Integrity: One of Our Values
Of all the proven principles of human progress, these eight are the foundational values of our culture and thus are among the most important for all of us to exemplify daily. They are an essential aspect of our Virtue and Talents dimension. They define who we are as an organization and are necessary for the long-term success of Koch and each of us.
Act with proper regard for the rights of others, especially regarding safety and the environment. Comply with all laws and regulations. Stop, Think and Ask.
Create Virtuous Cycles of Mutual Benefit by becoming a preferred partner of customers, employees, suppliers, communities, and other core constituencies. Continually seek to identify and close the gaps between what you are and what you could be accomplishing if you were fully applying Principle Based Management.
Transform yourself and help the company and others to do the same. Develop the visions, strategies, capabilities, products, and services that will enable us to satisfy unmet needs and create superior value.
Seek and acquire the best knowledge from any and all sources that will enable you to innovate and improve results. Share your knowledge proactively. Provide and solicit challenges consistently and respectfully.
Be humble, intellectually honest, and deal with reality constructively. Develop an accurate sense of self-worth based on your strengths, limitations, and contributions. Hold yourself and others accountable to these standards.
Treat everyone with honesty, dignity, respect, and sensitivity. Include and embrace different perspectives, experiences, aptitudes, knowledge, and skills in order to leverage the power of diversity.
Be all you can be. Identify, develop, and apply your gifts and passions so you can best contribute in ways that are most meaningful to you. Be a lifelong learner.
Principle in Brief
Integrity is such an important principle that we list it first in Our Values. Integrity means being committed to and living by a beneficial moral code. Imagine how much better the world would be if everyone acted with complete integrity, with their word as their bond, and never did anything they wouldn’t want others to know about. There would be much less need for all the time and money spent on controls, litigation, and security.
Acting with integrity requires courage because doing the right thing is sometimes difficult or uncomfortable — especially when it involves challenging your supervisor or others who can affect your future. We are always expected to do what is right rather than what is easy, even if it makes us subject to criticism or ridicule. When things aren’t going well or there is pressure to improve results, we must resist the temptation to cut corners. It is never acceptable to compromise safety, compliance standards, or our principles for a short-term gain. What good are principles if we abandon them under pressure?
Integrity is the foundation for trust and mutually beneficial relationships with all our constituencies. Trust is earned by helping others succeed, keeping commitments, being honest, sharing credit for success, making tough decisions in a timely manner, admitting mistakes, and proactively taking corrective action when you fall short. You build trust and a reputation for integrity over time by demonstrating that you are a good steward and will always strive to do what is right.
Integrity is important in everyday interactions and decisions. This requires providing timely and honest feedback that will help your coworkers, including proactively pointing out when someone is making a mistake or headed for failure and providing praise when it is genuine and earned. It also requires speaking up when you have been asked to do something you’re not good at. Integrity spurs a sense of obligation and willingness to take such actions even when difficult.
Understand It Better
Videos to Explore
Chase Koch: Lessons From My Father
Chase Koch shares the greatest lesson and greatest gift from his father.
Lessons From My Father — Integrity
Charles Koch shares how his father influenced his personal values and our company's values.
Practicing Our Principles
Hear some examples of how our principle-based approach helps us do the right thing, even when it's unpopular.
Holding Ourselves and Others Accountable for Culture
Hear leaders discuss how holding everyone accountable for culture is critical for long-term success.
Respect Is More Than Being Nice
Hear leaders discuss the many facets of respect — and how sometimes it takes courage to be respectful.
Examples
Acting with integrity requires doing what’s right, even when difficult or uncomfortable. These examples show people acting with integrity in challenging situations.
- Doing What's Right
- Having Courage
- Telling the Truth
- Being Transparent
Diego is responsible for logging specific measurements. One measurement takes quite a bit of time to complete, but it rarely varies. When his friend says, "Come on, just put down the usual number so we can go to lunch," Diego refuses and takes time to take and record the exact measurement.
Alexis discovers her team’s IT systems doesn’t effectively meet data privacy laws. When she raises her concern with the system administrator, he says, "I'll fix it, but let's not tell our compliance specialist — he'll just make us do a lot of extra work and reporting." Alexis is nervous but knows the right thing to do. She replies, “It's important that we do this right. If you’re not going to involve Luis, then I will.”
Theresa is talking to a potential new customer who values precise delivery times. Theresa is honest about our delivery track record and what they can expect. The customer initially chooses to explore other options but comes back to Theresa because they appreciated her honesty.
Gary leads a large capital project that's fallen behind and must meet with leaders to request more resources. While he knows this will be a difficult conversation, he accurately describes the reality. Because he is open and honest, everyone has the information necessary to determine the best path forward.
Connection to the Five Dimensions
The Integrity principle is highlighted in the Virtue and Talents dimension because it is part of a set of principles which define our culture, called Our Values.
Give It a Try
The power of these principles happens through application. There’s no substitute for learning as you apply.
- Reflect: Think about a time when you did the right thing, even when it was difficult. Discuss how your team might make it easier to do the right thing.
- Share examples of when individuals or companies acted with integrity or lacked integrity. What were the consequences of their actions?
- Why is courage in Our Value of Integrity?
- What are the consequences of lacking integrity?
- Integrity isn’t about being perfect or never making a mistake. How does acting with integrity relate to situations when mistakes are made?
- How does integrity relate to other aspects of PBM, especially consider Our Values of Respect and Stewardship and Compliance?
- Why is it important for supervisors and leaders to exemplify integrity?
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