Episode 147 - Leading with Ethics

On this episode of the "Leading and Learning through Safety" podcast, Dr. Mark French discusses the significance of ethics in relation to workplace safety and its impact on the workforce. He emphasizes the importance of core values in creating a safe and healthy work environment, highlighting how companies often struggle to align their actions with their stated values. Dr. French explores the consequences of deviating from ethical standards, particularly in the context of safety, where such deviations can lead to serious accidents or fatalities. He shares insights from leadership literature, including exercises to identify personal core values and assess their alignment with corporate values. Dr. French underscores the link between adherence to core values and employee retention, emphasizing the detrimental effects of forcing employees to compromise their values for survival. Through this discussion, he sets the stage for further exploration of ethics and core values in the workplace.

Transcript

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This week on the leading and learning with safety podcast, we're talking ethics. How does that affect safety? How does it affect your workforce this week on the podcast? Welcome to the leading and learning through safety podcast. Your host is Dr. Mark French marks passion is helping organizations motivate their teams. This podcast is focused on bringing out the best in leadership through creating strong values, learning opportunities, teamwork, and safety. Nothing is more important than protecting your people. Safety creates an environment for empathy, innovation, and empowerment. Together, we'll discover meaning and purpose through shaping our safety culture. Thanks for joining us this episode. And now here is Dr. Mark French. Hello, and welcome to this episode of the leading and learning through safety podcast. So happy you join me been absent again, for a couple of weeks, I don't mean for that to happen were disappearing for weeks at a time before I record a podcast, I'm gonna work on that, because I love doing this and I miss it. There's a lot of therapy involved in just kind of talking to yourself, and then putting it out there for everyone else to listen to. That was kind of my whole radio experience to you were talking to yourself, but hopefully someone else was listening. Anyway, thanks for joining me this week, I'm really interested in talking about ethics. And it struck me because I just got done teaching one of my classes. And it's a two day leadership course. And the first part of it is dedicated to core values and ethics. And mainly core values, core values turned into a form of ethics, but core values. And it reminds me of the importance of what core values means to a workplace, to the people that work in there. And what it means is an experience of just human psychology, when we get to eight, when we're able to live within our core values or when we're not allowed or able to really maximize that opportunity to work within those values. Then what do I mean by that? Let's just jump in. And I'll give you some background about that. And we'll just get started about Val. It's interesting that when you talk about companies in the 21st century 2024 that we're still concerned about, is a company ethical, is a company have values and do they live their values. For a company, a value statement should not be a poster on a wall, it should not be an annual refresher training. That means nothing when you actually go to work every day. And it's hard, it's not easy for a company to set up values and then live through them. Because it's it holds you to a higher standard. And sometimes a company feels that it needs to shift on that standard, to be able to be profitable to be able to be good to be able to do the things it needs do in the the news is full of those stories. And we'll just look at safety because that's what I talk about safety. And how did a shift in values did a shift in ethics result in someone getting really hurt or even killed in the workplace, the deviation from values, the deviation from ethics can result in the loss of human life. Because once you grow cross that line, it's a slippery slope. Core values, your core values are so essential to you. And one thing I start with as I went through a bunch of the top business books of of recent time and even older. I mean we're talking great thinkers of leadership and they have studied success and organizations time and time again, they benchmark the data they look at it in when you read their books when you read and listen to their information and And you really study what they're talking about or even cursory? Do you have to study it deep? When you start reading it and seeing it. The one common theme that stood out to me the most maybe it was because I was looking for it, maybe it's because I'm passionate about it. So it's easy to see it. You know, it's that red car theory that once someone says, wow, there's a lot of red cars, you suddenly see every red car out there, maybe it's that. But there is a correlation may not be causation, but there's some correlation there. In these books were somewhere there's a chapter, there's a maybe even a whole unit dedicated, just to creating your values to knowing what your values are, and how they align with what you want to do with your life. And there's a great exercise, I will post a link to it. It is from Brene Brown, and it's from one of her earlier works, where she asks, as part of the book that there's this worksheet in it says you're allowed to pick two words, two words that are your core values that mean the most to you. They're inherently who you are. They're inherently what you stand for. And I'll post it on on the links. If you're following me on LinkedIn, or Facebook, the link will be in the comments, I will put that in there for you. Because I love this exercise. I think it's something I invest a lot of time in letting people do this exercise, and then debriefing it. And I don't ask them to share their values. But what we do is go through some exercises to talk about what happens when we live in the values. What happens when we're asked to work outside the values? And do we even do you cross that line? How often will you cross that line? How far would you cross that line? And what happens after you crossed that line. And I have some examples in my own history that I'm certainly I live in learn, like everyone, there's no perfect, and not the greatest moments of my career. And I'll get into that a little bit here in a moment. But the exercise gives you a whole list of words, but then you can add your own words, and you're allowed to pick to two words that define your values. And then since it's part of a corporate training, I usually show the company's corporate values at the same at soon after. And I ask which value of the company aligns best with you? Don't you don't want to tell me your values? Unless you're comfortable doing that. But that's a very personal thing as something to you. How do they align? Which one of the corporate values most aligned to you? Which one, maybe not? Which one will be the least even though they may all be applicable? You may feel very good about all of them? Which one? Which one kind of fades away a little bit more? Which one is further away from from you? And then the biggest question that really begins a discussion within the group is how well does your company live within each of these values? And how do you feel? Yeah, I get it. During a leadership class talking about feelings, you can't get away from that. Because ultimately, the persona, the feeling of the people, the feeling of you, as an individual working somewhere is so important to your overall well being. And it goes deeper, I'm starting very soft here. And this isn't really hard safety material. But I'll get there, if you'll just go with me on this journey. So there's been research that says that if you're able to live within your values, if your company doesn't violate your core values, your two words, you're 66, like two thirds more likely to stay with that company retention just is he gets a big jump in in retention, when you're able to do that. It makes a more healthy workforce, a more progressive workforce that feels like they want to give, they're here living in their values, core values for you as the line in the sand. It's the line that note you don't cross you don't want to cross you never want to go past that point. Because it hurts, it physically takes it away from you, it will drain you so quickly. It makes you doubt what you're doing. And that's not where you want people working. And yet, I'm gonna get to this. There are companies that have that make their employees choose every day to live their values or survive by feeding their family. And it's because the lack thereof, the lack of ethics, the lack of values or the lack of lived values that are there within the organization. So I've set the stage for what I want to talk about in the second half. And we'll be back and we'll talk more about at takes in core values. On the second half of the leading and learning through safety podcast. humanizing the workplace it is the leading learning through safety podcast, DSD, a consulting, learn you lead others, the Myers Briggs Type Indicator is an amazing tool. The problem is that it can be easily misinterpreted. Dr. Mark French is MBTI certified and ready to help you discover your inner strengths. The MBTI assessment can help with team building stress management, communication, conflict management, and so much more. Individual and group sessions are available to help you discover what makes you great. For more information, visit us on the web at TSD. A consulting.com. Welcome back to the second half of the leading and learning through safety podcast. Thanks for joining me, we're talking about ethics in core values, and how important they are. So the first part, I really discussed what are your core values, how they are, they are who you are, at the basic fundamental distill everything else about your personality, their stand your core values, standing strong, standing bright, they're your they're the North Star for you, they are your guiding light, they are the lighthouse of your life. In every week, every day, I look in my email for my new stories that I have set, different parameters to get in, I see companies that are losing people, due to safety, people are dying on the job. And that is a statistic. And that's sad that that huge number when we look at how many people lose their life at work in the United States every day, we look at that number. And it's a number it's statistic, when it's really a bunch of people. And there were failures somewhere, some companies will take that seriously. And they will work on it, they will deal with it, they will move past it and move up. And it was something they never expected or wanted or or hoped they had avoided. Or maybe it's the turning point and they learn. I want to put them aside. And I want to talk about the companies that just keep doing it. Because there's examples of companies that have a fatality one year, next year, they have another and they're just like, oh, but safety is a core priority. For us. It's a value. No, it's not, you didn't make it a value. Because you didn't change. You didn't worry about what the consequences could be you didn't focus on it. That is where there's that breach that breach of a core value, that breach of ethics. It's, it's interesting that we had to actually make it illegal to hurt and kill people on the job for some companies to even consider it. And of course, going back to OSHA in the 70s. But that still today you will talk to leaders, or suppose let's call them managers, because I don't see them as leaders, but heads up of big companies that have an apathy towards human safety. That, you know, it's it's a law, but we could probably pay that fine of whatever it's going to be. And we just keep doing what we're doing because it's too expensive to fix it or it's too much effort to fix it, or whatever. Take your pick of excuses. And if you'd go to Google, and you go to the News tab, and you just search workplace fatality, or workplace death, it'll shock you of what comes up. And when you read about and you start researching a little bit deeper about some of the companies and some of the journalists do a great job. And I've talked about good journalism with safety a few times, you will see where where we're the ethics. And we have put people in a position and this is my frustration with a lot of things is the idea that we must choose between our ethics. And we choose between our ethics and having a job. And we're made to make that decision. We may have joined a company they may have showed us on their webpage, this great value statement, these great ethical statements. And you believed them because they were talking a great game. And then you're there and you realize that oh my gosh, that's not right. I've been there. I have experienced where I've had to stand up and I think I've learned that better. As I've aged as a young person. I remember especially one job in particular things were not going well. And this is a long time ago. You and things were changing quickly needed to change quickly. But I think it went kind of the wrong direction in some ways. I was young, in my career young with children at home. And there was a choice made like, do I? Do I walk away? Or do I just keep doing the very best I can and feel miserable? Doing it all, like fighting every day, doing some things really behind view to make it better? Do I keep doing that? Or do I walk away? Or do I find another job as fast as I can? I chose number three, that I did what I could behind the background, I didn't quit immediately. But I found somewhere else. And a lot of the times when I look back at my career, and I think about when did I choose to leave an organization, it's when I realized there was a breach of one of my core values, which you can call it, I call it authenticity. It's also, to me, that's a version of trust, I wavered between the word authenticity and trust. And I think they're inherently very close together. And I thought authenticity was much better. Because, you know, if you just tell me up front that day, or you demonstrate up front without any pretense that this is just the way I am, and I don't really care, I can accept you for that. Because I know where you're at. I want you to be authentic to who you are naturally, and I want the company to present itself authentic. authentically, I'll spit that out. I want that authenticity in an organization, be who you are, don't hide behind these corporate screens, don't hide behind these pretty value statements, be who you are, put it out there and admit that, hey, we want to go here, you can speak up and go here rather than going, why are you talking about that? That is a piece of paper, no one cares. Move on. And let me also, it's, as I'm teaching this class, I'm amazed with how many people come to me and say, you know, I'm scared of my HR people. I've been there too. I've worked with organizations where like you, if you're, you don't go to HR, scary stuff. And then I'm in HR, I don't want to be that way. And I work hard not to be that way. Not that I'm perfect. But when you are asked to cross those values, inherently, a decision is made in your usually that is the switch that flips in your head that says, I'm done here. You've asked me to cross the line, I said I would not cross I am the apathy settled sin. And the value proposition for me to stay here goes away. I am ready to go on. And to look at how a company ultimately let me I'm going to tie this all together right here in the last couple of minutes of the podcast. Look at a company's safety record. Is it getting better? Is it staying the same? Are they having a lot of bad injuries? There's a core value issue. There's an ethics issue inherently. If there's not that improvement, there's not that desire in there is the first judgment. Because if you don't care about the human life of the people you're working on where's the ethics? Thank you for joining me on this episode. I really enjoyed it. I I love teaching about ethics. I love because I think it's so inherent to everything we are in it matters from a company standpoint, it matters from all over. It is the linchpin that holds it all together. But thanks for joining me. I really appreciate you choosing my podcast and being a part of part of the team here. And until next time we chat. Stay safe. Thank you for listening to the leading and learning through safety podcast, more content is available online@www.ts da consulting.com. All the opinions expressed on the podcast are solely attributed to the individual and not affiliated with any business entity. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes. It is not a substitute for proper policy, appropriate training or legal advice. This has been the leading and learn burning through safety podcast