Companies are in business to make money and increase market share. To
achieve that requires competitive advantage and a positive reputation
in the market.
That’s not easy to achieve, particularly for SMEs competing against larger companies – not least to create a corporate culture that empowers employees to make it all happen.
Corporate culture is the indefinable “something” that companies rely upon to drive sales and good customer relations, the cornerstones of all business success.
But, as we’ve previously written, corporate culture can be planned for and incorporated into business strategy, helping to define what a company stands for and how it is “doing right” for its employees, customers and the wider community.
One effective way to give voice to corporate culture is to develop and set down a Code of Ethics, providing employees with a context within which they can act honestly and fairly, and removing any ambiguity in their decision-making.
It sounds deceptively simple, but creating a Code of Ethics can be of far-reaching importance, because it helps managers focus attention on what the company is really about, and what risk factors can impact on decisions made – at any level in the company.
Not least, it should clearly set out the ethical values that drive the company, from its relationships with customers, suppliers and employees – and covering everything from sales techniques to accounting practices.
A good Code of Ethics will cover a company’s ethical values and how those values are monitored and periodically reviewed. It should tell everyone, from customers to employees, what the company stands for.
Although primarily a business tool, a Code of Ethics is also a powerful marketing and PR statement, because it articulates how a company does business, and how individual employees conduct their day-to-day activities.
Most Codes start with a clear statement that sets out in the broadest terms what the company expects. For example: Google, Linkedin, Morgan Stanley, Coca-Cola
The above examples from mega-companies can equally be applied to the smallest of enterprises, because every company’s activities impact on employees, suppliers, customers and the communities within which it operates.
However, a Code of Conduct should be more than some fine words on a piece of paper. It needs management leadership and input at all levels to determine what issues are of concern to employees – everything from sales techniques to customer relations.
It should fit easily into a company’s approach to corporate social responsibility and, not least, it should be monitored for compliance, with staff training to ensure that ethical behaviours become simply “how we do business.”
In a fast-paced enterprise, creating those ethical standards and monitoring mechanisms can be time-consuming, and many companies just don’t see the point.
However, as a way to concentrate everybody’s minds on what matters, and to offer a better service than your competitors, creating a Code of Ethics may be the best thing you’ve never quite got around to doing.
By Charlie Laidlaw
That’s not easy to achieve, particularly for SMEs competing against larger companies – not least to create a corporate culture that empowers employees to make it all happen.
Corporate culture is the indefinable “something” that companies rely upon to drive sales and good customer relations, the cornerstones of all business success.
But, as we’ve previously written, corporate culture can be planned for and incorporated into business strategy, helping to define what a company stands for and how it is “doing right” for its employees, customers and the wider community.
One effective way to give voice to corporate culture is to develop and set down a Code of Ethics, providing employees with a context within which they can act honestly and fairly, and removing any ambiguity in their decision-making.
It sounds deceptively simple, but creating a Code of Ethics can be of far-reaching importance, because it helps managers focus attention on what the company is really about, and what risk factors can impact on decisions made – at any level in the company.
Not least, it should clearly set out the ethical values that drive the company, from its relationships with customers, suppliers and employees – and covering everything from sales techniques to accounting practices.
A good Code of Ethics will cover a company’s ethical values and how those values are monitored and periodically reviewed. It should tell everyone, from customers to employees, what the company stands for.
Although primarily a business tool, a Code of Ethics is also a powerful marketing and PR statement, because it articulates how a company does business, and how individual employees conduct their day-to-day activities.
Most Codes start with a clear statement that sets out in the broadest terms what the company expects. For example: Google, Linkedin, Morgan Stanley, Coca-Cola
The above examples from mega-companies can equally be applied to the smallest of enterprises, because every company’s activities impact on employees, suppliers, customers and the communities within which it operates.
However, a Code of Conduct should be more than some fine words on a piece of paper. It needs management leadership and input at all levels to determine what issues are of concern to employees – everything from sales techniques to customer relations.
It should fit easily into a company’s approach to corporate social responsibility and, not least, it should be monitored for compliance, with staff training to ensure that ethical behaviours become simply “how we do business.”
In a fast-paced enterprise, creating those ethical standards and monitoring mechanisms can be time-consuming, and many companies just don’t see the point.
However, as a way to concentrate everybody’s minds on what matters, and to offer a better service than your competitors, creating a Code of Ethics may be the best thing you’ve never quite got around to doing.
By Charlie Laidlaw
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