Face-saving lies seem to be an everyday occurance in business.
In today's environment of changing technology, evolving complexity and high stress, many employees are using dishonesty as a coping tool at work:
36% call in sick when they are well
35% keep quiet when they see co-worker misconduct
19% see co-workers lie to customers, vendors or the public
12% see co-workers steal from customers or the company
Rank-and-file employees are less likely than managers to report misconduct they observe: 44% say they resist doing so, compared with 28% of managers.
Sources: Ethics Resource Center and Kronos Inc.
Knowing what is right is absolutely critical to personal and business ethics. Yet, ethics only happen when good beliefs lead to good behaviors. Without the action part, all you have are good intentions.
Here is an ethical action test for 'rightness' before implementation:
1. Is it legal?
2. Does it comply with my/our rules and guidelines?
3. Is it in sync with my personal and our organizational values?
4. Will I be comfortable and guilt-free if I do it?
5. Does it match my commitments and promised guarantees?
6. Would I do it to my family or friends?
7. Would I be perfectly okay with someone doing it to me?
8. Would the most ethical person I know do it?
Click here for more on business ethics and here for information on stress and burnout.