Ethics and Work Ethics

Warehouse and Operations as a Career

How is everyone getting a long this week? By the way, and I’m not going to launch into a goal and planning soap box talk today, but it is week 44, and there’s only 8 more weeks until the first quarter of 2022. I’ve already assessed this year’s goals, moved what I had too and have started on my 2022 goals. Actually, and I just realized, I’m talking about my personal planning and goals. My CFO asked for my professional goals last week. Maybe that’s what pushed me to get started on my own! Anyway, we’ll go over our goals a little later this quarter. Let’s stay in the here and now today!

We’ve been talking about leadership and supervision or those front-line management positions lately and I had a thought about them. I was thinking about how a lot of things change for us upon entering any leadership roll. We’ve discussed many of them already but one I think needs to be covered is, oh, and I’m not sure our managers do a good job of explaining this little 6 letter word. That word is ethics.

Meriam Webster tells us that ethics means: moral principles that govern a person’s behavior or the conducting of an activity. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethic

I wanted to check out work ethic also. It says: a belief in work as a moral good : a set of values centered on the importance of doing work and reflected especially in a desire or determination to work hard. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/work%20ethics

Catch the difference? There is a little difference. Today, or first anyway, I want to talk about ethics.

Some 30 odd years ago I was speaking with an inbound dispatch person, really, he was teaching me how to be backup for him during breaks and lunches. It was his task to assign dock doors to the over the load drivers all day long. Back then we sort of had a schedule we’d follow but honestly it was more like first come first served. These drivers wanted to get back on the road as quick as possible and I quickly learned they didn’t mind offering cash and goods to be put in ahead of the others. While I was training, we were offered something numerous times. Luckly my trainer, the gentleman running the window was a man with ethics! We’ll throw the word, business ethics out there about now!

I teach a class on ethics in the workplace to different groups entering the workforce and I feel that ethics is also like integrity. Back to Meriam webster I go! And I’ll add all these links to today’s show notes too incase you’d like to go check out the entire definitions. So, integrity means: The quality of being honest and fair. I also think of words like character, decency, goodness, when I’m thinking about ethics in the workplace. You will find them in the definitions above as well.

As adults we know what is right and what is wrong. Most of the time it’s obvious, and even when it’s not our gut will tell us right! That little angel on our shoulder trying to distract us from the little devil on the other!

It would have been wrong for me or my trainer to take cash or a new video game cartridge, or even a lunch or breakfast from them. There was no rule written about such, but we knew it was wrong. A few years later our company did initiate a new rule that taking anything from a vendor or customer was an offense that could lead to termination. I guess others were not quite as ethical as we were!

Ethics is about doing what’s right. I believe that includes being fair, being consistent and doing what we know is right. That’s my definition any way! And I feel that way about our business dealings and our personal lives as well. As we’ve learned during our leadership episodes, the way we treat our employees will impact our success just as the way us employees present ourselves and treat others will determine our success.

This includes acts like not wearing our PPE’s as required, and repeatedly coming in tardy, or that occasional NCNS. Oh, I understand sometimes something like that can be an accident or just slipped our mind, but it could be perceived as not caring, or not being concerned about our actions.

I mentioned work ethics a few minutes ago. I think work ethics are much more than, or can include so much more than a belief in work as a moral good : a set of values centered on the importance of doing work and reflected especially in a desire or determination to work hard.

I think that keeping our workstations clean, following all the PWM’s or preferred work methods, GMP’s or general Manfacturing practices, driving down the aisles in the correct direction, lets see, what else, oh, following all the safety rules, learning and practicing any regulatory concerns our facility may have and of course about 1500 other things. I believe work ethics means caring about our peers, our equipment, everyone’s safety and our facility and company.

A quick side thought. I believe it is possible to be an ethical person and still take that shortcut or make and act on that bad decision. I know a forklift driver that would never accept anything from a vendor or driver, however he will skirt a few receiving rules and is more concerned about his productivity than helping and assisting others. I know I’m stretching the definition a bit but that’s my opinion!

I was talking with a recruiter earlier this week and she stated that ethics, particularly work ethics, could be recognized, she felt anyway, during the face-to-face interview. She felt like personality was a window into an applicant’s work ethics. Now, I’m not sure there’s any scientific analysis behind that thought but I’m going to look for it the next time I’m interviewing someone!

Our company handbooks usually have a lot to say about ethics. They’ll mention sexual harassment, and workplace violence too. Again, I think those two things fall under ethics as well. With my definition we’d never have to worry about harassing someone or participating in any violence because we are ethical and are always practicing good ethics by being fair, treating others as we want to be treated, and of course always having that positive attitude.

WAOC has a webinar coming up next month titled Values and Beliefs. If you would be interested in attending, I’d be happy to send you a link when we get it put together. Send us an email asking for the Values and Beliefs webinar and your registration will be free. Anyway, so speaking of ethics made me think of values. Some would say our values are more important than strong ethics. Another word that I think means the same! Remember the definition even mentions a good set of values!

Let me look at a few bullet points from an affirmation, I’ll be using for the webinar. I’ll try and get it posted on the website next week too.

Values are some of the most important resources we can possess. Fortunately, they are within our control. They can get us through the hard times, make us aware of our blessings, and help us make informed decisions. Let’s see, let me pick one more point, oh heres a good one. It’s important to develop the wiliness to change my ways. I adjust my values or do a better job of living up to my beliefs. And it’s perfectly fine to seek feedback from others and follow through on our resolutions. One more, maybe the best one on the sheet! Today I reflect on my values and how they guide me. I know my future is as bright as the values I cultivate.

Ask yourself three questions. What are my 3 primary values? How would I describe my ideal destiny. And lastly, what values do I need to reach the destiny I want for myself. Just some points to ponder.

On that note, let’s call it a show! I hope everyone is having a prosperous, productive and safe week out there and that you’ll share our podcast with a friend! Until next week, think, practice, and share a safety topic with a peer or friend.