Jessica Tjornehoj (jessica.tjornehoj@usbank.com) is an Assistant Vice President, Manager, Global Ethics Strategy and Framework at U.S. Bank in Minneapolis, MN.
Should we be training on the contents of the Code of Conduct or Code of Ethics (the Code), or on how to use it as a resource?
Code training is unique compared to other trainings typically found in organizations, because it is usually a snapshot or sampling of what is found in the Code itself. With pressure to reduce the length of Code training and make it more interactive and make it more function-specific (the list of demands goes on), organizations cannot possibly include everything that employees need to know about the contents of the Code. Instead, employers find themselves forced to pick and choose a few of the many topics from the Code to delve into, and to do it in a way that captures the short attention span of employees who take the training online. Studies show that the attention span of adults typically drops significantly after about 20 minutes. So, how can ethics teams make the most of this timespan in new and practical ways that are more effective for adult learners in the long run? Teach employees to use the Code as a tool applicable to daily life at work.
What is a Code of Ethics?
Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines Code of Ethics as “a set of rules about good and bad behavior.” Although this is a nice, succinct definition about what a Code may be, a Code can be so much more. Ethics is more than rules. The concept encompasses behavioral norms and standards that are even loftier than laws, regulations, and company policies. Therefore, the Code provides an opportunity for the organization to cement its core values in writing and set the right tone for the entire company. It is the living, breathing pronouncement of the organization’s belief system, which may include appropriate behaviors for employees to follow, but is typically not limited to rules for conduct. Often, Codes also include useful resources and reference points, such as links to more specific policies or procedures, an ethical decision-making guide, an introduction by the CEO and/or other executive leaders, and relevant contact information for concerns or escalation. These important “extras” are often not included in Code training. If employees only take the Code training and never read or refer to the Code itself, they are missing out! The best result of Code training that organizations could ask for is to actually encourage regular use of the Code by employees. But how?
Use the Code as a resource
Companies may have harassment, inclusion, or social media training. Although these trainings are generally based on policies, they are not necessarily snapshots of the policy itself in the way Code training tends to be a snapshot of the entire Code. So many topics are covered in most Codes that it is impossible to adequately cover all of the topics in sufficient detail in a 20-minute or so timespan, especially those important “extras” mentioned above. Therefore, employees are better served by being trained to use the Code as a resource, and regularly. To the extent that there are questions included in the training, why not make them questions that the trainee must answer by opening the Code? Rather than training memorization of rules or key themes, why not train employees on where to locate the information they need in real time within the Code itself? How about training employees to have certain lasting mind-sets about what ethical behavior and “doing the right thing” look like, rather than focusing on policy language for very specific circumstances that they may not even encounter? Even when encountering topics not explicitly covered by the Code, employees will know to reach for its guidance in the form of a specific section or point, a decision-making guide, or a list of recommended contacts.
Let’s take a broader look at the opportunity Code training offers us: to discover the Code itself as a useful and lasting resource that applies to many day-to-day scenarios.