How can you profess integrity if you don’t know what your values are? That’s like leaving harbor without a compass. But it’s exactly what happens with many people and organizations. And they’re so busy getting their to-do-lists done, they don’t even notice.

Rather than approaching integrity as a tick-the-box exercise, I have worked with many clients transforming their organizations into value-based entities. This process requires a bottom-up orientation on values, and a corporate strategy that is based on those values.

At the end of this process, instruments like an ethical code or a compliance training are the reflection of a healthy process that has been completed and internalized - and not a replacement for it. The added bonus is that every individual in such an organization becomes more productive because they believe in what they are doing - and they feel accountable so nobody needs to remind them.

Download my 2014 essay on value-based organizations