People Hear What They See, Not What You Say-Revisited

Business ethics is somewhat of an oxymoron if you take into account what has happened with the WorldComs and Enrons of the world. It implies that there are two, very different kinds of ethics: business and personal. I believe you're either ethical or you're not. What does it say about you as a person if you behave one way at work and then behave a different way at home? (It must get awfully confusing at times to remember what "hat" you're supposed to be wearing.) If there are two kinds of ethics, does that mean that it's OK to con your customers and employees, but not your family or neighbors?

What does it say about the world we live in when we question the honesty and integrity of the people in leadership positions, both in government and in private industry? What does it say about the world we live in when governments need to pass laws requiring Chief Executive Officers and Chief Financial Officers to sign off on their companies' financial results; that these CEOs and CFOs must guarantee their sign-offs to be factual and if found not to be, are liable to criminal prosecution?

Ethics aside (or included), what does a great manager look like? How does a great manager behave? Before you answer those questions, I think it's important to understand how humans communicate. I've discussed, in previous articles, the importance of communication. But communication goes way beyond verbal communication. According to research conducted by Dr. Ralph Nichols, we communicate 93% of the time non-verbally. Think about that for a moment. We communicate 93% of the time not by what we say, but how we go about saying it. We communicate 93% of the time by our actions. (Pictures, really, are worth 1,000 words.) The real significance of that number is that non-verbal communication is based on perception. The significance of that number is that perception is reality: It is based on how the other person interprets your actions. If they think you are honest, then you are. If they believe you acted ethically, then you did.

I'm not sure where the acronym MBWA came from. The way I heard it was that two managers were having a discussion about managing people and the first manager commented to the other that he was a recent MBA graduate from Harvard. He asked the second manager where he'd gotten his degree. "I don't have an MBA", said manager #2. "I'm an MBWA. I Manage By Walking Around." Great managers build relationships with both their internal and external clients and you can't do that effectively by sitting in your corner office all day. Great managers lead by example. Great managers "raise the bar" by teaching their people what they know and challenging them to "push the envelope".

From an ethics point of view - and this is why I believe either you're ethical or you're not - you must do the walk if you're going to do the talk. You must lead by example. If it's good enough for you, then it must be good enough for your people. Workers are looking for managers they can believe in. Workers are looking for managers they can trust. Workers must be able to trust that when you say you're going to do it, you'll do it. Being a good manager isn't about being liked. It is about being fair and consistent. It is about applying the rules across the board. No one, and certainly not you, should be exempt. What does a great and ethical manager look like? What does being open and receptive look like? What does patience look like? What does being flexible look like? Remember - people hear what they see, not what you say.

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