It’s About Time: When to Update Your Global Code of Conduct

How can organizations ensure that their employees are set up for success in making ethical choices, while also empowering them to speak up when things go awry? The key is to empower employees to become ethical leaders by leading with emotional intelligence, actively listening, and accepting personal accountability. The question is: Do the topics, approach, or strategy behind that empowerment change in a hybrid work environment?
Throughout 2022, I spoke with a variety of leaders in different industries about how they communicate their organization’s ethical beliefs and values to team members so that everyone is aligned on the behaviors expected of them. I learned how they promote a safe workplace and employee safety and well-being across their companies, and how they make hard choices to do the right thing every day – and encourage others to do the same.
Of course, leaders rely on different tactics for encouraging their team to do the right thing. But, the strategies my industry peers shared with me boil down to some common ideas.
Here are some ways to become a more ethical leader:
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While many ethical leaders have the benefit of influencing their teams from a physical office, more organizations than ever before are turning to remote work. McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey said that 58% of Americans reported having the opportunity to work from home at least one day a week in 2022.
Author C. S. Lewis said, “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” And when employees are working from home, it can be more difficult for leaders, or anyone for that matter, to watch them – so it becomes more important than ever for them to do the right thing.
See how the Hill International team embraces integrity at work.
But before hybrid employees are able to do “the right thing,” employers must show them what good behavior looks like . . . at home. And give them opportunities to be role models . . . at home. All while acknowledging that they have their own personal lives to contend with while working . . . at home.
This means that managers may have to adapt their leadership styles a bit.
In Skillsoft’s recently published Lean Into Learning Report, Holger Mueller, VP and principal analyst at Constellation Research shared some hybrid work trends that he believes employers will consider in the coming year, and beyond. Here’s what he said:
“A more flexible workforce will be more productive, more successful, and more motivated and will show more resilience than ever,” said Mueller. “It is time for leaders to create environments that will unleash these key qualities for their teams.”
Mueller encourages leaders to adopt the following tactics in a hybrid or remote work environment:
Employees bring unique strengths and talents to the workplace which have potential to lose visibility in hybrid environments. To empower them and drive success, many leaders are embracing the components of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs to promote employee respect, diversity, and equity.
Here are some steps that can help leaders acknowledge DEI across hybrid teams:
By taking these steps, you can help to ensure that all team members, regardless of their location or work style, have an equitable and inclusive experience working in a hybrid team environment.
Even if you are not watching in-person, taking these steps will also ensure your employees can show integrity, do what’s right, and thrive as ethical leaders in a hybrid workplace.