You may ask yourself, “What do I believe in?” “How would I like to behave around others?” “How would I like to treat others?” “How would I like others to be treated?” Common personal values may be “reliability,” “dependability,” loyalty," and “honesty. " You may also think about how you have treated others in the past. Consider how you have dealt with moral dilemmas or ethical issues. Do you feel you acted correctly? If so, you may use this as a model for the code of ethics. If you’re not sure what your values are, take 7 days and jot down every single moment that lifts you up or makes you feel excited, engaged, or lit up. Then, look for patterns in the list that can give you insight into what’s important to you. [2] X Expert Source Dawn Smith-CamachoCareer & Life Coach Expert Interview. 13 May 2020.
Have the team consider, “How would the company like to treat ethical issues?” “How would the company like to treat employees and clients?” “What does the company believe in and how does this inform their values?” If the company already has a mission statement, you may use it to inform the company’s values. For example, the company’s mission statement might be, “We serve the needs of our customers and our employees with integrity and honesty. " Often, a company’s mission statement will say a lot about what the company values and how it approaches ethics.
Don’t be afraid to use language from other code of ethics. Use it as a guide or reference and make it your own. If you use content from other code of ethics, make sure you cite them, especially if you are quoting the content word for word.
For example, you may choose a title like “The Way We Conduct Ourselves at AB Communications” or “Living Our Values at AB Communications. ”
For example, you may have a section title like, “Introduction” or “Prologue. ” You may also have a section title like “Core Values” or “Our Living Values. ”
Note in the introduction whether the code of ethics is mandatory for all employees. You should also note if the code is a regulatory document that is supposed to inform and manage the employees in ethical situations.
For example, you may have a core value like “Professional integrity: We believe every employee should demonstrate integrity in ethical situations. ”
For example, you may note, “Professional integrity is important to us as a company because we believe employees should act with consideration for others. ”
You can also keep the physical copy of the code of ethics somewhere it can easily be seen, such as in the staff room or the employee lounge.
You can also make a penalty system where employees are given mild reprimands for not using the code of ethics when they should have.
You can also make a point to revisit the code of ethics once a year and review it. Add or revise sections of it as you see fit. Make sure it feels relevant and up to date so it gets used on a regular basis.
