Its time to start the ethical consulting movement

It’s time to start a movement. The ethical consulting movement!

Again, a big firm is in trouble for questionable tactics and behaviour. Again, the sector pays the reputational bill.

I wrote about this in No room for “jacket on the chair” ethics.

The thing is, these firms are overt with their ethics training. I know this as I was with KPMG for a few years. They all have courses, declarations, conflict registers, policies, codes, annual attestations, intranet pages, partner briefings, and enough conduct language to wallpaper a boardroom. Yet the failures continue.

In my view, the breach that makes the headlines is rarely the beginning. It is a step on a long journey of small compromises that leads to the breach and the headline.

This is how trust breaks. Not all at once. One small professional surrender at a time.

Consultants absorb each professional surrender fast. They hear the formal message in training, then watch the informal rules in action. They notice what gets rewarded. They notice who gets protected. They notice whether leaders tell the truth when the truth costs something.

Trust in firms and the sector will not be repaired by another resignation or policy refresh. It will be repaired by people paying attention to the small choices that form the culture. Everyone in a firm needs to name the behaviours that feel normal but damage credibility, and leaders need to actively do something about them. Leaders need to reward escalation and thoughtful delivery.

Here is my simple test.

• For leaders, the rule is simple. Do not teach or do anything you would hesitate to defend openly in a client forum.
• For consultants, especially those early in their careers, the question is more personal. Is this shaping me into someone I want to be? If not, shine a light on it and maybe start a movemment in your organsiation for eithcal consulting.

Start an ethical consulting movement inside your own organisation.

Don't wait for your firm to launch a campaign, a new learning module, or a values refresh. Start where you are. Make your voice heard about ethical choices in team meetings. Make ethical consulting part of the daily conversation, not the annual compliance ritual. Let me know how you go?

My Contribution to raising my voice for ethics in consulting

My contribution is this. I run monthly Cafe Shot Master Classes for paid subscribers. Join me for this special event.