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How to Make Better Ethical Decisions, and How Training Can Help Powerful corporations have fallen and top executives gone to jail because of terrible ethical decisions. How can you avoid this? How can HR and Training departments help? By Robert Rosell* There has been a confluence of sad and painful situations, all caused by people at work making terrible ethical decisions. On the business side, some of the largest corporations in the United States have fallen victim to the belief that the ethical choices we make will somehow remain invisible. At communications giant WorldCom, senior executives were convicted of fraud, conspiracy, and lying to regulators. Global conglomerate Tyco’s CEO was listed by Business Week as one of America’s top 25 managers before he was charged with looting his own company of $600 million. Boeing’s top executive was fired after a series of scandals involving military contracts, and his successor resigned a few months later in the wake of a sex scandal. Adelphia, AOL Times Warner, Arthur Andersen, Global Crossing, Halliburton and many more of the most powerful corporations in America found themselves on the front pages of newspapers around the world, accused of a wide range of offenses. And the name Enron – once considered one of the most innovative and successful energy companies in the world - has become synonymous with fraud, greed, and ethical misconduct at the highest levels. Corporations haven’t been the only institutions impacted by ethical scandals. The majority leader in the US House of Representatives was censured by his own Ethics Committee 3 times in one year. Sports organizations, from the Olympics to professional and college leagues, have all found themselves making headlines because of drug abuse, financial misconduct or other indications of a lack of sound ethical judgment. Even charitable and civic organizations have been rocked by a wide range of scandals. In response laws have been passed, committees formed, and individuals prosecuted. People shake their heads and lament the lack of values in our most valued institutions. Employees look to the leadership in their organizations to provide clear guidance on how to improve the situation. Part of the problem has been that as we enact more laws to define appropriate or “legal” behavior, we distance people from the decision-making process about what constitutes “right” conduct. As a result, we have begun to confuse “compliance” with “ethics” - we see compliance with the law as the goal, rather than the starting point of ethical decision making. Human resource and training departments have a long history of playing a critical role in tackling difficult social issues at work. As sexual harassment became a major concern in the 1990’s, organizations mobilized their resources to provide guidance to employees at all levels on their rights and responsibilities. Policies were crafted and enforced, and conditions in most companies and agencies improved. The same has been true of discrimination and other diversity issues. These battles are not won, but there has been significant progress. The same energy must now be applied to improving the ethical climate in our organizations. We can and must arm employees and managers with the tools they need to help them make better ethical judgments. The goal is not just to avoid embarrassment or penalties; it’s to make our organizations stronger and more effective. These are the conditions that prompted QMR to create Compliance is Just the Beginning, a training video program to help people at all levels make better ethical decisions. (You can preview the entire program Free online - See next item below) We don’t pretend that this series is a silver bullet. A training resource won’t turn around the condition of ethical decision making in any given workplace. It will take a sustained effort that includes clarifying organizational values and policies, clear and unequivocal enforcement of the highest ethical standards, and most importantly – leadership. We have seen the cost of inaction as retirement savings have been wiped out, careers ruined, and important institutions in our society weakened. It is too high a price to pay. Your decision to introduce or expand ethics training in your organization is an important signal that you take this issue seriously. If we are going to have organizations that we can be proud of, we need employees and managers who are aware of the values that underpin our decisions, a process to help them deal with difficult ethical choices, and most of all we need leaders who are willing to step forward and show us the way. Robert Rosell, President QMR

Free Online Preview How do you make better ethical decisions at work? Just because a particular choice is legal does not make it right. Seeing legal compliance as the goal of ethics rather than the starting point can lead to poor decision making with disastrous consequences for the individuals involved and their organizations. Compliance is essential, but it's not enough. Series Objectives This new series, Compliance is Just the Beginning, presents an easy-to-learn approach that will help employees at all levels make better ethical decisions. Program Contents Program One, 3 Steps to Ethical Decisions (24 minutes), introduces the process. We hear from a former Enron executive as well as six ethics experts who discuss the pressures people can feel that may lead them to make poor decisions. We explore the importance of being aware of our core values as well as the standards of behavior expected by our organizations and our communities. Most importantly, we learn the 3 steps we can each take when faced with a tough ethical choice to help us make the best possible decision. These are: The Compliance Test The Ripple Effect The Gut Check Program Two, Ethical Situations to Consider (32 minutes), presents us with 8 dramatized scenarios. These stories represent familiar ethical issues most of us will face at some time. By discussing these situations and applying the 3 Steps process in each case, employees gain valuable practice and reinforcement. Support Materials The programs come with a comprehensive facilitation package that includes course outlines, training activities, reproducible handouts, and optional PowerPoint slides. This series can be delivered on video, DVD or online streamed media. Purchase Price for Each Program: $625.00 Purchase both Programs (1&2) for $1062.50 Or license one program for short-term (7 day) usage for $295 each To send you a link for a Free Online Preview of this Video and its Guides, email us at: service@communicationideas.com

Spirit At Work by James Autry Have you ever been connected with a group of people who were faced with an almost impossible task? Perhaps together you put in the extra effort to get the new product out. You pulled together and set aside ego and title, just rolled up your sleeves and got the job done. It felt great. Wouldn't it be wonderful to connect like this everyday This is easier said than done. In this new video, The Spirit at Work, best selling author James Autry offers a perspective that can help. His ideas are down to earth and useful. He contends that it all depends on five ways of being. These five principles will allow us to nurture our own Spirit at Work. "There is no business; there are only people. Business exists only among people and for people. Seems simple enough, but not enough people seem to get it." James A. Autry Key Concepts Be Authentic: be your real self. Be Vulnerable: let go of the myth of control. Be Accepting: forget about winning and losing. Be Present: pay attention. Be Useful: serve others. Bundling Discount: Buy all three James Autry videos (The Spirit at Work, Love and Profit, Life and Work) for $1,350.00. That's a 46% savings! Rent it for $200.00 Purchase it for $695.00 For a Free Preview Email Your Request with Your Information to: service@communicationideas.com

Life & Work: A Manager's Search for Meaning by James Autry During his twenty-eight years as a business leader, James Autry learned and practiced the art of caring leadership on a day-to-day, person to person basis. In Life & Work: A Manager's Search for Meaning, Autry explores with breathtaking insight and sensitivity the emotional and spiritual issues involved in manageing a work force. In a pressurized atmosphere of downsizing, restructuring and intense competition, management must be viewed as an act of faith - and every job should reinforce an employees sense of work and dignity. With courageous candor, Life & Work addresses the most troublesome challenges that arise in both work and life and offers invaluable guidance toward the successful integration of who we are and how we live with what we do. Key Concepts Finding your balance within life and work Learning how to care about yourself Helping others find balance Rent VHS for 5 Days / $200.00 Purchase VHS for $695.00 For a Free Preview email us at: service@communicationideas.com

Love & Profit by James Autry Love & Profit by James Autry 1994 During his twenty-eight years as a business leader, James Autry learned and practiced the art of caring leadership on a day-to-day, person to person basis. In Love & Profit he shares his insights and offers an inspiring model to live by. Love & Profit combines Autry's homespun storytelling with his thought provoking business poetry. You will find honesty, pain, and passion as he helps you understand what it means to really care about the people you serve. Love & Profit shows the value and practical application of creating a caring environment where individuals are given the opportunity to thrive. Key Concepts Honesty: If people don't get the information they need, they will make it up. Trust: If you mistrust people, you make them untrustworthy. Special Treatment: You don't have to treat everyone exactly the same. Courage: Anger and intimidation are facades we hide behind. Rent it for $200.00 Purchase VHS for $695.00 For a Free Preview EMAIL YOUR REQUEST TO: service@communicationideas.com Bundling Discount: Buy all three James Autry videos (The Spirit at Work, Love and Profit, Life and Work- see above) for $1,350.00. That's a 46% savings!

Character Is Destiny by Author and Ethics Professor Russell W. Gough. By Author and Ethics Professor Russell W. Gough. Pick up any newspaper, watch any news program or read any business magazine, and the topic of character crops up. Why is character so often discussed? And why do experts believe a strong character is vital to the long-term success, the destiny, of every individual and every organization? Doing the right thing, every time, is the vision of Character is Destiny, a new video training tool by Star Thrower Distribution. Hosted by national ethics expert Russell W. Gough, Character is Destiny: "Character is Destiny reminded me that ethical conduct is not only a matter of the way in which we reach the key decisions in our lives, but more importantly, how the actions we take communicate to others who we truly are." -- Connie Maxfield- Maxfield Productivity Consultants, Spring,TX Key Learning Points: Asserts that our everyday decisions cultivate - or erode - our characters Provides a starting point for life-changing discussions Challenges viewers to practice habits of good character until "doing the right thing becomes second nature." Because of its universal subject matter, Character is Destiny is immediately applicable to every training program, at every level, and is fully supported with a facilitator guide, workbook and CD-ROM with ready-to-use workshop materials. Watch Character is Destiny today, and discover how your destiny is ultimatelyshaped by the strength of your character. For a FREE preview call: 973-427-3004 Or email: service@communicationideas.com Purchase it for $595.00 Rent it for 5 days for $200.00

A.C.T. with Integrity: Real Situations for Discussion- Ethics Training Video A.C.T. with Integrity: Real Situations for Discussion provides business ethics training that can serve as a vital complement to any business practices and legal compliance program. About the Program: Discrimination. Theft. Dishonesty. Are your employees prepared to face ethical issues and respond in ways that meet the high standards of your organization and adhere to the letter of the law? They can when they A.C.T.™: Analyze the situation; Consider the consequences; Take appropriate action. With a dozen real-world case studies, this program equips employees to make the right choices in tough situations. This program features the A.C.T.™ model: A - Analyze the situation C - Consider the consequences T - Take appropriate action Learning Point Highlights: Communicates clear expectations regarding workplace integrity Introduces policies and procedures related to ethics and compliances Illustrates the 12 most common ethical dilemmas in today's workplace Complete Training Kit Components: DVD (full length video plus vignettes without narration, companion SMART-START® Business Ethics: Integrity at Work, TrainerTALK™ with Sue Mueller and classroom slides) VHS (18 minutes) Facilitator Guide (multiple agenda options) Reproducible Participant Materials Reproducible Self-Study Guide Online Program Resources Trainer Pack Purchase the Complete Training kit for $995.00 On Sale for $895.00 till 12/3/2006 Basic Kit Components: VHS (18 minutes) Facilitator Guide (multiple agenda options) Reproducible Participant Materials Reproducible Self-Study Guide Online Program Resources Basic Kit is available in Spanish. Purchase the Basic Training Kit for $795.00 For a FREE preview call: 973-427-3004 Or email Your Request to: service@communicationideas.com

Smart-Start: Integrity at Work: Business Ethics Companion Video Integrity at Work is another timely program in the award winning Smart-Start companion video series. This short program is designed to bring more awareness and discussion to the topic of business ethics within your organization. During this video, viewers will be engaged with animated text, music, and graphics that will help viewers retain the important message. This session opener is an ideal compliment to the A.C.T. with Integrity training video - see above. Length: 4 min Lease/Purchase DVD OR VHS: $295.00

L.E.A.D. with Integrity

Promoting a Culture of Ethical Conduct and Compliance About the Program: How do you turn a Code of Conduct into a living, breathing part of your organization? Enlist the active, committed involvement of every leader! This program helps managers and supervisors step up to the daily task of promoting ethical conduct and ensuring compliance. Using the L.E.A.D. model, your organization's leaders will develop the skills to foster, influence and sustain a culture of integrity. This program features the L.E.A.D. Model: L - Listen and watch for what matters most E - Encourage openness and honesty A - Analyze each situation and take appropriate action D - Demonstrate consistent fairness and respect Learning Point Highlights: Emphasizes importance of recognizing, reinforcing and modeling ethical and compliant behavior Inspires personal commitment to promoting a culture of integrity Demonstrates the L.E.A.D. model for resolving ethical dilemmas Complete Training Kit Components: DVD (full length L.E.A.D. with Integrity video plus vignettes without narration, companion SMART-START® Integrity: The Way We Do Business, interview with subject-matter expert Victoria Wesseler, TrainerTALK™ with Sue Mueller) Click here for minimum requirements for playing DVD on computer. VHS (26 minutes) Facilitator Guide (multiple agenda options) Facilitator Resources  Reproducible Participant Materials Reproducible Self-Study Guide Available as an Online Resource Online Program Resources Trainer Pack Purchase the Complete Training Kit for $995.00 Basic Kit Components: VHS (26 minutes) Facilitator Guide (multiple agenda options) Facilitator Resources  Reproducible Participant Materials Reproducible Self-Study Guide Available as an Online Resource Online Program Resources Purchase the Basic Training Kit for $795.00

Values and Ethics: Situations for Discussion - Training Video Lay a strong foundation for building and maintaining healthy corporate ethics. Program contains short dramatic vignettes that demonstrate typical every day situations of employees exhibiting questionable ethics. As your managers struggle with the issues of ethics in the workplace, they may realize that your employees often do not have a clear understanding of the difference between ethical and unethical business practices. Values and Ethics is a series of 12 short dramatic "What Would You Do?" vignettes. Each situation is followed by a short video break to allow for group discussion. After each discussion, you can summarize by communicating your organization's policy on the situation presented. Some video situations include:-- Using an organization's toll-free number, copier and office supplies for personal use / Abusing confidential privileges / Wasting company time / Not being honest with coworkers and managers. Participants will learn to use the three-step checklist to decide if each situation is ethical: 1) Is it legal? 2) Is it a win-win situation? 3) Would you do the same thing if someone you respected were watching? Key Training Points: Recognize unethical employee behaviors Implement ethical business practices Understand your corporate ethics philosophy Respond correctly to ethical situations Develop a clear understanding of business ethics Reduce wasted time, money and productivity Discuss the three-step checklist to ethical decision making Length: 12 min. Includes Training Leader's Guide (contains session agendas, pre-training survey, confidentiality contract, discussion questions, ethics game, role plays, exercises, handouts and overhead masters) and Doing the Right Thing book PURCHASE VHS OR DVD FOR $550.00 RENT VHS FOR 5 DAYS / $195.00 RENT DVD FOR 5 DAYS / $225.00

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