gbr shrm newsletter - Greater Baton Rouge SHRM

ISSUE 04 APRIL 2011
Chapter #0257 GBR SHRM NEWSLETTER Monthly Newsle er of the Greater Baton Rouge Society for Human Resource Management IN THIS ISSUE
President’s Message PG 2 Member’s Corner PG 3 Invest in Yourself in 2011 SHRM PG 9
Business Ethics: A Quiz with Many Right Answers PG 10 Ethics ‐ From Organiza onal Compliance to Organiza onal Transforma on By Courtland Chaney, Ph.D., SPHR Public stories about prominent organiza ons and people involved in illegal,
unethical, and/or ques onable behavior seem to make news regularly. This
is true even though we have laws and professional and organiza onal codes
of conduct. This is true even though we teach ethics in college and mandate
con nuing educa on in ethics for most professions. Why is this the case?
Are our laws and codes of conduct unclear? Is it simply an issue of be er
enforcement? Do we need to do more? What should we do? Let's explore
this issue together.
A preliminary perspec ve In placing our efforts to curtail inappropriate behavior in perspec ve, let's
begin with a few defini ons.
UPCOMING GBR SHRM
EVENTS
Legisla ve Coffee Talk April 21, 2011
7:00—8:00am
The Shaw Group cafeteria
Ethics Mini‐Seminar April 25, 2011
7:30 ‐ 9:00am
Residence Inn
(Go to GBR SHRM website for
registra on details)
May Monthly Mee ng May 19, 2011
7:30—9:30AM
Juban’s Restaurant
(No April mee ng)
Continuedonpage5
1 Ethics ~ The Fabric of
Business
President’s message “Ithasbecomedramaticallyclearthat
thefoundationofcorporateintegrity
ispersonalintegrity."
—DiPiazza, Sam, CEO of PriceswaterhouseCoopers. May 13, 2003. It’s All Down to Personal Values Dwight Eisenhower was a man of
integrity. He was also a great leader.
Indeed, whenever associates described
Eisenhower, there was one word that
almost all of them, superiors or
subordinates, used—it was trust.
People trusted him for the most
obvious reason—he was trustworthy.
Not only was Dwight Eisenhower the
34th President of the United States, he
was also a remarkable soldier, and is
well remembered for his leadership
skills.
We encounter mul ple trust
rela onships in our daily lives. Trust
rela onships with family members,
employers and business rela onships.
The founda on of ethics is trust. To
paraphrase Steven Covey in his book
the Speed of Trust; trust flows through
our lives in everything that we do.
Covey is quoted as saying I consistently
choose to live by the rule that integrity,
ethics, and honor are the root
character of who I am, and that those
characteris cs are demonstrated in the
ac ons and successes that I
experience. In summary, trust is an
indispensible ingredient in ethics.
The principles of trust and ethics are
several reasons I am proud to be a
na onal and local chapter SHRM
member. As a GBR SHRM board
member, I’ve worked with leaders that
I trust.
The SHRM organiza on has a code of
ethics. Several of these guidelines
include:
Intent
 To set the standard and be an
example for others.
To earn individual respect and increase
our credibility with those we serve.
Guidelines 1. Be ethical; act ethically in every
professional interac on.
2. Ques on pending individual and
group ac ons when necessary to
ensure that decisions are ethical and
are implemented in an ethical manner.
3. Seek expert guidance if ever in
doubt about the ethical propriety of a
situa on.
Through teaching and mentoring,
champion the development of others
as ethical leaders in the profession and
in organiza ons. SHRM’s code of ethics
During our mini‐seminar being held on
April 25, 2010 the topic is Ethics – The
Fabric of Business. Courtland Chaney,
PhD, SPHR will facilitate this engaging
discussion. This seminar is separate
from our chapter mee ngs.
Please see the GBR SHRM website for
details. Our next chapter mee ng will
be held during breakfast on May 19th
at Juban’s restaurant.
GBR SHRM Board of Directors AndreaBenjaminMBA,
PHR
President
TriciaFerguson,PHR
VicePresident
ScottMorris,SPHR
Treasurer
RebeccaMuse,PHR
Secretary
Jerry“Jay”Stovall
LegislativeDirector
GwenPoche,PHR
PublicRelationsDirector
HollyR.Williams
HospitalityDirector
CourtlandM.Chaney,Ph.D.
SPHR
CollegeRelationsDirector
TerrellWest,PHR
DiversityDirector
JulieBergeron,PHR
WorkforceReadiness
Director
JeneeOlivier,PHR,MBA
HRCIDirector
TamaraK.Beard
SHRMFoundationDirector
Theresa Lockwood, SPHR Past President I look forward to seeing you there.
Andrea
Andrea Benjamin MBA, PHR
2011 President
2 Member’s Corner Welcome New Members! Kris Anderson— HR Generalist, Ascension Parish Government
Anne e Arboneaux—HR Generalist, Founda on Health Services
Mandy Daigle— HR Specialist, Ascension Parish Government
Terry Holden‐‐ HR Director, LA Housing Finance Agency
Jus n Keith‐‐ Recruitment & Engagement Specialist, RaceTrac Petroleum
Cheryl Kinchen— HR Director, Ascension Parish Government
Allison Mullis‐‐ HR Business Manager, The Shaw Group
Donnie Olivier‐‐ HR Manager, Capitol City Produce
Janelle Pennington‐‐ HR Manager
Chris Roberts‐‐HR Manager, Albemarle Corpora on
Member Spotlight Celes ne Kooney What do you do at your company? As an Human Resources Representa ve at Womans Hospital, I am responsible for
generalist du es including recrui ng, employee counseling, management development,
special projects, etc.
What made you pick human resources as your career? I studied Business Administra on with a concentra on in Human Resources when I was in school but it
wasn’t un l I gained some real life experiences as a manager in retail department store that I knew HR
was where I wanted to be. I knew I could use what I learned as an employee and a manager to help others
be successful in their careers.
Tell us what was your most rewarding or sa sfying experience as a HR professional? I like when I am able to bring a manager and an employee together who don’t see eye to eye and help
them develop their working rela onship. Some mes it is a challenging process but when it works it is very
rewarding.
What is one of the strangest things you have run across in your HR career? I am s ll amazed by answers to interview ques ons but one of my first interviews s cks out in my mind. I
asked the applicant how he would deal with a difficult customer. He thought for few seconds and then
replied very seriously “I would get really mad but I wouldn’t slash their res or anything.” At least he was
honest!
Before your current posi on, what was the most interes ng posi on you have ever had? I was a gi shop manager aboard the Mississippi Queen Steamboat.
What is the best professional advice you have ever received? Always try to keep the dignity of person you are dealing with intact. It will
make even the most difficult situa ons easier for everyone involved.
CORRECTION: Alicia Beauchamp, our March
member spotlight, informa on
was incorrectly stated. She
did not work in the hotel
industry. That was carried over
from our February spotlight.
We apologize for the error.
3 Workforce Readiness Commi ee Ac vity with the Baton Rouge Boys and Girls Club Submi ed by Julie Bergeron
The Workforce Readiness Commi ee will hold ac vi es that allow GBR‐SHRM members to work with
students from the Boys and Girls Club at Belaire High School. The dates will be finalized by April 15,
2011.
The first ac vity will include a presenta on that includes informa on on the do’s and don’t of cover
le er and resume prepara on, how to fill out online job applica ons and interviewing skills. The
second ac vity will focused on giving the students an opportunity to interview with both GBR‐SHRM
members in a mock interview se ng. All students were given the opportunity to interview and receive
construc ve feedback on their interview skills.
This ac vity is a great experience all around and the partnership built with the Baton Rouge Boys and
Girls Club and GBR‐SHRM is one that we plan to con nue. Through this ac vity we are able to help
build the skills necessary to prepare the future workforce to obtain gainful employment.
If you are interested in helping the Workforce Readiness Commi ee please contact Julie Bergeron at
[email protected]
4 Ethics, con nued. Law generally refers to the principles and regula ons established in a community by some authority to
ar culate what behaviors are acceptable and unacceptable for the people living in that
community. Whether in the form of legisla on or of customs and policies, these rules of behavior are
recognized and enforced by judicial discussion and decision.
Ethics can be defined in mul ple ways, though typical defini ons refer to the body of moral principles or
values governing or dis nc ve of a par cular culture or group, to the codes of conduct recognized in
respect to a par cular class of human ac ons or to a par cular group or culture, or to an individual’s moral
principles.
From a professional conduct viewpoint rules of conduct really are a ques on of law, with legal sanc ons
and judicial enforcement. Codes of ethics or conduct, on the other hand, tend to address the moral
principles, values, and social or behavioral norms related to conduct that is considered right, good, and
desirable, whether or not a law governs the behavior. Sanc ons for behaviors that deviate from the code of
conduct range from professionally imposed reviews and discipline of ques onable conduct by a designated
professional body (e.g., Board of Examiners of Psychologists) to none.
If a lower‐level employee or a high‐level manager does something that is inappropriate, but not illegal,
what are the consequences? Too o en the consequences are nonexistent or negligible. Even worse, if the
behavior is exhibited by someone in a leadership role, the behavioral display may encourage a culture of
inappropriate behavior.
Status report In his 2007 book Ethics in the Workplace, Craig E. Johnson makes the case that, in spite of
most organiza ons having some form of an ethical code, one can make the following observa ons:
1.
Superficial ethical measures do not seem to actually influence day‐to‐day opera ons and behavior.
2.
Most corporate ethics officers devote li le me to ethics du es and ethics hotlines are rarely used. CEOs
typically discuss ethics topics with their ethics officers only once or twice a year. Most efforts to address
ethics in organiza ons are disconnected from corporate decisions.
3.
Employees generally receive no more than one message per year regarding ethics, and 20% to one third of
lower level employees receive no ethics training during the year. Employees quickly read ethics policies and
then file them away.
Thus, Johnson (2007) argues a new perspec ve is needed, one which recognizes the moral issues involved
is every aspect of organiza onal life and one that achieves significant improvement in ethical performance
of our employees and our organiza ons. This more pervasive role of ethics in business life is some mes
termed “integrated, integrity focused, purpose driven and/or values centered.” Johnson (2007) prefers to
term this “transforma onal” ethics because it incorporates all of the other meanings in emphasizing a
change in the very nature or essence for the be er, producing fundamental, long‐las ng posi ve change.
When applied to ethics, “transforma on” goes beyond legal compliance and crea ng ethics codes.
Transforma onal ethics places ethics at the core of the workplace, significantly modifying thinking,
communica on, decision‐making, behavior, organiza onal culture, and the very systems that permeate the
business.
While there is no consensus regarding what an “ethically transformed” organiza on would
look like, Johnson has proposed a set of characteris cs for such organiza ons. He refers to organiza ons
that focus only on compliance issues as being ethically challenged ("decoupled") organiza ons.
Organiza ons that are "ethically transformed" go beyond simple compliance.
While achieving the transforma on may require a deliberate change management process facilitated by a
skilled change agent, Johnson offers guidelines to compare and contrast ethically challenged businesses
with ethically transformed ones. His comparison is summarized in Table 1.
Continuedonpage7
5 One Hourr Breakfast
HRCI cred
dit mini-sem
minar
Ethics -T
The Fabrric of Bussiness
In this age of
o accounting
g scandals an
nd corporatee wrongdoinng, progressivve organizattions are seeking
ways to fostter a more etthical corporrate culture. This min-seeminar profilles Lockheedd Martin, Incc.
and explores their work in promotin
ng ethics in the
t workplacce.
Join facilita
ator Courtla
and Chaney
y, PhD, SPH
HR for a facillitated discuussion on Ethhics. This
engaging discussion utillizes DVD based
b
materiaals providedd by the SHR
RM Foundatiion.
This is an ex
xcellent opportunity to earn
e
one HRC
CI credit beffore going too work!
Testimoniall
The DVD "d
describes ma
any specific, concrete steeps the comppany has takken to encourrage and rew
ward
ethical beha
avior.. this viideo providees valuable and
a timely leessons for stuudents, emplloyees and
managers who
w want to be
b proactivee in developin
ng and mainntaining posiitive culturess."
-- Marcia P.. Miceli, D.B
B.A.; Professsor of Manag
gement, Thee McDonouggh School off Business,
Georgetown
n University
Questions: email [email protected]
Light breakffast will be served.
s
Seating is liimited so reegister early
y.
Registration deadline is
i April 20, 2011.
Visit the GB
BR SHRM website
w
to reg
gister.
Date: Aprril 25, 2011
Time:
Registratiion 7:30 – 8::00 am
Seminar – 8:00 – 9:000 am
Location : Residence Inn
7061 Com
mmerce Circcle, Baton Roouge
(225) 9255-9100
Registrattion fee:
$25 GBR SHRM mem
mbers
$30 non m
members
1 HRCI cred
dit
"The use of this seeal is not an endorrsement by the HR
R Certification Institute of the qu
uality of the progra
am. It means that this program has met the HR Certifiication Institute's ccriteria to be pre‐a
approved for recertification creedit."
7 Ethics, con nued. Table 1. A comparison of organiza ons that are ethically challenged ("decoupled") with those that are “ethically transformed.”
Ethically Decoupled/Challenged Organiza ons
Ethically Transformed Organiza ons
See ethics as a means to an end (public rela ons; poli cally cor‐
rect posture; maybe a way to increase customer loyalty and
profits)
See ethics as a goal in and of itself
Comply with legal mandates
Exceed legal mandates
Exhibit behaviors inconsistent with stated values
Act in a manner that reflects collec ve values; “walks the
talk”
Insensi ve to moral existence of issues
Highly sensi ve to moral dilemmas
Control behavior through rules and penal es
Control behaviors through adherence to shared values
Low awareness of ethical du es
High awareness of ethical du es
Rarely discuss ethics; rarely use vocabulary associated with eth‐
ics/morality
Rou nely discuss ethics using vocabulary associated with
ethics/morality
Ethics not part of daily decisions
Ethics part of every decisions/opera on
Driven by prac cal/pragma c considera ons associated with
bo om line
Driven by mission and values
React to destruc ve and inappropriate behaviors
Prevent destruc ve and inappropriate behaviors
Reward structures inconsistent with ethics
Reward systems that promote ethical behavior
High concern for self
High concern for others
Sacrifice individual rights for organiza on
Honor and protect individual rights
Engage in self‐centered communica on (monologues)
Engage in other‐centered communica on (dialogues)
Low to moderate trust and commitment
High trust and commitment levels
Teams rou nely fall to unethical group processes
Teams are rarely vic mized by unethical group processes
High concern for the organiza on
High concern for all stakeholders, the society and the
global environment
Hold and build power bases
Give power away
Exhibit low‐level moral reasoning
Base reasoning on “universal” ethical principles
Prevent members from making moral choices
Equip members to make moral choices
Respond to changes in the ethical environment
An cipate changes in the ethical environment
Invest li le in building posi ve ethical climate
Invest significantly in crea ng/maintaining ethical work‐
place (socializa on/training)
Significant risk of misbehavior or scandal
Low risk of ethical misbehavior/scandal
As a university faculty member and consultant, I have always believed that three ques ons should guide us in our day‐to‐day decisions regarding
managing our businesses and our employees:
1. Is it legal? Can the employer and/or an agent of the company (e.g., a supervisory employee) be held liable in a civil or
criminal way?
2.
Is it ethical? Is it fair? Is it morally or ethically appropriate (right) to do? Are we trea ng people the way we would like to
be treated?
3.
It is prac cal? Does it make good business sense? Are we implemen ng the decision in accordance with generally
accepted business standards and prac ces?
While these questions have always helped to do the right thing in the right way for the right reason, maybe we still need to
do more to transform the ethical fabric of our institutions. Maybe HR should lead the transformation.
7 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! The 2011 Regular Legisla ve Session convenes on Monday, April 25, 2011. Anyone who is interested in
working with the GBRSHRM
Legisla ve commi ee to determine
which legisla on GBRSHRM will
support and oppose and assist in
GBRSHRM's day at the legislature
should contact GBRSHRM's
Legisla ve Director, Jay Stovall, at
[email protected] to join.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Ethics is knowing the difference what you have a
right to do and what is right to do.”
Potter Stewart, US Supreme Court Justice
8 Invest in Yourself in 2011 SHRM A couple of years ago, a group of ASTD members (including me) and a few non‐members started mee ng on a semi
‐regular basis to discuss professional development books that we selected to read. Knowing that others were
reading the same book and expec ng me to be able to discuss what I had read gave me the discipline to read books
that I would never have read on my own. Since that me, I have read a lot of really great books and, even be er,
been able to incorporate what I learned into my professional and personal life.
For example, from Monday Morning Leadership by David Co rell: “Look around this library—there are more than a thousand books in here. More than half of those books are about management and leadership. Execu ves call me to help them solve business problems. I’ve never ‘made up’ a solu on. None of their problems are unique. The value I offer is the wisdom of all the people who have wri en these books. “You learn more by reading more. I’m living proof that the more you learn, the more you earn. “Did you know most people don’t read one non‐fic on book in a year? Not one. You’d think books must be scare or expensive. But there is an abundance of books at every public library, wai ng for people to simply walk in and check them out—at no charge—free! “Now let’s suppose you decided to read one book a month on management or leadership. Most books are between 12 and 20 chapters, so you’d be reading about half a chapter a day, which would take you about 10 minutes. During the next year, you’d have read 12 books. Do you think you’d know more about management and leadership if you read 12 books a year on the subject?” If you are interested in:  improving your personal knowledge,
 finding new resources to incorporate into your professional and personal life,
 and increasing your earning poten al (“the more you learn, the more you earn”),
then please join us for the:
Professional Development Study Group co‐sponsored by ASTD BR and GBR SHRM at 6:30 p.m. first Tuesdays Bluebonnet Public Library Non‐members are welcome and encouraged to par cipate! Although the purpose of these mee ngs is to discuss a book, you are NOT required to read it – you are welcome to join us to find out why you should! Apr. 5 A Sense of Urgency by John Ko er
May 3 Squawk!: How to Stop Making Noise and Start Ge ng Results by Travis Bradberry
June. 7 Coaching Up and Down the Genera ons by Lisa Haneberg
July – no mee ng
Aug. 2 The Speed of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything by Stephen M. R. Covey
Sept. 6 Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live & Do Business by Erik Qualman
Oct. 4
The Soul of Leadership by Deepak Chopra
Nov. 1 Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Mo vates Us by Daniel Pink
Dec. 6
Do More Great Work: Stop the Busywork, Start the Work That Ma ers by Michael Bungay Stanier
Please contact me at [email protected] for more informa on or to let me know that you are interested in par cipa ng. Carrie L. Miller, SPHR HR à la carte, LLC 9 Business Ethics: A Quiz with Many Right Answers You can find various business ethics quizzes around. This one is different. Each ques on has only one WRONG answer,
doesn't analyze your answers and tell you where you went wrong. Rather, it is simply intended to raise your ethical con‐
sciousness, maybe even s mulate a li le discussion between you and your peers or family. In this quiz, try to pick the an‐
swer that is wrong. I hope the "wrong" answers are obvious if you care about business ethics. Enjoy!
1. My reputa on
a. Is only as good as my word
b. Precedes me
c. Once lost is hard to regain
d. Is the legacy I'll leave behind
e. Doesn't ma er to me.
2. Following my employer's Code of Ethics
a. Could be important to my success
b. Requires interpreta on to get it right
c. Will make me a be er leader
d. Is a waste of me
e. Requires a certain level of consciousness and some a en on to detail
3. Poin ng out ethical transgressions at work
a. Can be awkward
b. Helps raise awareness for us all
c. Is a career ending move
d. Can backfire
e. Could be educa onal all the way around
4. Keeping the workplace ethical
a. Makes it a be er place to work
b. Is hopeless
c. Requires clarity around ethical standards
d. Means top management has to do it
e. Leads to a more profitable company
5. My employer's ethical reputa on
a. Is in the dumps and dropping
b. Reflects on me
c. Is par ally set by how I behave
d. Makes a difference in the bo om line
e. To some extent determines whether people will buy our products
6. Accep ng gi s from vendors
a. May be fine within limits
b. Should under no condi ons affect my willingness to buy from them
c. Has stricter rules in the US than is some other countries
d. Is a great idea to get as much as you can!
e. Should probably be disclosed to the ethics office, par cularly if it is valued at over a certain amount
7. I care about business ethics because
a. America's reputa on has suffered recently
b. Good business ethics can restore be er profits
c. I don't want to work somewhere slimy
d. Good business ethics creates a more just workplace
e. They subs tute for my complete lack of business ethics.
The wrong answers would likely come from someone who is apathe c and/or cynical. Some mes, we do feel either of those feelings. However,
life is short and the well‐lived life is a life of integrity. Living a life of integrity means caring about business ethics.
If you enjoyed taking this quiz, share it with your friends. If you work in an office that cares about ethics, share it at the next staff mee ng. Leave
it in the lunch room. Pick the one ques on that you like most and talk about it over this weekend. On your commute home, think about what
you want to do differently going forward. Send the quiz anonymously to your boss. Keep the discussion going about the importance of ethics in
business! Copyright by Sally Rhys of Coaching for Perspec ve, July 2008
10 To reserve your room, call 800.331.3131, or
visit residenceinn.com.
Baton Rouge Towne Center at Cedar Lodge
7061 Commerce Circle, Baton Rouge, LA 70809
T 225‐925‐9100 : F 225‐925‐9104
residenceinn.com/BTRRB
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