Ethics and Integrity Kevin C. Duggan West Coast Regional Director ICMA.

Ethics and Ethics and IntegrityIntegrity

Kevin C. DugganKevin C. Duggan

West Coast Regional DirectorWest Coast Regional Director

ICMAICMA

Goal of This Presentation:Goal of This Presentation:

Increasing the Odds That You and Increasing the Odds That You and Your Organization Will Avoid An Your Organization Will Avoid An Ethical CrisesEthical Crises

Definition: EthicsDefinition: Ethics

Ethics: “In Accordance With the Ethics: “In Accordance With the Accepted Principles of Right and Accepted Principles of Right and Wrong Governing a Groups Wrong Governing a Groups Conduct”Conduct”

Definition: IntegrityDefinition: Integrity

Integrity: “Rigid Adherence to a Integrity: “Rigid Adherence to a Code of Behavior”Code of Behavior”

Integrity Integrity by Stephen L. Carterby Stephen L. Carter

Common ThemesCommon Themes

HonestyHonesty TransparentTransparent Fair/EquitableFair/Equitable ConsistentConsistent

What’s The Connection Between What’s The Connection Between Ethics/Integrity and Leadership?Ethics/Integrity and Leadership?

How Unusual Are Instances of How Unusual Are Instances of Personal and Professional Personal and Professional Misconduct?Misconduct?

““Unethical”Unethical”

““Corruption”Corruption”

WHY?WHY?

Ego?Ego? Power?Power? Greed?Greed? Avoidance of “Pain”?Avoidance of “Pain”? Compulsion?Compulsion? Embarrassment?Embarrassment? Basic Lack of A Moral Compass?Basic Lack of A Moral Compass? ““The End Justifies the Means”?The End Justifies the Means”?

The Greatest Threat to You The Greatest Threat to You Personally and to Your Personally and to Your Organization: ComplacencyOrganization: Complacency

15 Thoughts…..15 Thoughts…..

1) 1) ““Prevention FirstPrevention First””::

Never take ethics and integrity for Never take ethics and integrity for grantedgranted

Talk about itTalk about it TrainTrain DonDon’’t assume it will just happent assume it will just happen Make it part of the organizationMake it part of the organization’’s s

culture and value systemculture and value system

2) It will be Very Difficult 2) It will be Very Difficult to Have an Ethical to Have an Ethical Organization without Organization without Ethical Employees:Ethical Employees:

““Hire for EthicsHire for Ethics”” Have it as a criteriaHave it as a criteria Talk about it as part of the Talk about it as part of the

selection processselection process Thorough background checksThorough background checks

3) 3) ““Just Because it is Legal Just Because it is Legal DoesnDoesn’’t Mean it is Ethicalt Mean it is Ethical””::

DonDon’’t confuse t confuse ““LegalLegal”” with with ““EthicalEthical”” Not breaking the law will keep you Not breaking the law will keep you

out of jail, but wonout of jail, but won’’t make you a role t make you a role model of ethics and integrity model of ethics and integrity (consider the (consider the spiritspirit as well as the as well as the letterletter of the law) of the law)

Our obligation is to maintain public Our obligation is to maintain public confidence in ourselves and our confidence in ourselves and our public institutionspublic institutions

We must hold ourselves to a higher We must hold ourselves to a higher standard than not breaking the lawstandard than not breaking the law

4) The Greatest Obstacle 4) The Greatest Obstacle to Ethical Conduct: The to Ethical Conduct: The ““RR ”” Word: Word: Our greatest enemy is our and our Our greatest enemy is our and our

employeesemployees’’ ability to rationalize that ability to rationalize that inappropriate conduct is okayinappropriate conduct is okay

““I deserve………I deserve………”” ““In this case it is okay to ……..In this case it is okay to ……..”” We can be seduced by our ability to We can be seduced by our ability to

come up with a come up with a ““plausible rationaleplausible rationale””

5)5) Beware of Beware of ““…But No …But No One Will Find OutOne Will Find Out””::

““A secret is a 5-second head startA secret is a 5-second head start”” There is always someone who will There is always someone who will

(or could) know(or could) know No one finding out is NOT an No one finding out is NOT an

appropriate criteriaappropriate criteria YOU WILL KNOWYOU WILL KNOW

6) 6) ““The Newspaper RuleThe Newspaper Rule””NOW “The Google Rule”:NOW “The Google Rule”:

The best defense to the The best defense to the ““seduction of rationalizationseduction of rationalization””

Understand you donUnderstand you don’’t just have to t just have to convince yourself – you have to convince yourself – you have to convince everyone elseconvince everyone else

7)7) ““The Taxpayer RuleThe Taxpayer Rule””::

What you think is justified vs. What you think is justified vs. what tax payers will think is what tax payers will think is reasonablereasonable

Public funds belong to the publicPublic funds belong to the public

8) Leaders Need to 8) Leaders Need to ““Walk Walk the Talkthe Talk””::

Talking about vs. demonstrating Talking about vs. demonstrating ethics and integrityethics and integrity

Leaders need to hold themselves Leaders need to hold themselves to a higher standardto a higher standard

9) You Are Only Really 9) You Are Only Really Tested When it IsnTested When it Isn’’t t Easy:Easy:

When you have something to lose When you have something to lose or gainor gain

When you can suffer personally or When you can suffer personally or professionally for taking a standprofessionally for taking a stand

When it is difficult and When it is difficult and uncomfortableuncomfortable

10) If You are an 10) If You are an Organizational Leader, it Organizational Leader, it is Not is Not ““Just About YouJust About You””::

You wonYou won’’t simply be held t simply be held accountable for your conduct, but accountable for your conduct, but also for the conduct of those in also for the conduct of those in your organizationyour organization

You will fail no matter how ethical You will fail no matter how ethical you are if your organization fails you are if your organization fails to perform ethicallyto perform ethically

11) The Three Levels of a 11) The Three Levels of a Leaders Ethical Leaders Ethical Responsibility:Responsibility:

What you did:What you did:– Your decisions and actionsYour decisions and actions

What others did – that you knew What others did – that you knew about:about:

Did you respondDid you respond How you respondedHow you responded

What others did – that you didnWhat others did – that you didn’’t know t know about:about:

Should you have knownShould you have known Pay attentionPay attention Ask questions/due diligenceAsk questions/due diligence ““Open to bad newsOpen to bad news”” – Don – Don’’t shoot the messengert shoot the messenger

12) Responding to an Ethical 12) Responding to an Ethical Failure: Being Judged Not Just on Failure: Being Judged Not Just on What Happened, But How You What Happened, But How You Responded:Responded:

Avoid the Avoid the ““CC”” word at all costs ( word at all costs (““coverupcoverup””)) Full disclosureFull disclosure Early disclosureEarly disclosure Corrective actionsCorrective actions The biggest issue is often not what happened, The biggest issue is often not what happened,

but how it was responded tobut how it was responded to How you respond may well be the primary basis How you respond may well be the primary basis

on which you will be judgedon which you will be judged ““Not decidingNot deciding”” is a decision for which you may be is a decision for which you may be

held accountableheld accountable DonDon’’t turn an honest mistake into an ethical t turn an honest mistake into an ethical

scandalscandal

13) Whose Responsibility 13) Whose Responsibility Is It – Is It Is It – Is It ““Your JobYour Job””??

If you know about it – it is your If you know about it – it is your responsibility to do somethingresponsibility to do something

What you are required to do What you are required to do depends on the circumstancesdepends on the circumstances

You donYou don’’t necessarily need to be t necessarily need to be the the ““Lone Ranger,Lone Ranger,”” but…… but……

14) As a Leader, you Need to 14) As a Leader, you Need to Support the Organization and Support the Organization and ““The InnocentThe Innocent”” During an During an Ethical Crisis:Ethical Crisis:

Protect those who stand up for Protect those who stand up for ethical conduct/integrityethical conduct/integrity

Keep the organization focused Keep the organization focused during an ethical crisisduring an ethical crisis

Recovering from an ethical failure Recovering from an ethical failure – learning and getting better– learning and getting better

15) The Three Questions 15) The Three Questions You Will Always Need to You Will Always Need to be Prepared to Answer:be Prepared to Answer:

What did you know?What did you know?

When did you know it?When did you know it?

What did you do about it?What did you do about it?

Key ThoughtsKey Thoughts

You will not be an effective leader unless You will not be an effective leader unless you demonstrate ethics and integrityyou demonstrate ethics and integrity

Beware of the Beware of the ““R wordR word”” – Rationalization – Rationalization If you are a leader, it If you are a leader, it isis your your

responsibilityresponsibility No one finding out is No one finding out is notnot the criteria the criteria The The ““newspaper rulenewspaper rule”” The The ““taxpayer ruletaxpayer rule””

A Final Thought…..A Final Thought…..

““All That is Necessary For the All That is Necessary For the Triumph of Evil is That Good Men Triumph of Evil is That Good Men and Women Do Nothingand Women Do Nothing””

Resources:Resources:

International City Management International City Management Association:Association:

www.icma.orgwww.icma.org

Institute for Local Government Institute for Local Government (California):(California):

www.ca-ilg.orgwww.ca-ilg.org