An
ethical workplace is built on trust. When the human
team trusts its leaders and leaders trust their
employees, guests ultimately recognise these layers of trust and show their appreciation through repeat business. Everyone wins.
Imagine working for a hotel with so much positive energy. You will want to return and do what you do. You will be motivated. On the other hand, if you do not trust your management or believe they do not trust you, you end up spending more time worrying than working and enjoying your job.
Empowerment
You may not always know exactly where to find the line between right and wrong, and if you cannot find it, you will not know whether you are crossing it. It is management’s responsibility to see the direct link between ethics policies and the specific tasks within their areas of responsibility.
Not knowing what to do causes frustration and stress, neither of which is motivating. Knowledge truly is power. Managers must empower employees by explaining how to make ethical decisions on behalf of the company. Empowerment is an excellent motivator.
Collaboration
An ethical workplace is collaborative. Collaboration happens when people value one another’s contributions.
When you know your opinion is valued, you are motivated to succeed and to help the
team succeed.
Selfishness makes that ethical line much harder to see and much easier to cross. If you are dealing with a selfish team member, you may begin to question whether some team decisions or activities are based on ethics. Your motivation to succeed could give way to anxiety.
Recognition
Recognition is an excellent motivator. When a managing director publicly says that you have done well, you feel motivated to repeat the behaviour that led to that recognition, and colleagues begin to follow your example. They want to do what you did to earn that recognition.
In this way, ethical business practices can become the cultural norm. Doing good feels good. It can feel even better when you are recognised for it. And when you feel good, you are motivated.
Return on Investment
Building an ethical workplace culture delivers a strong return on investment.
When integrity is standard practice, leaders can devote less attention to public relations and problem-solving, and more to new business opportunities that drive the hotel’s continued success.
Collaborative teams can turn those new opportunities into profitable hotels that guests recognise.
If you are fortunate enough to work for a hotel like this, you may feel motivated to keep growing.
I repeat:
