Organizational Integrity

Do you ever hear these sorts of questions and comments in the corridors of your organization: “Why can’t people do what they say they’ll do?” “How do they expect us to keep up with their changing priorities?” “We talk about the same old issues, but nothing ever changes. Nobody walks the talk around here.” Actually, such questions and comments are pretty typical in today’s organizations. Is there any wonder why people in organizations develop a heightened awareness of inconsistencies, contradictions, and hypocrisy? Organizations that do not address this issue can expect to pay a huge price for their inattention: unmet expectations and undelivered results throughout the organization.

Only when organizations are serious about Creating A Culture Of Accountability can they permanently move from “talking about inconsistencies, contradictions, and hypocrisy,” to “doing something about them.” People who work in a Culture Of Accountability feel a strong sense of what we call “Organizational Integrity.” It is the collective version of individual integrity where “I will do what I say I will do” becomes “We will do what we say we will do.” When people do everything in their power to do what they say they will do, rather than talk and complain, work becomes predictable and commitments become reality. How do you develop Organizational Integrity? Follow Through, Get Real, and Speak Up. Follow Through means to “do what you say you will do,” Get Real means to “get to the truth,” and Speak Up means to “say what needs to be said.” No organization can expect true accountability without these values and their associated actions.

To learn more about how to develop Organizational Integrity, join the Accountability Community at www.partnersinleadership.com, where you can review the accounts of organizations that have actually done it.

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