To the Point

Abstract

Ethics training is a tough nut to crack. The content is extremely important, but it's difficult to communicate it in a way that actually engages employees. So, what to do? How can you get your employees to care? Georgia-Pacific, one of the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of tissue, packaging , paper, cellulose and related chemicals, has found a way to shake things up with their Ethics in Action program. Borrowing the concept from sister company , Georgia-Pacific launched their Ethics in Action (EIA) program in 2011 as a means to engage their 35,000+ employees. The objective of the program is to use scenario-based, leader-facilitated discussions to reinforce key compliance concepts. At last count, EIA contained 85 scenarios for use in the program, with content ranging from current compliance news to risky business activities to real Georgia-Pacific examples of compliance failures and successes. The EIA program works by putting an average of 8-10 employees in a group conversation setting. A discussion leader presents the scenario at hand, and the group works through questions that tie back to the Code of Conduct or relevant compliance standard. The process emphasizes participation— members discuss the situation, work through the questions, and then talk through several what-if scenarios. The conversation ends with the leader giving key take-aways and directing the participants to additional resources. The leaders in these discussions are key to its core goal: they must be able to present the material effectively, engage participants, and communicate key objectives while still maintaining flexibility. Georgia-Pacific even limits access to the scenario database to those who have been trained in EIA and have had their access approved by a Compliance Director. Carol Murin, vice president of Compliance Bringing the Code to Life Dispatches from the Ethical Frontier The leaders in these discussions are key to its core goal: they must be able to present the material effectively, engage participants, and communicate key objectives while still maintaining flexibility. All companies need to have a code of conduct, but can most employees tell you what it says? At Georgia-Pacific, probably so. See how their innovative scenario based training is changing the game.