Dave Head County of Sonoma, CA Fleet Manager

Dave HeadCounty of Sonoma, CA

Fleet Manager

Ethics In Fleet Management

John S. Hunt, CPFPCity of Portland, OR

Fleet Manager

Ethics, Stewardship, Trust & Accountability

• Understand your role in creating an ethical work environment

• Know how to ensure you are a good steward of resources

• Know the steps you can take to encourage ethical conduct

• Understand how to build and, if necessary, repair trust

• Know how to be accountable in the workplace

• Know how to help your employees to be more accountable

Trends in Workplace Ethics and Compliance

In 2007, a National Government Ethics Survey conducted by the Ethics Resource Center (ERC) highlighted trends

in workplace ethics and compliance in government employees:

Bad: • 63% observed at least one form of misconduct in the last 12 months• One in four works in an environment conducive to misconduct• Without effective interventions, misconduct is likely to rise

Good:• More than 80% feel prepared to handle a potential misconduct

situation• 70% who observe misconduct report it to management• A well-implemented ethics and compliance program and establishing a strong ethical culture reduces misconduct by 60% and increases reporting by 40%, mitigating loss of public trust

Formula for Loss of Public TrustIn the 2007 National Government Ethics Survey, the Ethics Resource Center (ERC) identified a formula for how ethics violations can lead to losing the public trust:

HIGH RATES OF MISCONDUCT+

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS CONDUCIVE TO MISCONDUCT+

LACK OF AWARNESS AMONG TOP MANAGEMENT+

FEW EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS IN PLACE

= HIGH RISK TO PUBLIC TRUST DUE TO ETHICS VIOLATIONS

Ethical StandardsConduct yourself in a manner consistent with ethics rules and codes

• Follow state or local laws or regulations

• Follow organizational policy and procedures

• Do you set your own ethical standard?

Personal Performance Sets Ethical Behavior

• Be a good steward of public funds

• Be transparent

• Be honest

• Have integrity

• Stay objective

• Doing the job right

• Being fair with colleagues and employees

• Set standards for business transactions

Types of Government Misconduct The 2007 National Government Ethics Survey conducted by the Ethics Resource Center (ERC) ranked local government ethics violations from

highest to lowest:

1. Abusive behavior2. Putting own interest ahead of the organization's3. Internet abuse4. Lying to employees5. Misreporting of hours worked6. Improper hiring practices and safety violations7. Lying to stakeholders8. Discrimination and environmental violations9. Providing low quality goods and services and stealing10.Sexual harassment11.Alteration of documents12.Alteration of financial records

Reducing Ethical Misconduct

• Provide ethical leadership

• Set a good ethical example and encourage ethical behavior

• Encourage peers' commitment to ethics

• Embed and promote ethical values in your work unit

• Review ethical commitments on an annual basis

• Publicly acknowledge good role models

• Identify ethics violations and take appropriate action

Encouraging Ethical Behavior

When do employees feel comfortable seeking advice about ethics?

• When they receive positive feedback for ethical conduct• When they feel prepared to handle situations that invite misconduct• When they feel that they can question the decisions of management

without fear of reprisal• When they are recognized for following ethics standards• When they feel positive about the organization's efforts to

encourage ethical conduct• When they feel that their organization is an ethical workplace

Trust

Trust is an expectation that another party will not allow you to be harmed at a time when you are vulnerable.

Characteristics Used to Create Trust

1. Integrity2. Reliability3. Fairness4. Caring5. Openness6. Competence7. Loyalty8. Promote open communication9. Behave in an ethical and socially responsible manner

Repairing Broken Trust1. Acknowledge that a violation of trust has occurred

2. Determine, from the impacted employee's perspective, the exact nature of the violation and what event caused it

3. Admit that the event impaired trust

4. Accept responsibility for the violation. Debating or denying responsibility impedes repair.

5. Offer to make amends

AccountabilityAccountability is an obligation or willingness to accept

responsibility for one's actions.

Six elements for creating the right conditions for an environment that encourages accountability:

1. Trust2. Know and communicate your strategic direction3. Get your processes and measures aligned4. Work with individuals5. Monitor progress6. Be consistent

EthicsThe rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or a group.

– Merriam –Webster

1. What would you do if you discovered that an employee was taking office supplies from work for use at home?

2. If you found $100 while walking down the hall at work, what would you do?

3. Is it okay to conduct personal business on company time?

4. Would you spend taxpayer dollars for anything other than what the money was intended for?

5. A vendor has won a competitive bid through the normal purchasing process. After delivering of the product the salesman offers you a weekend at the corporate condo in Lake Tahoe including travel of the corporate aircraft. What is your response?

Conclusion• Take personal accountability for your actions

– Be a good role model

• Establish credibility with your leadership, colleagues, employees, customers, and vendors– They need to know that you’ll treat them fairly

• Trust in the community– Community trust is a huge issue in most local government agencies

• There are many “grey areas”– You may need guidance from time to time

• It’s the law– It’s not worth ending your career or going to jail

Dave HeadCounty of Sonoma, CA

Fleet [email protected]

Any Questions?

THANK YOU!

John S. Hunt, CPFPCity of Portland, OR

Fleet [email protected]