What I Do
You have a fast-evolving ethics and compliance department delivering a great compliance programme. How do you know if it is having the right impact in the near and far reaches of your global company? First by getting inquisitive, not simply trusting the numbers. By squirrelling into different (often overlapping) information sources we were able to get a sense of a bigger, broader picture of culture than had been previously spotted. We identified gaps and significant ‘red flags’ that gave our client plenty to think about and decisions to make.
Values at work are not simply a nice to have. People care about their purpose at work. If they don’t have a sense of their worth and value, beyond doing as they are directed, their contributions will be worth less all round. Where there is misalignment, it’s not too difficult to spot the gaps, and signs of danger. You just need to know where to look.
Another real story...
Amazing what you can find when you take the trouble to join dots
In the course of a review of FTSE 100 company’s ethics and compliance programme, I identified an outlier of culture in a local office. The metrics alone had failed to flag up a fraud, which ultimately resulted in a suddent and dramatic drop in in the parent’s share price. An apparently small misstep can more often than not be a warning of bigger issues to come.
The good news is that by connecting the dots and looking at leadership beyond the numbers may sound scary, but nowhere near as difficult as facing the consequences of a 20 year old lie.
In spite of saying all the right things, systematising company systems, values and behaviours, the company’s most senior leaders had their real attention elsewhere. The bottom line.
The fallout ultimately led to a wholesale leadership change at the top, a significant shift in the articulation of leaders’ and managers’ behaviours, and totally re-worked communication strategy. It was a painful price to pay for what amounted to lack of cultural curiosity.
A real story...
When a company is recovering from a crisis
Leaders, most people in fact, do not set out for work intending to do a bad job. When a company is recovering from a crisis and cares enough to find out what happened and why, leaders in my experience, are often the most likely to be surprised. Are they being honest with themselves? Only they know that. And if you are the creator of the system, you’re unlikely to admit that it is at fault, while those who use it have to find ‘workarounds’ and deal with the truth every day.
Working with a global oil and gas company we had to determine whether a systemic culture of ethical failure had led to the devastating consequences everyone was now dealing with. Or, were these unique events, bad lack, bad apples or indeed a once in a lifetime ‘perfect storm’? Have the courage to dig deep and question the corporate system that your leaders operate in?
With an international company-wide programme of conversations and workshops, we were able to support the company’s intention of finding out the truth, encouraging openness through dialogue, helping leaders to acknowledge their own leadership behaviours and embedded habits. With a re-launch of values, a re-awakening of awareness and personal and corporate courage the culture significantly shifted. Sustaining it is the next challenge.
Ready to Talk?
If any of the ideas here resonate with you, or if you’re facing challenges you’d like to explore, I’d be glad to talk. Feel free to get in touch -let’s see if I can help.