Engineering Inc. - May/June 2006 - 43

hUMaN RESoURCES MANAGING SALES ETHICS ... AVOIDING A SLIPPERy SLOPE By Ford
Harding and Jack Jolls T he consulting engineering business has never been
Is responsibility for the management of sales ethics clear? n more
competitive. As the pressure increases, so does Department heads must
monitor the ethical behavior of the temptation for seller-doer engineers
and business employees who report to them. developers to bend the rules of
ethical behavior in order n Do you unknowingly encourage unethical
behavior? to win. This is a predictable outcome of intense sales pressure.
If For all practical purposes, what you accept, you teach. Question- you
don't manage that temptation, it eventually will hurt you and able acts
should not be overlooked simply because they have been your firm.
committed by the firm's most effective business developer or partner. It
is the rare person who has not stretched the truth to win n Are you
leading by example? business. But the problem is, the more you do it, the
easier it gets. Would you want to read about it on the front page of The
New Some common deceptions include the following: York Times tomorrow? You
must meet your ethical standards even n taking credit for work the firm
didn't do; when it is painful and costly. Unless the standards apply under
n misrepresenting the resources and capabilities of the firm; such
conditions, they are meaningless. n selling work below the price at which
a successful project can n Do you encourage transparent behavior? be
delivered in expectation of When ethical issues arise, they getting a fee
adjustment later; often are best discussed openly and with a client. When
you start n recommending work a cli- hiding things from clients, you ent
doesn't need. are entering murky ethical waters. Some of the most visible
n Is discussion of ethical issues examples of unethical behav- welcomed?
ior come when firms that sell Most of the ethical ques- to governments
offer favors tions your people face while or gifts that are thinly veiled
promoting the firm's services bribes. Small, legitimate favors are small
ones, involving increase in value over time as nuances of meaning and
inter- firms compete for attention. pretation. Your employees Ford Harding
Jack Jolls The consequences of inap- need to know that the firm propriate
gift giving can be welcomes discussion of such severe: bad public
relations, damaged reputation, lost clients, lost issues, and that the
firm has values that they can embrace. A col- employment, financial
penalties and even criminal indictments, league should never be demeaned
for having an ethical concern, prosecution, fines and imprisonments. even
if you feel it is inconsequential. Even if there were no evidence of
improper actions, a conflict The bottom line is that ethical behavior
flows from the top of of interest can create an appearance of impropriety
that can the organization. Unethical behavior that is tolerated, even if
not undermine confidence in the ability of a person to act properly.
rewarded, becomes part of the organizational culture. Leaders Aggressive
business developers and seller-doers evade internal must establish clear
ethical and behavioral guidelines and follow controls that are designed to
protect the firm from damage. them personally to the letter. They also must
implement correc- Here are six questions to ask yourself to determine
whether you tive action for employees who misbehave. If upper management
or your firm is at risk for unethical behavior: ignores this type of
behavior, the firm will soon be on the prover- n Can you articulate the
values you want your people to hold? bial slippery slope. If some people
still don't get it, get rid of them Your employees need to have values
articulated to them in before they bet the firm and the bet is lost. n
order to guide themselves during complex dealings with clients. Is the
message that your firm expects ethical behavior clear and Ford Harding is
president of Harding & Company, which helps pro- understood? Many business
leaders are uncomfortable talking fessionals learn how to sell. He is the
author of Creating Rainmak- about ethics for fear of being perceived as
prudish or questioning ers, which is scheduled for release in July. Jack
Jolls is the managing the ethics of their colleagues. But if standards are
not clear, it is partner of John D. Jolls and Company, a management
consulting not reasonable to expect employees to meet them. firm in
Storrs, Conn., serving the A/E/C industry. 43 MaY / JUNE 2006 ENGINEERING
INC.
Engineering Inc. - May/June 2006

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