Have you ever read “The Ethicist” column in the New York Times Magazine? It’s a popular weekly column where readers send in their quandaries in … Read more
Where Was HR In All These Sexual Harassment Scandals?
With the number of reports of sexual harassment now a tidal wave, some very pointed questions are being asked: “How could this have happened for all … Read more
Is Your Culture the One You Want?
What’s the condition of your organization’s culture? Every organization has one. From a small business to a multi-national, it’s got a culture. From a team … Read more
Wells Fargo Scandal: What Was HR’s Role?
For most of my long HR career in service industries, my colleagues and I believed our role to be an advocate for the employee. Those who spent their HR … Read more
When Does Your Company’s Recruiting Cross the Line?
The University of Louisville’s basketball program is under fire because of allegations by former recruits and players who claim that Louisville paid for … Read more
Ethical Sourcing: If It’s Good For Coffee, It’s Good For Talent, Too
I read in the newspaper yesterday morning that Starbucks has achieved an incredible milestone for the ethical sourcing of virtually all its coffee – 99 … Read more
How to Keep HR Off the Front Page of the Newspaper
Last week, the head of Human Resources for my city’s public school district resigned after it became public she exchanged text messages with a subordinate … Read more
5 Ways You’re Turning Your Employees Into Crooks
When it comes to your employees, the adage holds true that one bad apple can spoil the barrel. Even one dishonest employee can do enormous amounts of … Read more
The Ethics of Over-The-Top, On-the-Job CEO Rhetoric
CEOs are a fountain from which the culture and identity of an organization flows from the top down. However, they can sometimes get a little “fired up” … Read more
What Happens When a Workplace Culture Is Built on Lies?
A friend and I were talking the other day about unethical business practices and why companies get away with them, even when the bad behavior is an open … Read more
The Price of Principles: What Do They Say About a Company’s Culture?
The New York Times published an article about yet another successful, high profile sports coach who has been caught lying about his credentials. Times … Read more
Keys to Employee Enthusiasm: It’s All About Principles and Purpose
By David Sirota and Douglas A. Klein “Make no small plans…for they have not the power to stir men’s blood.” — Niccolo Machiavelli, 1514 “The way I … Read more
One Big New Year’s Resolution You Really Need to Make
We’ve officially kicked off the New Year, so happy 2014! With the New Year comes the tradition of resolutions, which we hear a lot about in these first few … Read more
So, What Will YOU Do When Your Employee Lies to You?
Lying is one of those odd things in life — everyone lies to everyone, but no one likes to be lied to. This gets even weirder in the workplace, because it’s … Read more
Hiring Wisdom: Asking For Some Honest Interview Answers
According to the most recent report card on American Youth issued by The Josephson Institute of Ethics, the Institute found the number of students who said … Read more
Horrified by Something in Your Culture? Better Look in the Mirror
We see media coverage nearly every day about horrific behavior, a rogue employee or deeper criticisms about the culture of an organization. This week is no … Read more
Lance Armstrong & Manti Te’o: When We Let Image Hide the Facts
Sometimes we want to believe the story so much that the facts simply get in the way. It’s easy with celebrities or athletes because they star in the fairy … Read more
Why in Business and in Life, It’s Important to Play by the Rules
This isn’t just another one of the thousands of articles, blogs, and stories sharing personal feelings of betrayal in light of Lance Armstrong’s recent … Read more
Leadership and Unethical Behavior: How Does It Impact the Organization?
So by now we’ve all heard about the scandal with retired general and former head of the CIA, Gen. David Petraeus. Some of my European colleagues have noted … Read more
Civility in the Workplace: Can We Remember the Lessons from 9/11?
There is an old saying in engineering: “Don’t fix the blame, fix the problem.” It’s also good advice in every other walk of life; whether you’re leading an … Read more