We all have heard about integrity. How it is a must in life and the workplace. We all know that everyone wants a high level of integrity in their team members, or that that’s the person everyone wants to hire. But do we know what it means? Do we know what it looks like on a daily basis? What about how it looks in a work environment? But well… let’s start from the beginning and define what is integrity:
“Integrity means being honest and having strong moral principles. A person with integrity behaves ethically and does the right thing, even behind closed doors”
So, to make the long story short, integrity is about moral values. At some point in our lives, we choose a set of principles and values that align with ourselves and that we’ll carry throughout our journeys. Nonetheless, there are some universal values everybody shares, and within those, we can find the core character traits that define you as someone with integrity.
Those traits, like honesty, respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, and accountability, are very much needed to foster a healthy work environment, where all the team members not only have a high level of integrity in their work but also show it in everyday life activity around the office since sometimes it is not only important to have it but also to reflect it in a way that let people know you have it.
What does integrity look like at work?
At our last freelancer of the month ceremony, we talked about this. And set the record straight by sharing with our freelancers that, to us… Integrity in the workplace is the same as it is outside of it, the only difference is that integrity at work supports a company’s set of moral standards.
This means that when it comes to the workplace, we not only take into account our ethical values but also the ones that are fostered and relevant to the organization we are now a part of.
For example, you may have a great work ethic and a high degree of integrity in everything you do, and you start working in a company that fosters and cares about constant and open communication. In that case, if you are not that communicative, it becomes a priority to master that skill and make it better, so you can keep being the great worker you are and be in line with your workplace in something as relevant as values.
Having cleared the little adjustments that the working context implies on someone’s integrity, we believe that some tips on how to show and foster integrity within the workplace are key to success. So, here we go…
Crystal clear communication
Honesty is one of the most important ingredients in a healthy and successful company. Having constant and open communication between managers, colleagues, bosses, and everyone involved in the team, project or business will encourage every new teammate to do the same.
Being honest will cut through many problems of miscommunication and misunderstandings when teammates feel safe to talk to their leaders and other teammates, they will ask when having a question, they will call when having an issue, and they will come to the right place when there’s a situation to solve.
To be honest, it is important to remember that not everything that is going to be said is great news. Sometimes we need to inform them that a project has been canceled or deliver tough feedback, some other times a team member is going to give us tough feedback or tell us that they can’t deliver on time and we have to find answers and solutions where there are none.
Although this will happen at times, everything should be out there, and the communication to flow, remembering that empathy is our best ally.
Trusting environment
If you feel like you can trust your team, then you have already won part of the game. Integrity blossoms with trust. Letting your teammates do their job is an opportunity for them to show that they are capable not only of performing high-quality work but also of being trusted. Whether it is meeting a deadline or bringing something to the office, trust is needed.
Showing people that you can be trusted as a manager or employee is a display of integrity. Being someone reliable for your team, someone who is always willing to help and does their best to meet the compromises they acquire makes you someone who is trustworthy in the company and a great asset to any team. And don’t forget that trust can be built and rebuilt, no matter if you failed once at meeting a deadline, you can still be perceived as reliable and trustworthy.
Responsibility and accountability
Of course, a big part of building trust and fostering honesty is responsibility and accountability. It is important to respond to the things that you are responsible for, meaning that if you have a compromise, you gave your word or you accepted a task, you follow through and complete said task, promise, or compromise.
But not only to be responsible but also to have the courage to be held accountable for the outcome, whether it’s good or not so good.
If you were printing some documents and the printer stopped working, it is highly valued that you tell the truth to your supervisor. If your project is not going great and you need more time, be responsible and ask for it, therefore you won’t be compromising the quality of your work, but you might not get it and will have to do the best you can with what you have, and if that is not what was expected, then a sign of integrity is to be there and show up for the result and assume the consequences.
This can be encouraged by generalization, meaning that managers, supervisors, employees, and bosses, are all treated equally. They are all held accountable if needed, and it is valuable for someone to step in front and admit an error.
Even though integrity is a personal reflection of our ethical values, there are always ways to promote this type of personal development that benefits all. There must be a million ways to do this, but here we displayed what we considered could be helpful for most. So, why don’t you try it?
