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By Adam Turteltaub
These are different times. We all know that we are living in them, and that calls for different thinking. But, what does that mean? To help answer that question we spoke with UK-based Jane Mitchell (LinkedIn), an independent consultant who specializes in culture, ethics, values and leadership and Philip Winterburn, Ethics Principal at OneTrust.
As they look around at the business world they see that leaders are struggling to understand what the impact of the pandemic has been on the people that work for and with them. Given how much people have been affected by the last few years, there is a clear need to focus on culture, which Jane describes as the “corporate immune system”. It can be either an asset or liability when it comes to both preventing wrongdoing and managing the now significantly more difficult task of recruiting and retaining talent.
Meanwhile, outside the organization, attitudes towards purchasing are starting to change. Customers, whether consumers or other businesses, want to know where your goods are made, under what conditions and how the raw material are sourced. If they do not like what they see, they are turning away.
So what makes for a healthy organization in this environment? For one, broadening the conversation beyond the numbers and looking at how the organization can be smart, resilient and sustainable. That will be especially true over the next few yeas when a rocky, unpredictable economy is predicted.
In terms of leadership, it calls for CEOs who truly understand what is going on, welcome the truth and encourage people to speak up and openly disagree. It also calls on CEOs to recognize that people want to please them and may be painting too rosy a picture.
Listen in to hear more about how compliance and ethics teams can thrive and lead during these uncertain times.