O O Ø O O O O
Challenging Ethics
Mandated Mores Do Not A Company Make
My company likes to start the year off by reflecting upon the year just passed, and asking “What can we do to make ourselves more successful?” A big part of this is the yearly review process, which effectively boils down everything you’ve done over the course of the previous year to one of three grades. The grades aren’t really important, unless you’re worried about your bonus and the 0.5% raise you might get if you’re really good. You either need to improve, are doing an ok job, or are that person that everyone hates because you make them look bad. Very simple.
This is the first time I’ve really gone through the process, as I had only been with the company for six weeks at this time last year. I was asked to fill out a two-page form which rated my supervisor and allowed me to articulate what I’d like to do, where I thought I needed to improve, and what skills I wanted to develop. There was also a little box that I had to initial which verified that I had reviewed the company’s code of ethics, asked my manager any questions about the code, and filled out form #xyz stating that I had read, understood, and agreed to be bound by said code.
Hrrrmmmmm... this sounds like a contract, not a performance review.
I would abide by this code, or face disciplinary action which could include termination
I broke out the code of conduct. There was a nice note from our CEO where it was explained that we live and work in a world that will test our ethics on all fronts. It emphasised how important it was for us to understand that we must treat our customers, our competition, and—most importantly—our shareholders with integrity, honesty, and respect. I have always thought that acting this way was a given, but apparently some people don’t know this—scary, no? To assist us in finding our way, the powers that be had created a helpful “guide” on what was expected of us. This guide was over thirty-five pages long. I was to read, digest, understand, and agree in writing that I would abide by this code, or face disciplinary action which could include termination.
I read the guide, and it was full of lawyer-speak, scenarios, expected conduct, and all kinds of crap that basically told me how to be an ethical role model. It pounded the idea into my skull that I must abide by these rules because it was in everyone’s best interest, and that it was the right thing to do. It was a very nice lesson in someone’s version of idealism. The problem I have is that while I think the ideas are sound, the contractual application of them completely negates the idea of it being a set of ideals to live up to, which is what I think a code of conduct should be.
People lie. People cheat. People step on others to get ahead. People cover mistakes up when they fuck up, or worse, blame others. People don’t like being called out when they screw things up, nor do they like calling others out—it’s very awkward and requires effort, and it’s much easier to ignore the breaches and hope they go away.
When push comes to shove, however, it’s all about the revenue
Companies are there to make money for their shareholders and themselves. This means they will almost always do whatever they can to wring every cent they can out of their customers, especially if they are a public company. Revenue is king, and that means that you do everything in your power to keep growing the revenue. If you don’t meet your revenue targets, you don’t get your bonus, and life is hard, so in a lot of cases you do whatever it takes to make those targets.
That’s reality.
A code of ethics is a wonderful thing to have, especially if you can stand by them. Unfortunately, they are usually an embodiment of what we’d like to be, not what we truly are. A tremendous amount of effort is put into crafting a code that represents ideal behaviour. After the code is defined, it is paraded around and pointed to, with the company saying “Look! We’re ethical, we’re clean, we take this seriously, and we make everyone agree to it in writing as a condition of employment. That means we are ethical” When push comes to shove, however, it’s all about the revenue, and so long as no one gets caught, the code is ignored when it becomes inconvenient.
That’s reality, too.
I don’t think I should have to sign a contractual document which binds me to behave according to the ethics a bunch of lawyers and a board of directors has come up with. It’s insulting, because it implies that I wouldn’t unless I know I’m contractually bound to. Besides, how many boards and lawyers do you think are lilly white? My point exactly.
I value my integrity above all else. I will admit to telling the occasional white lie to get my ass out of the fire while I fix things, but in the end, I can sleep at night and not worry about what I’ve done. If that’s not expected of and delivered by me by default, there’s something seriously fucking wrong with who I am and where I work.
You teach ethics by example, you don’t dictate by decree.
Ethics can’t be dictated, administered, and maintained like some legal agreement. They are developed from the time our little blank brains start to record, and continue to evolve until we die. They are certainly not static, and can change dependant upon a given situation. You teach ethics by example, you don’t dictate by decree. It’s as much a part of our culture as anything else, and we’ve all seen what happens when you try to legislate culture. It doesn’t work, nor should it.
I know the code will be overlooked when doing so presents an easy way out of an unpalatable situation. I know people will lie or blame others to save their own skin(s). I know that a large proportion of the people I work with will do what’s in their best interest, not the customer’s or company’s, and certainly not the shareholder’s. I know they’ll get away with it in spite of their signing that form, because that’s the way it works.
I’ll sign the form with my objections (and rationale behind them) to the process noted and appended, and will continue to work as I have in the past. Form #xyz will go on file, and if there’s ever any question about my behaviour, the company can pull said form out of the archive and fire my ass because they told me they could. It covers their ass, and I think that’s all they really want out of it, anyways. I don’t see the code as an ideal to meet, I see it as a way for my company to avoid liability for the (in)actions of their employees that are questionable.
That’s very cynical, but it’s also what I believe. Thankfully, I have my own code, and following it allows me to sleep with myself every night. It has served me, the companies I’ve worked for, and the customers I’ve worked with very well. That’s all I can ask from me, and that’s really all I need.
That’s all my company should need from me, too.
Tuesday, Jan 20, 2004
PD DCXXXV