Positivity is a choice.
It’s easy to look at the negative side of ethics and compliance. Violations abound. Compliance is thought to be expensive (though, as famously said, not nearly as expensive as non-compliance). Those who are in power and in the best position to fight for justice seem to abuse their position daily.
So what?
For every violation there are 100 examples of good behavior, which can be shared with a click.
Technology is lowering the cost of compliance everywhere – and lowering the cost of entry for any entrepreneur who wants to change how things are done.
The world is getting more transparent every day (bad behavior needs the shadows to survive).
The importance of organizational culture is now chronicled daily in mainstream business media.
In countries where the rule of law is weak, workers seek to work for multinationals with strong values.
We could go on. But here’s the point: we now live in a time when it has never been easier to make the business case for ethical behavior. So how will we make this case? By scaring people into compliance (the old fashion way)? I hope not.
My hope is that we declare the humanity of our employees and customers. That we do what’s right because doing so always places us on the right side of history.
As an Ethics & Compliance Officer, I don’t want to go to work every day pushing a negative agenda. I choose to look at the possibilities of making the world a better place.
The Ethical Leader 