Every organisation these days has its own personality, and this is directly co-related to the culture and ethics within it. If we have to discern the different factors forming this personality, these will include the core beliefs, the norms, the shared values and the practices held within the particular organisation. As you can see, all of these factors should come straight from the board of the organisation.

It is important to stop and think about the culture and ethics of your organisation, because it usually has an impact on your relationship with other organisations, donors, partners and whoever else you work with. Therefore, as you can see, it is important for the board to have a position when it comes to the different factors defining organisational culture. A good way for the board to deal with potential cultural or ethical conflicts is to create a code of conduct, which everyone working within the organisation will be acquainted with.

When developing a code of conduct, a major point to consider is the conflict of interests. Every point figuring in the code of conduct should be impartial and clear. The document should not contain points from which the director, a board member or anyone else could potentially benefit from. Having in mind that the Internet is now a major means of communication, it may be wise to consider defining a social media code of conduct, which will state that the employee should not ruin the organisation’s brand or image online, shouldn’t share sensitive data and shouldn’t engage in conflicts with other employees, board members, volunteers or donors.

Once your organisation has a code of conduct in place, it is important for it to be observed and not just considered another piece of paper everyone should sign. Remember that the board usually sets the example for everyone else in the organisation and urge everyone to behave appropriately, even when it comes to more trivial matters that are not included in the code. It is important that board members:

As you can see, there are many aspects of the board behaviour you can address in order to improve your organisational culture. Have in mind that the best ways to deal with conflicts is to stop them before they have happened. This is possible through challenging undesirable behaviour and practices, providing essential training and support, carrying out regular team building sessions making sure those who show exemplary behaviour are rewarded. Once the code of conduct is a fact, all the internal controls are in place and the board shows a great example of appropriate conduct, all your problems related to organisational culture will remain in the past.