Toojays Blog

It's not the code..its the enforcement

Listening to the latest banking scandal on the news this morning...and for the various calls for resignations and changes in culture, I was surprised to hear a call for a review and re-issue of the code of conduct at Barclays.

Surely the issue is not the actual code of conduct, which if they have one...(and having working in financial services for a number of years at the outset of my career, I'd be very suprised if they didn't have one) it is presumably a capable one already, its more to do with how it's applied and enforced.

The real issue has to be around the capability of Managers to over see, monitor and performance manage individuals against the framework of the code of conduct.

Ask yourself a question. In your organisation do you have a code of conduct? Do you have behavioural competencies? Are there positive and negative indicators clearly defining what is acceptable behaviour and what is not? Do managers adhere to these and apply consistently and fairly through out the organisation?

If the answer is yes to all of these...then congratulations. However, I fear you and your organisation may be in the minority.

Not for having the policy or the clear indicators....but for the consistent application of them by managers.

Management Training

So how do you ensure consistency? It has to be through robust, comprehensive management training. Training that is engaging, experiential and draws on real examples and practical explanations. 

Failure to equip manager's with the skills, knowledge, competence and confidence to enforce the code or values or behavioural competencies will lead to an ostrich like strategy and even worse behaviour that questions the integrity of the organisation. 

Want to avoid that? Invest in skilling your managers and managers of the future with the right mind set and skill set. If you don't, well you can 'Bank' on trouble ahead!