The Relentless Pursuit of an Ethical Culture. David M. Limardi ICMA Midwest Regional Director

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1 The Relentless Pursuit of an Ethical Culture David M. Limardi ICMA Midwest Regional Director

3 I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.

4 CHARACTER IS DESTINY Ancient Greek Philosopher Heraclitus 535 BCE-475 BCE 4

5 Trust Facilitates the Democratic Process

7 Basics of Trust Predictability of behavior Trustworthy self Trustworthy other Trustworthy context Time Genuine Good Will

8 Teams Build Trust Managing risk Committing to common goals Addressing tough issues Giving and receiving feedback Managing conflict Having fun together

9 The Core Characteristics 2. Building Trust Relationships a. Communicate and keep a promise b. Emotionally present c. Behave with predictability d. We vs. me e. Understands and is capable of managing risks f. Accountable

10 Accelerated Pace of Change Change Breaks Structure Structure is Support Resistance is a Form of Coping

Mario Moreno to a witness cooperatingwith federal agents.

scheme to use his appointed post with the town of Cicero to approve a waste transfer development in return

11 QUOTABLE City Treasurer from Dixon, IL. who allegedly BRIAN CASSELLA/TRIBUNE PHOTO stole $50+ million to fund her "I don't want to be a hog; I just want to be a pig. Hogs get slaughtered; pigs get fat" lifestyle Alleged statementbyformer CookCounty Commissioner Joseph Mario Moreno to a witness cooperatingwith federal agents. On Thursday, Moreno was charged with bribery on allegations he accepted a $5,000 down payment as part of a scheme to use his appointed post with the town of Cicero to approve a waste transfer development in return for a stream of payments. The federal criminal corruption complaint alleges that Moreno said he would be satisfied with "a little piece" ofthe proceeds from the transfer station, addinglater: "I like the 10 percent going forward, and I like to get a nice pop up front. But I ain't greedy. Ill just be a pig."

14 What Message Does This Send?

15 Or This?

16 Ethical Development Model for Organizations K. Hanson 1 st Stage: Legal Compliance - Break No Laws 2 nd Stage: Highest Ethical Standards 3 rd Stage: Values in Management The organization seeks to understand conflicting values and ethical concerns at every level of the organization.

17 Typical Mistakes Inappropriate expenses is not private Unfiltered social media Failure to disclose conflicts of interest Giving in to the noise Ignoring established policy, rules or tradition Personal use of public resources Ignoring the glare of the public domain Sending mixed messages

18 Typical Causes Management shortcomings Time pressure Uncharted territory or inexperience Peer pressure Failure to come clean after the first mistake Personal loyalties Personal cost to do the right thing is too high Emotions Lost perspective

19 Blind Spots When it comes time to make a decision, our thoughts are dominated by thoughts of how we want to behave; thoughts of how we should behave disappear. Max H. Bazerman & Ann E. Tenbrunsel, Blind Spots

20 Six Steps to an Ethical Decision The Law: Is it legal? Does it meet the spirit of the law? The Rules: Am I violating a policy/breaking a rule that everyone else must follow? Integrity: Am I breaking my word, a trust, a promise, or a value? Appearances: Do I have a conflict of interest in fact or appearance? Am I the only or prime beneficiary of an offer or service? Clear Thinking: Is emotion or bias clouding my judgment? Perspective : When I look back on this situation, will I be proud of my conduct? Is it my fines hour or one I might regret?

21 Warning Signs. No one will ever know... I deserve it... (or They owe it to me... ) They will never miss it... Everyone is doing it They had it coming... (or, I am just fighting fire with fire... )

22 Warning Signs. Do not tell me, I do not want to know... It is okay if I do not gain personally Technically, it is legal... I can still be objective... This will not affect my work...

23 Plaintiffs November 8, 1999 First amended complaint is filed including six schemes : Hijacking of Police Department for personal gain Racial profiling Civil rights violations Sex discrimination Union busting Uniform allowance scam

24 Editorial Headlines 24

25 The Leader s Role in Building an Ethical Organization Integrate ethical strategies into routine operations Be consistent in enforcement and compliance messages Communicate standards and expectations clearly Commit to ethics training and compliance Offer opportunities to discuss ethical issues Provide counsel and advice Recruit individuals who reflect the ethical values of the organization Recognize and commend employee s expressions of ethical concerns Adapted from Ethics in Action, ICMA Training Package 1999

26 Preserve the Intangible It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that you ll do things differently. Warren Buffett Your humility, honesty and strength of character are the only truly important memories about you that will live on once you are gone Limardi Household

The Unique Challenges of Public Sector Ethics

The Unique Challenges of Public Sector Ethics CHARACTER IS DESTINY Ancient Greek Philosopher Heraclitus 535 B.C.-475 B.C. 2 Facilitates the Democratic Process David M. Limardi 2-16 Pew Research Center