Followers need character too

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Oct 15, 1999 by Jim T. Priest

Last week this column addressed the need for character among leaders. The clear conclusion: Character is a necessary ingredient for any leader wanting to make a lasting, beneficial contribution to his or her organization. But what about followers? Is good character necessary for everyone in the organization -- even if they don't occupy a leadership position?

It should go without saying that character is also needed among followers -- the rank and file of any organization. It should go without saying -- but it won't. While moral leadership at the top of the pyramid is crucial and corporate ethics policy are desirable, the "trickle down" theory won't work with character. Each person must determine his or her own character and each individual's character builds, brick by brick, the character of the organization.

When building a house, it is possible to have a great draftsman put together outstanding architectural plans and still end up with a shoddy home. Plans don't build the house -- workers do. While it's important to have a good set of drawings, all is for naught without good craftsmen doing the work.

The same holds true in building an ethical organization. Great leaders armed with outstanding ethics policies can still find their companies running morally amok. While it's important to have great leaders and policies, all is for naught without workers who possess character.

That's why the nonprofit Josephson Institute of Ethics in Los Angles developed programs, workshops and publications that teach character building. Some say that character cannot be taught, but the people at Josephson believe otherwise. They promote "Six Pillars of Character:" trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, citizenship. The institute believes systematically teaching and implementing the six pillars can dramatically improve the ethical quality of the decision making process and, thereby, character. Josephson believes sound decisions build strong character.

That's also the thinking behind the Character First project based in Oklahoma City. Tom Hill, executive vice president of Oklahoma City- based Kimray, is the man most responsible for Character First, a non- profit organization dedicated to teaching character in schools and in the workplace. Tom is also character's strongest proponent.

Tom recently told me the genesis of Character First:

"In the early 1980s, the oil field business was just booming and we couldn't find enough workers to keep up. We were traveling all over the United States trying to recruit people.

Kimray has always been known as a very ethical company but it was difficult to find the kind of people we wanted -- good people with good character. So we decided to develop a program to teach character qualities to our employees."

What emerged was Character First, a training program that instructs and promotes discussion about qualities that make people better employees and better citizens. The company distributes monthly bulletins that address a specific character quality and follows up with small group discussions about the practical application of that quality in the workplace. Employees are praised and recognized for the character qualities they display at work rather than simply their production or accomplishments. Employees are rewarded for who they are becoming, and not just what they do for the bottom line.

Over the years, as other companies heard about Character First, the program was expanded so it could be adopted by other organizations. Today, more than 400 companies in the United States and overseas teach Character First to their employees. Such a following keeps the Character First organization busy and keeps Tom Hill on the road training leaders within the companies which have signed on.

All well and good. But what are the results of teaching character at the grass roots level?

"We've seen a dramatic improvement in morale and a decided decline in workers compensation claims and absenteeism. The results are the same in other organizations who have implemented Character First." says Tom Hill. "It's not just good for people -- it's good for the business."

That's better than double coupon days at your local grocery store: Better people and better business.

Does character count? You bet it does. At every level of your organization.

Character is an important issue in our personal lives, our homes, in our leadership ranks, and in the workplace. Make character count for you.

Jim T. Priest, a trial lawyer and partner in the Oklahoma City/ Tulsa law firm of McKinney & Stringer, welcomes your comments and questions. You may reach him via e-mail at priestj