The Management Tip of the Day

Today’s Tip Talk to Your Team About What "Ethical" and "Unethical" Look Like Big-picture ethical lapses tend to grow out of small, everyday bad behaviors. That's why it's important for managers to watch for unethical actions on their teams. Be wary of two things in particular. The first is how company culture affects your team members. Over time we mimic the norms and values of those around us. So if some employees make a habit of exaggerating last month's numbers, for example, others may find themselves doing it too. Revisit your culture's norms every so often and consider how they're influencing your team. The second is when people use approaching deadlines or high-stakes situations to justify minor bad behavior. It can be tempting to bend the rules when the pressure is on, so talk to your team about the ethics standards you want them to adhere to. Discuss what's OK, what isn't, and where the line is. This tip is adapted from “The Psychology Behind Unethical Behavior,” by Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg Access the very best. With a HBR subscription, you'll get access to 50 of our best-selling articles and a wealth of content and resources, written by the world's leading business minds. View our subscription options Article What Makes a Leader by Daniel Goleman Skills and smarts matter, but emotional intelligence matters more. Subscribers have exclusive access to this and other leadership classics in our 50 best-selling articles collection. Become a better leader Book Good Charts Workbook: Tips Tools, and Exercises for Making Better Data Visualizations by Scott Berinato $35 Learn more Don’t forget you’re entitled to 20% off your first purchase* *Use promo code HBRORGREG3 View in browser Contact us Privacy policy Unsubscribe

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