Corporate Social Responsibility

Layoffs feel unethical, but they’re not inherently wrong. It’s the behavior behind the decision that matters. I learned this early in my career. Layoffs are business decisions. They’re about numbers, markets, and strategy. What makes them unethical is when leadership lies, hides, or treats people like disposable parts. When you can’t look someone in the eye and tell the truth, that’s when you’ve crossed the line. That’s why I teach the ETHICS framework to leaders and HR folks. It’s not academic. It’s survival. It kept me grounded when the pressure was high and the choices were ugly. Evaluate. Get the facts. Who’s impacted? What’s the real story behind the spreadsheet? Don’t accept half-truths. Think. Sit with the consequences. Who gets hurt? Who gets protected? What’s the ripple effect six months from now? Honor values. Integrity isn’t a slide deck. It’s how you behave when nobody’s watching. Does this decision reflect what you say you stand for? Identify options. There are always more than leaders admit. Better severance. Clearer communication. A chance to redeploy someone into a different role. Get creative. Choose. Make the call with clarity, not cowardice. People can smell fear. They can also smell respect. Scrutinize. After it’s done, don’t bury it. What worked? What was awful? What will you refuse to repeat? Layoffs are a business failure for sure. We can and should make them fair, transparent, and respectful. That’s ethical leadership. So next time you’re in the room for a hard decision, don’t wing it. Don’t hide. Use the ETHICS framework. Stand in your values. People will forget the press release, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel when their job disappeared. https://lnkd.in/e2amCVM6

The experience of unfairness at work impacts the lives of many people every day. For example, in the UK, many report experiencing age, gender, and other forms of bias. And research reveals a "paradox of meritocracy" - organizations that explicitly claim to be meritocratic often demonstrate greater bias in their decisions than those making no such claims. This happens because when we label our systems as fair, we psychologically credential ourselves as unbiased decision-makers. This false confidence then allows our biases to operate unchecked. At the heart of genuine fairness is dignity—the recognition of inherent worth in every person. And we can support dignity-based fairness from any position by creating What Micro-Fairness Zones around us. Many dignity-based fairness practices do not require positional power. For example, we can: - Amplify overlooked contributions - Distribute credit accurately - Acknowledge diverse forms of expertise - Interrupt incivility and microaggressions - Practice active listening - Invite diverse perspectives explicitly And more. Creating micro-fairness zones is a personal practice of leading from any position. It means: Examining your own assumptions✔ Listening deeply to different experiences✔ Using your specific position✔ Kindness and dignity create positive ripples. By creating micro-fairness zones grounded in dignity, anyone at any level can contribute to workplace justice. #HumanResources #careers #leadership #management #psychology #dignity #fairness #OrgPsych #BusinessEthics #Ethics #culture #students #education #learning #leaders

✋🏽Why is ethics crucial in leadership?🤷🏽♀️ Reflecting on my journey as a leader, one moment stands out that emphasized the importance of ethical leadership. Years ago, I faced a tough decision about whether to renew services with an organization whose ethical behavior did not align with mine. Despite the potential financial loss, I chose to end the partnership, prioritizing integrity over profit. This decision taught me three key things about being an ethical leader: 🌟 NEVER compromise integrity. Always choose integrity, even if it means tough decisions or short-term losses. 🌟 Don't just talk about trust, BUILD it by being transparent and honest, creating a culture where ethics matter. 🌟 Lead like you're grandkids are watching. Show that ethical standards are a must for longevity. These lessons have been game-changers during my 13 years as a business owner, helping me navigate many ethical challenges and highlighting the importance of leading with integrity. Being an ethical leader isn't always the easiest path, but it's the most rewarding and sustainable one. I’m committed to sticking to these principles in every decision I make. ➡️ Share if this was helpful👍🏽

In our interconnected world, what may begin as a minor oversight can escalate into a major crisis. And the backlash is often swift and severe.   That's why ethical leadership in marketing begins by operating as the guardian of your company’s reputation …   Making decisions through the prism of what will foster unwavering customer trust.   Ethical leadership in marketing isn’t something that can be compartmentalized or delegated because it impacts every aspect of how your company operates.   And it should infuse every aspect of your organization.   If, for example, you’d like to be held in the same high regard as Costco, Patagonia, Warby Parker, Salesforce, Apple, Paychex, and, Oshkosh …   Here’s how to do it …   𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐆𝐔𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒 Develop a code of acceptable practice specific to marketing and advertising initiatives that spell out your organization’s standards and expectations.   𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐘 𝐂𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 Make ethical considerations central to all key decisions so that it becomes fundamental to your organization’s identity.   𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐁𝐘 𝐄𝐗𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄 Model ethical behavior in how you make and prioritize decisions.   𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 Foster a culture where employees feel comfortable raising ethical issues without fear of retaliation.   𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐄𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐌𝐒 Implement clear channels for employees to report ethical violations anonymously.   𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒 Enforce consequences for unethical behavior that are applied consistently both internally and with outside vendors and service providers.   𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓 𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐒 Periodically review marketing practices to identify and address potential ethical issues or conflicts.   𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐂𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐘𝐄𝐄𝐒 Regularly interact with these key stakeholders to gain an understanding of their concerns and values in order to incorporate them into your marketing strategy.   𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐘 Develop a management plan that includes open and honest communication and action steps for addressing ethical breaches swiftly and effectively.   Illustration: Wisepops   Ring the 🔔 on my profile to follow Linda Goodman for marketing strategy and business development content.   #MarketingStrategy #Sales #Marketing #BusinessDevelopment #Entrepreneurship #CEO #Leadership

Of all the charts I've presented to boards and business executives over the years (and there have been many), THIS is one of my favorites. It helps to make the case that senior leaders have a powerful influence on culture and conduct throughout their organizations. This chart shows data collected through Ethics & Compliance Initiative (ECI)'s Global Business Ethics Survey, but a similar pattern generally appears when charting employee survey data from an individual organization. Leaders’ commitment to integrity, as ECI defined it in this study, is a rollup of a series of measures; among them are employees' perceptions of top management's communications, the behavior they model to others, the extent to which they encourage employees to raise concerns, and whether they are perceived as holding people accountable to the values and standards of their organization. I don't know any organizations that aren't interested in reducing the pressure employees feel that they must break the rules to get the job done. Most businesses also want to reduce misconduct and increase reporting when things go wrong. And retaliation? This chart shows a 76% difference in the percentage of people who said that they experienced retribution for raising suspected violations to someone in their organization. That's remarkable. Importantly, this chart shows correlations between employees' perceptions of leaders and conduct in the organization; it's not making a case for causation. And focusing on the words and deeds of top management is not the sole solution to all ethics and compliance challenges. But if an organization wants to establish a strong ethical culture where employees raise concerns, or reduce its risk of noncompliance, it is clear that the personal commitment of senior leaders to integrity is paramount. This post contains an image of a PPT slide. If it would help you in your work to have the actual slide, let me know…I’m happy to share! #ethicalleadership #toneatthetop #businessintegrity

You log in to work, ready for a productive day, but then it happens again... - Promises made, but never kept. - Leaders preaching values, but playing favorites. - Colleagues who smile to your face but take credit behind your back. Integrity: the most over-promised and under-delivered value in the workplace. But what does integrity at work really mean? - Keeping your word, even when it’s inconvenient. - Recognizing others, even when they’re not in the room. - Making decisions based on principles, not politics. Integrity is the backbone of trust. And trust? - Boosts productivity. - Builds strong teams. - Drives long-term success. Without it: - Teams break down. - Respect disappears. - Work becomes just a paycheck, not a purpose. I’ve been there—I know. If you can’t find integrity in your workplace, bring it yourself: - When a project is tough, don’t sugarcoat it. Be honest about the challenges and propose solutions. - If someone steals your work, have an open conversation and set boundaries, making it clear that this behavior is unacceptable. - When you make a promise, keep it. Build trust one action at a time. Why does this matter? - You may not change the entire culture, but you’ll attract like-minded individuals. - You’ll build a network of people who share your values. - And that network will become your greatest asset. I’ve seen this firsthand. Even after leaving toxic workplaces, I remain connected to those rare, trustworthy colleagues who valued honesty and fairness. Today, they’re not just my network—they’re my friends. That’s worth far more than adapting to a toxic culture for short-term gains. So: - Speak up, even when it’s hard. - Stand firm, even when it’s unpopular. - Build relationships that reflect honesty and respect. Because: Integrity might not give you the fastest promotion, but it will give you something better—a reputation no one can take away. And in time, people will connect to your Wi-Fi-level integrity—because it’s the real deal. * * * ➜ Follow for more posts on how to build life on your term and thrive by choosing integrity when others don’t!

Develop And Write A Great Policy And Then Assume No One Will Read It Standards and controls, including policies, are an important part of an effective ethics and compliance program. While I have many other #SundayMorningComplianceTip posts that address policy development and writing, there is one important assumption I think policy owners should make when it comes to policies: assume no one will read your policy. Hopefully the relevant employees will read the policy, but the point is to recognize that your busy employees are probably subject to scores of policies and have equally little amounts of time and interest in reading new policies. If we assume that employees are not going to read a new policy, we force ourselves to think a bit more about how to bring the policy to your employees and help them understand the requirements. Here are some examples of how to apply this assumption in practice: 1. Engage Leaders, Managers & Supervisors: You can do this through Compliance Manager Toolkits (a one page summary that helps managers understand their role with respect to the policy and how they can support employees with the new policy) and providing them short Compliance Tips of the Month so they can talk with their teams about some key points about the policy that are relevant to their team and will resonate with them. 2. Marketing Campaign: Embrace the marketing principle of the “Rule of 7” - you need to have multiple messages and communications for the relevant employees to help ensure that they are aware of the policy and the key policy requirements. 3. Help People Learn: This can include training (online or live), engaging them during the policy development stage, providing real life (or at least realistic) FAQs that provide realistic scenarios that relate to the policy, and advising employees on how to deal with any challenges or awkward situations that the new policy might create for them (e.g., how do you decline a gift that violates your new gifts and entertainment policy without burning important business relationships). Even if your employees are going to read all your policies, applying this assumption will only help support both your employees and your ethics and compliance program. Policy documents are just the written version of the policy - there are many other ways that we can communicate a policy to employees and help ensure the words on the page are reflective of the policy in practice. My #SundayMorningComplianceTip series is taking a break for the next few weeks and will return in January. _____ #SundayMorningComplianceTip #EthicsAndComplianceForHumans 📚 Want to get more compliance ideas and suggestions like this? Connect with me here on LinkedIn or get your copy of my book called Ethics & Compliance For Humans (published by CCI Press and available in print and kindle format on Amazon and various other online book stores)

You're not building a culture of ethics. You're building a culture of people who know the right answers on quizzes. Here's a counterintuitive workplace tip: Optimize your culture for skills, not compliance. Because when you create a skills-based approach to workplace behavior, compliance happens naturally. Most organizations approach workplace culture backward. They start with compliance requirements, create training to check regulatory boxes, and wonder why behavior doesn't change. It's like focusing on passing a driving test without teaching anyone how to actually drive the car. After years of seeing this pattern as an employment lawyer and founder of a compliance training company, I've found a more effective approach: focus on developing practical workplace skills first, and compliance will follow naturally. Think about it this way: • Traditional approach: "Here are 15 examples of sexual harassment. Don't do these things or you'll be fired and possibly sued." • Skills-based approach: "Here's how to recognize when someone is uncomfortable with your comments, read non-verbal cues, and maintain appropriate professional boundaries." The skills-based approach doesn't just avoid problematic behavior—it builds the fundamental capabilities that prevent issues from arising in the first place. This isn't a theory. Our data shows that organizations focusing on skills development in areas like relationship building, managing power dynamics, and demonstrating integrity see fewer workplace claims and stronger cultural indicators. The best part? When you pulse employees on their experience of these skills within the organization, you create a heat map of potential issues before they become compliance problems. It's preventative rather than reactive. One client using this approach saw ethics and respect scores rise by 18 percentage points in less than two years, with corresponding decreases in workplace claims. Next time you're reviewing your compliance training program, ask yourself: "Are we teaching rules, or are we building skills?" The answer makes all the difference. What's one workplace skill you believe would dramatically reduce potential issues if everyone mastered it?

What happened to professionalism? Once, it was about doing your job well, about skill, judgment, and speaking the truth even when your hands are tied. Now it’s a survival strategy, a brittle shell of obedience you wear like a cheap suit, hoping nobody notices you breathing too loud. When work is scarce, being professional becomes code for keeping your mouth shut, not rocking the boat, and praying the axe falls somewhere else. That is not professionalism. That is fear with a tie. Real professionalism is a beast. It is competence that cuts through chaos, mastery that refuses to ignore problems, judgment that balances risk and integrity. It is a commitment to a discipline, a body of knowledge and ethics that exists beyond your boss, beyond your paycheck, beyond the next round of layoffs. A professional speaks truth to power because the discipline demands it. Companies are transient, leaders change, but the standards, the principles, the society of professionals endure. That is the only compass you can trust when the corporate loyalty evaporates. And make no mistake, speaking truth to power has always been dangerous. You do not need a history lesson about Martin Luther King or Malcolm X to understand this. Even in the modern office, calling out failures can get you fired, blackballed, or humiliated. The stakes may not be life and death, but they are still terrifying. Fear is a toxin in the bloodstream of workplaces. It turns skill into silence, courage into compliance. Watching colleagues vanish in sudden layoffs while managers chant slogans about “teamwork” is enough to make anyone question their judgment. Corporations pretend they exist only to make money, and so we are left adrift when their actions betray their words. Ethical standards, fairness, and accountability are not optional. Ignoring them is not clever; it is negligence. That is why the society of professionals matters. The people, the discipline, the shared principles, they are the North Star. They guide action when corporate rhetoric is meaningless and fear whispers that speaking up is suicidal. True professionalism is technical skill married to courage. It is doing your job well, holding yourself and others accountable, and refusing to let fear silence you. It is acting with precision even when the room is watching, even when your head feels like it is on a chopping block. It is a duty to the discipline, not just to the company, and it demands speaking truth to power. So stop pretending professionalism is compliance. Stop letting fear dictate behavior. Look at your work, your craft, your discipline, and ask yourself if you are living up to it. Stand up, speak out, and act with integrity even when it hurts. That is professionalism. That is power. That is the only thing that will keep you sane when the corporate world loses its mind. You can find deeper thoughts here: https://lnkd.in/e85aAfAs

Let us pause for a moment to reflect on the timeless principle that transcends generations: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." In a world driven by ambition and competition, it's easy to overlook the importance of #empathy and #kindness. However, I firmly believe that fostering a culture of #respect and #understanding is the key to building meaningful and lasting professional relationships. At Dunlap Law PLC our collective vision is a workplace where every colleague genuinely cares about each other's well-being, where collaboration is based on trust, and #highperformance is celebrated as a collective achievement. This vision becomes reality by embracing the Golden Rule in our daily interactions. Here are a few ways we can apply the Golden Rule in our professional lives: 1️⃣ Active Listening: Truly listen to your colleagues and clients without judgment. Show them the same attention and respect you would expect in return. 2️⃣ Empathy: Put yourself in others' shoes and understand their challenges and aspirations. Offer support and assistance as you would hope to receive in similar circumstances. 3️⃣ Recognition and Appreciation: Acknowledge the efforts and accomplishments of your team members and peers. A simple "thank you" can go a long way. 4️⃣ Constructive Feedback: Provide feedback with compassion and a growth mindset. Remember how you'd like to be approached if you were in their position. 5️⃣ Mentorship: Be open to guiding and uplifting others. Pay forward the guidance you received and help someone else reach their full potential. 6️⃣ Fairness: Treat everyone equitably and inclusively. Respect diversity and create an environment where everyone feels valued. 7️⃣ Integrity: Act ethically and with honesty in all your endeavors. Trust is the foundation of strong relationships. Let's challenge ourselves to be the change we wish to see in the professional world. By living the #goldenrule, we can create an atmosphere of positivity, collaboration, and mutual growth. Together, we can build bridges and create opportunities that benefit not just ourselves but the entire community around us. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this timeless principle and how you integrate it into your professional life. Together, let's make our workplaces more compassionate and successful, one kind gesture at a time. #GoldenRule #ProfessionalEthics #CompassionateLeadership #KindnessAtWork #LinkedinCommunity