Key to decision making: what does my gut tell me is the right thing to do?

One of the world's most ethical  companies (WMEC) makes it crystal clear to employees what to consider when making day-to-day decisions.  "If an employee is in any doubt about whether something is ethical then the internal guide spells out what is expected through key decisions  such as "what does my gut tell me is the right thing to do?" If the employee is still unsure after these questions then they can stop and ask for help from the Ethics and Compliance helpline."

The world's most ethical companies talk openly about "how things are done around here". They have vocal and visible ways of doing things their way for example "will it help build trust in you and the company?" Their "way" is continuously reinforced in day-to-day life providing a common terminology and language to help challenge unethical decisions which are outside the norm.

They unashamedly talk about ethics, ethical behaviours, doing the right thing, responsibility and corporate citizenship and there is clear pride in this. Employees have regular training on ethical conduct backed up by internal documents which explain explicitly what is expected, how this translates into ethical behaviours with examples of ethical decision making stories. This has become part of their ritual and routine.

The key perhaps for companies looking at responsible business practice therefore is to develop a culture of confident and comfortable challenge where accounting for how you feel (what my gut tells me) plays a valid and valuable part.