One of my sales staff has done something dodgy. Help!

Aunty B is on leave. This article first appeared on July 23, 2010.

Dear Aunty B,

I have just found out that one of my salespeople has done something dodgy after a request from a client. He knows our policies and when confronted, he admitted that he knew he wasn’t toeing the line but he was trying to get a very difficult and significant deal across the line and his actions helped.

His boss also turned a blind eye. I decided not to let it go and gave him a formal warning but how do I get my team to see that this is not the way for us to build our reputation in the marketplace?

Ethically troubled,
Victoria

Dear Ethically troubled,

First you make it clear that when there is a difficult and significant decision like this, they do not make a decision on their own.

Make a decision that goes against the values of the company? They will be disciplined. Ask for help in a difficult situation like this? They will be praised, assisted and the responsibility for the decision (even if it is the wrong decision) is then shared.

Building a team culture where others can reiterate the values of your company is a very powerful protection. The other weapon you have is story telling. Tell stories about the employees who faced a difficult decision and did the right thing. Make those stories part of your folklore. Tell the stories over and over.

In the long run, the values become ingrained into your culture. Your staff feel comfortable about bringing others in at tricky times. And they know they will be disciplined for bringing the company’s reputation into question.

Good luck!
Your Aunty B

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