Bringing the CEO into Your Organization’s Ethics

BY DAVIS YOUNG, APR, FELLOW PRSA

The following article is excerpted from a presentation from the annual ethics program PRSA’s Akron, Ohio, Chapter held last fall.
Ethics (or lack thereof) permeate the PR workplace.

I have been on the board of trustees at Hiram College for a number of years and have taught ethics-based courses at Kent State during the past five years. Ethics are considered a serious issue for these schools. At Hiram, for example, one of my fellow trustees endowed a faculty chair with a focus on “ethics across the curriculum” — that doing what’s right matters in every discipline.

Both Hiram and Kent State try to support integrity by communicating to students that personal honor and accountability are traits to be admired. If a student finds himself in a precarious situation in college, why should anyone expect that behavior to change once he enters the work force? It won’t.

Especially in times of economic turbulence, the necessity of strong ethics — and the transparency to guarantee their maintained integrity — is an essential component of a healthy business. Cutting corners and costs cannot come at the expense of an organization’s principles without risking the veracity and reputation of the organization, the CEO — and yourself. For PR professionals, it is good to remind ourselves that we can’t manage an organization’s reputation without also managing our own individual reputation.

Like communication, values and ethics saturate all parts of an organization. And just as communication is a cornerstone of business success, it is also the foundation of creating the right kind of culture, one that goes beyond minimal legal standards to encourage integrity.

Think about any organization and its issues — including important considerations such as reputation, crisis prevention, disclosure, employee stability, morale, brand building and many others. These issues are impacted by an organization’s values and ethics, and they all tie in to matters of communication and relationship building. Isn’t that what we do?

It is not enough, however, to talk about these issues. We have a responsibility to take action to promote and integrate these values. The new year offers a fresh start, giving us the opportunity to emphasize the importance of promoting heightened ethical standards to which we hold ourselves and our organizations.

Each of us can help promote values and ethics by demonstrating that doing what’s right is the basis of business success. Regardless of how visible an ethics problem may or may not be from a communication standpoint, it can be destructive to relationships. Who better than credible, well-prepared PR professionals to participate in every area of values and ethics?

You can and should be at the very heart of helping to build your company’s good name.

There is one other person who is essential to that effort, and it’s the CEO. Some CEOs are dismissive of ethics, writing it off as “soft stuff.” Let’s hope that isn’t your CEO.

If you want to get your CEO on board with a good values and ethics program, several things need to happen. First, your CEO needs to see you as a valuable adviser, not just a media relations person. Then, your CEO should conclude that doing what’s right is the best road to business success — that ringing the cash register is not “soft stuff.”

Nothing good happens unless the CEO is a believer. If you find yourself in a situation where this isn’t the case and the top executive is not open to discussing the issue, find another job, because your CEO isn’t going to change no matter how persistent or persuasive you are.

Remember, the CEO — not you — is ultimately the chief reputation officer.

Here are some tips for working with your CEO to cultivate strong ethics and values within your organization.

Broaden your scope. Learn to think like the CEO. Look at problems and opportunities holistically, not just through a communication lens. Add value by thinking strategically.
Do everything you can to support your CEO’s role as chief reputation officer. Help that CEO be the best role model possible by encouraging the type of behavior you want other people to have.
Connect the dots for your CEO so that he or she understands the path from good behavior to the cash register. When it becomes clear that good behavior means good business, then you have the best chance to gain attention and support from the maximum number of people.
Encourage collaboration and teamwork. Discourage silos. The overriding goal is a great workplace. That’s what makes it easier to attract and retain the people you want to have in the organization. If it’s true that reputation starts with your own employees, then it’s also true that they are your best recruiters.

It is said that the CEO is often the last to know about things, and that even then, the information is filtered to a significant degree. If you have a CEO who is open to receiving bad news without lashing out, make sure you use that person’s time wisely by providing solid, factual information and alternative suggestions for how to deal with the issue at hand. Never present a problem without also offering solutions.

Integrating Ethics Into Your Organization

Ethics remains an essential element of any responsible company. Here are some important points to keep in mind to help integrate ethics and values into your organization.

Understand that the intensified focus on values and ethics is not a passing fad. It’s here to stay — encouraged by an around-the-clock news cycle and newer reputation-defining tools such as blogs. Like it or not, transparency owns the future. Values and ethics are bedrock issues for organizations of all types and sizes. PR professionals need to own these issues.
Live your code of ethics. Make sure behaviors match words. Be very clear about what constitutes unacceptable behavior. Go beyond compliance
— aspire to integrity.
Understand that it’s all about the T-word — trust — and that trust is bankable. Share the best and worst practices of others with your management team. Hold yourself accountable and expect others to do the same.
Reputation starts with your own employees and builds up from there. Drive the ethics conversation deep into your organization. Use real-life scenarios to demonstrate the importance of every employee doing the right things. Empower every employee to talk about what your company stands for.
Emphasize problem prevention. Listen to the signals of potential trouble and take action. Protect those who come forward. Be an organization committed to constant improvement, and provide a range of training that supports this goal.