22 Keys to an Ethical Office

The 22 Keys to an Ethical Office

Ethics expert Nan DeMars has identified 22 keys to help make your office ethical.

1. See things as they are, not as you want them to be.
2. Lead by setting an example of good ethical conduct and good ethical problem solving skills.
3. Never give the impression that you don’t care that improper actions are taking place.
4. Commit to being involved in the process.
5. Anticipate ethical conflicts.
6. Communicate well.
7. Establish the language of ethics with those in your office.
8. Expect people to have different standards.
9. Remember that people are normally not as ethical as they think they are.
10. Define ethical expectations early in the relationship.
11. Support your boss’s efforts to uphold high standards for ethical conduct, communicate about ethics, and solve ethical dilemmas.
12. Be patient with each other.
13. Be consistent. Be predictable.
14. Pay attention to details.
15. Nurture the communication process with your boss.
16. Ask lots of questions.
17. Be organized. Stay focused.
18. Learn to dodge the ethical traps of overthinking and cynicism.
19. Remember that virtue is its own good reward.
20. Protect your key assets (good health, strong self-esteem, desire to improve a situation, good communication skills, and your reputation as a person of integrity).
21. Speak up whenever you feel more unethical behaviors are slipping in, or when you sense your collective ethics are getting sloppy, or when you think convenience is becoming more important than character.
22. Challenge yourself. Keep learning.