By Hannah Whitesides, Retreat Leader & Fear Management Specialist for our Company Virtual Retreats

In today’s world company culture fuels competition. Everyone is trying to get ahead whether the goal is to get a promotion, hit quarterly goals, climb the career ladder, or obtain a pay raise. As a result, companies have struggled with integrity. Modern business has the potential to facilitate an environment where employees could be tempted to engage in deceptive tactics as a way to get ahead. This can take the form of withholding information or cutting corners. While we want to believe that this doesn’t happen, it does. Frequently. When an employee begins this path of calculated deception, it becomes infectious.

Some people might not even realize what they’re doing at the beginning because unfortunately actions of this kind have been classified as “a part of business.” This perception places the company and its employees on a self-sabotaging path. One of the most important things a company should have is trust.

Trust between employees and teams on the inside as well as between clients and investors on the outside. A lack of integrity in a company eliminates trust in all areas.

If you feel like your team is heading in this direction, here are some things you can do. 

1. Develop a mission statement expressing the importance of honesty and openness within the company. Outline what behaviors aren’t allowed along with their consequences. 

2. Lead by example and stick to your word. Hold team members accountable so they know you’re serious. 

3. Be open and honest with your team and encourage them to do the same. Make sure your team members have access to you through an open door policy. Invite them to express any concerns regarding integrity. Doing this will allow trust and transparency to form between your team and management. 

4. Take time out of the workday to focus on team building activities. This reminds your team that you all have the same objectives and are working towards the same goal. 

5. Provide positive reinforcement for your team. The easiest way this can be done is by rewarding them in some way for speaking up during team discussions. 

6. Clarify the responsibilities of each team member as a way to dissolve the fuel for conflict. 

A lack of integrity within a company leads to many other issues and could ultimately be the company’s downfall. Get ahead of this by acknowledging if it’s a problem and making attempts to resolve it.

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Project Passport is a proactive mental wellness company that aims to bring mental wellness retreats, workshops and other services to company teams. We also help women create joy in their lives every step of the way. To learn more about our company retreats and services, click here. To learn more about our tribe community for women, click here. Our travel retreats will resume in the future as the world reopens.