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What Happens When You Take the Light-of-Day Test?

A trusted friend and colleague recently shared a personal anecdote with me in response to an article I posted about ethical leadership, and I felt compelled to share his story with you. For the purposes of this sequel, I’ll call him Paul. When Paul reached out to me, he echoed the idea that integrity is the cornerstone of a successful corporate culture. Without it, an organization loses its competitive advantage.

In the article that prompted Paul’s response, I highlighted Max Bazerman’s new model for ethical leadership. What captured my attention in Bazerman’s model was his focus on increasing your impact through influence. Bazerman encourages leaders to “think about how you can influence your colleagues with the norms you set and the decision-making environment you create.”

Paul noticed that, on occasion, employees found comfort in saying, “Sure, it may be against the spirit of the law, but it’s within the letter,” or “It’s so small that the governing body will never notice it.” So Paul established a norm that he felt supported his aspirations for a culture that embodied integrity. He instituted the Sunshine Rule.

The rule stated that you should not do anything, or advise a client to do anything, that you couldn’t feel good about if the idea or practice saw the light of day. Paul explained that the Sunshine Rule was an effort to instill the idea that his company was a first-class business, so it should conduct its business in a first-class way.

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In my experience, setting norms and modeling ethical decision-making were instrumental in having a positive influence on our people during difficult times. While I didn’t give it a name at the time, today I call it transformative influence, or transfluence. Cultivating good patterns for behavior sets the stage for a transfluent culture. It’s helpful if everyone participates in co-creating these positive norms, but it’s essential that leaders model them.

Paul and other employees could more easily embed this practice as a norm if he gave the aspiration a name. By naming it the Sunshine Rule, Paul and his fellow leaders had made it real. Everyone could readily communicate, reinforce, and include this practice in the culture. Nudge coauthors Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein support this idea. They say leaders can “design the ‘architecture’ surrounding the choices to prompt people to make value-creating decisions.”

The Sunshine Rule is precisely that architecture. It offers the blueprints that employees consult when asking themselves about their decisions. Do they create value or jeopardize the company’s integrity? The next time you observe employee behavior that could put you on shaky ground, consider following Paul’s example by creating your own norms for ethical practices. A quote by Helen Keller provides apt guidance in the spirit of Paul’s story: “Keep your face to the sun, and you will never see the shadows.”

Comments

  1. Kristi s

    Sorry spell check big fingers on little keys cell phone.

    Reply to Kristi s

  2. Kristi s

    I’ve always been a helper in one form or another helping coworkers do their job bringing a satisfaction getting it done customers coming in to a smiling face taking care of them if I can’t find a solution will find someone who can put look recently got the attitude from management the product we were selling wasnt wasnt good I knew that but there reply was done the costumers know it might not be the quality that they should accept the bag product and go elsewhere if they don’t like what they buy that it’s not our concern. I DON’T AGREE WITH THAT**, I’m just csr two plus years and no review but I still do what I can stick it out show up do 110% because I love to help costumers some I’ve known for close to 20 years family or neighbors that personal touch is fulfilling. But when do I say it’s enough and move on to a better then min wage position.

    Reply to Kristi s

  3. Lisa Nichols

    By attaching a name to a principle, I believe it may be easier to institutionalize that value into the DNA of the organization. Unethical behavior often happens when one thinks that their behavior will go unnoticed or that no one will find out. However, if people can be taught to stop and ask the question – “Would this still be a good idea if I were to do this in the light of day?” there may be a completely different thought pattern and thus completely different behavior. Thanks for sharing Walt. I love it!!!

    Reply to Lisa Nichols

    1. Walt Rakowich

      Thanks, Lisa. I’m really glad you found this framework helpful!

      Reply to Walt Rakowich

  4. Connie Moore

    Great Post Walt. The highest compliment we ever got at BRE was from a Director who said “I know that BRE’s associates do the right thing even when no one is looking”. The Sunshine Rule in action!

    Reply to Connie Moore

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