics and values? Depending on the country in which my company is founded, do my values shift depending on where I am doing business? Do my business ethics shift? Lastly – regardless of my answer to the first two questions – what is the impact of a shift or not to the brand experience of my company? Let’s look at all three questions and a potential solution to the dilemma of shifting economies, and different ethics found on the playing fields of both local and global business. Ethics Vs. Values First, is there a difference between ethics and values? Yes. The dictionary defines “ethics” as a noun, a branch of philosophy dealing with rules of conduct often morals-based and with values of human conduct. Let’s look at values more closely. What a treat to actually learn the root of the word value means “showing worth.” In this case, I’m talking about values-based decisions; that there is in fact a relative sense of worth over one decision or another. More so, that doing so choicefully will be more effective; hence, the effectiveness in my experience of more than 30 years of values-based decision-making. The other element I love sharing with you is the potency of both tense of language and actual definition. First, definition: Most companies – especially small ones – haven’t bothered to define the values by which their brand exists. No doubt values exist. However, boardrooms are filled with opinions winning or losing depending on the tenacity or volume of the speaker. The other, subtler kiss of death is that most often, I’ve seen values used as nouns instead of verbs. That is values are tools to be used effectively, not idolized as soft and warm. As an example, if profitability is held in high regard in your company, own the value of profitability and fiscal health. Second, regarding values – what I know from years of defining and guiding leaders to use values as tools – the more values you can tie to a decision, the stronger the decision is likely to be for the company and the long haul. The fewer values applicable in a decision, the more likely the decision is to mostly serve a few people or single issue, and only for the short-term at that. With defined values used as active tools, you get a major bonus: instead of opinion and argument, you get discussion based in context – that is, discussion points based on defined guidelines. You’ll find context is really useful when the going gets tough, when deciding anything that may positively or negatively impact your brand comes up. Balanced Values Values shouldn’t either be all about profits or all about people. Having values that list both fiscal health and ongoing work force development to ensure high performance are two great examples. Instead of an either/or decision, leadership can actively step into a commitment to figuring out low-cost training options, even free opportunities for learning and personal development while at the same time maintaining budgets. Definitive values provide “hand rails” along the way, to keep you and your team on course, reason enough that some leaders call their defined values “guiding principles.” More so, as mentioned earlier, instead of a screaming match to decide which options a leadership team is going to take and which are to be dropped, you can end up with tangible tools to create balance, even growth, during tough scenarios. We see that quite suddenly conversations shift, tone shifts and opportunities arise. This option is tangible, very real. Two Models In Figure 1, note when most companies come upon issues, they push to a presumed solution and then spin their company values (if values are even defined). Instead, consider Figure 2, where leaders investigate the issue and actively step into their defined values. Which values apply? Likely, many will. Global Considerations If you’re working globally these days, obviously ethics differ greatly. Ethics and values are related, but are indeed unique. That said, based on the definitions shared earlier, it seems more likely you can balance different ethics while maintaining core values. This is where discussion within your own team and your business partners can really connect based on real data and the intention of getting to a brand-consistent outcome. This can be the case regardless of the particular part of the world in which you reside or do business. You might say it’s idealistic, but my clients have found it to be profitable and brand-consistent. Rudy M. Miick, FCSI, president of Miick & Associates, can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 720-641-7565. |
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