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6

BizVoice/Indiana Chamber – January/February 2017

As human resources professionals, we often find

ourselves in a conundrum of culture. On one hand, we’re

entrusted to promote a positive work environment that

engages employees, fosters creativity, and attracts and

retains the best talent. At the same time, we’re charged

with enforcing the policies necessary to maintain

compliance, mitigate legal risk and safeguard corporate

reputation. Finding the perfect balance of these two

interrelated responsibilities can be challenging,

particularly in areas without hard and fast rules.

Integrity as a pillar of culture presents a unique

challenge because integrity itself can be difficult to

clearly define. Conceptually, the vast majority of

employees – and human beings – have a pretty solid

grasp on how to think and act with integrity. Make

good decisions. Do the right thing. Play fair. But

integrity doesn’t lend itself to a succinct set of rules,

and it would be both daunting and futile to attempt

compiling a comprehensive list of scenarios that do or

do not meet the definition.

Integrity can also be challenging to measure. When

integrity is present or working effectively in your

organization, nothing happens. And because of that, you

never really know you have a problem with integrity

until, well, you have a problem. Most organizations like

my own implement a system of operational checks and

balances and monitoring capabilities that safeguard

against dishonesty or unfair business practices. But none

of these tactical approaches truly get to the heart of

advancing cultural integrity.

Balancing act

And so, with little more to go on than “I know-it-

when-I-see-it,” how can any organization effectively

enforce or promote integrity? How can you ensure

integrity is more than simply a word on the wall, but

less than a rigid edict ultimately doomed to fail? I

certainly don’t have all of the answers nor a perfect

blueprint for success, but there are a few central

concepts that have helped keep integrity front and

center at my company.

First, integrity needs to start at the top. The

primary role of any CEO or executive is to set the tone

– and the example – for the rest of the organization.

Integrity must be a standard part of his or her repertoire

and needs to be a deliberate conversation in the board

room all the way through manager and employee one-

on-ones. Leading by example is the absolute floor for

integrity, because management’s words, deeds and

actions will be imitated and repeated throughout every

corner of your organization.

Setting the stage

But at its core, integrity is an organic and personal

value – so it must also come from the bottom up.

Talking at – versus with – employees and telling them

to act a certain way is rarely convincing or effective. Set

clear expectations on integrity and the accountability

that goes with it. Acknowledge being unable to set rules

for every scenario, but give easy, practical ways to think

about it. “Would you want your friends and neighbors

to see this on the news tomorrow?” or “Would you be

proud to talk to your children about your actions?” are

great everyday guides for employee decision-making.

And finally, find those areas in your organization

where integrity is healthy, living and breathing. Pick

out those instances of doing the right thing and

celebrate them wildly. Too often we only communicate

about integrity when things are going wrong or in

response to a negative event. But it is even more

important to highlight the positives – individuals who

have done the right thing and how their actions helped

win or keep a customer, deliver better results or make

a positive change. Let those be the shining examples for

your organization and let their stories serve as both the

foundation and guideposts for your future.

Seeking that perfect balance between promoting

and policing integrity and all of our company values is

one of the most challenging and motivating parts of my

role. When it’s missing, I am driven to find it. And

when it happens, the results are incredibly gratifying.

As you consider nominations for the 2017

Ogletree Deakins Human Resources Professional of the

Year Award presented by the Indiana Chamber, I

encourage you to think about leaders who have found

innovative ways to effectively balance these roles and

advance positive change in their own companies,

industries and communities.

HR COLUMN

Lisa Price

AUTHOR:

Lisa Price is

executive vice president of

human resources for KAR

Auction Services, Inc.

Learn more at

www.karauctionservices.com

All About Integrity

A Conundrum of Organizational Culture

When offered the opportunity to write this column, I considered many worthy topics from

around my organization – community involvement, training and development, and new

tools that simplify the employee experience. But instead of highlighting a problem we solved

or a program we implemented, I opted to cover a more abstract concept that is central to

any organization’s success: integrity.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Lisa Price was the winner of the 2016 Ogletree Deakins Human Resources Professional of the Year award.

Nominations are open for the 2017 award with a March 3 deadline (

www.IndianaHRConf.com/award)

.