How to integrate integrity into your company culture

"According to a recent study conducted by the global consulting firm, EY, 97% of respondents reported that it is important for companies to act with integrity. Many companies tout integrity as a core principle of their organizations in an attempt to reassure customers, employees, and the wider public that their organization "plays by the rules." By some estimates, integrity is ranked as one of the most cited corporate core values, with over 80% of companies listing integrity as a core value."

"But simply including integrity on your list of core values and mounting that list on a plaque on a wall (as many companies do) won't positively influence your culture unless your core values are fully embraced and lived by employees each and every day. After all, Enron was once the darling of corporate America and a supposedly stellar business success story-until news broke that Enron had engaged in what would turn out to be one of the biggest accounting scandals in U.S. history."

"A few years ago, the CEO and chairperson of a large financial institution were caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar, engaged in what could be described, at best, as questionable behavior. When the media asked the chairperson if what she and the CEO had done was aligned with the company's core value of integrity, the chairperson replied, "Integrity means different things to different people." The media and the public were outraged by the response. But, y'know what? The chairperson was right! Integrity does mean different things to different people when it comes to business practices."

Most companies publicly claim integrity as a core value and stakeholders overwhelmingly expect companies to act with integrity. Merely listing integrity on walls or plaques does not change culture unless employees consistently embrace and demonstrate the value. High-profile failures such as Enron and a recent financial-institution scandal show how proclaimed values can diverge from actual behavior. Individuals often interpret integrity differently, creating ambiguity about acceptable conduct. Clear organizational definitions, specific behavioral expectations, and daily reinforcement are necessary to ensure integrity is actually lived within the workplace.

Read at Fast Company