Anyone who has ever shopped at Wegmans understands why they achieved (and maintain) the high rating. And I have been so impressed over the years that I included a bit about Wegmans in my recently published book, Becoming The Everyday Ethicist, in the chapter on Ethical Leadership.
So, what is the connection between “ethics” and the “Great Place to Work” rating?
It’s all about values, the priorities an organization places on its stakeholders, and leadership.
For the record, Wegman’s stated values are:
- We care about the well-being and success of every person.
- High standards are a way of life.
- We make a difference in every community we serve.
- We respect and listen to our people.
- We empower our people to make decisions that improve their work and benefit our customers and our company.
Obviously, Wegmans lives its values and maybe more important, Wegmans has achieved success by caring for its stakeholders, especially its employees.
I define “ethical leadership” many ways in my book, but a couple of my favorites are:
“Putting others interests above self-interest”
“Putting values above all else”
“Leading as if it’s the family business”
All are the case with Wegmans.
Leaders of all organizations would be well served by following Wegmans… putting others interests first and leading as if it is the family business.
Need Ethics CPE? Book your virtual 1-hour, 2-hour, or 4-hour Ethics training with Jo today! Email Jo@AuditConsultingEducation.com.
Amanda “Jo” Erven, CPA, CIA, CFE, is the President and Founder of Audit. Consulting. Education. LLC. After a successful career in external/internal audit and accounting, Jo is now an active Internal Audit Strategist, Management Consultant, Higher Education Professor, Author, and Trainer/Speaker, providing Continuing Professional Education (CPE) hours, live and virtually, to organizations across the globe. Jo’s motto says the most about her personal and professional outlook: “Good things come to those who wait… but don’t. You deserve better than good.” Every one of her books and presentations focuses on that proactive stance, and how we can immediately connect our actions to our values.
