Most among us would understand integrity at work in the context of transparency and honesty in dealings involving finance. In fact, the first image that flashes in our mind about a person of integrity at work is that of a no-nonsense, strict, incorruptible guy who loyally follows the rules and policies of his employer.

In fact, in many organizations in India, there is a provision in the employee’s confidential report for his superior officers to rate the former’s integrity. Most often, it is required to just rate his/her integrity as ‘Above Board’ or ‘Questionable’. Needless to emphasize, rating as ‘Questionable’ would place a tremendous burden of responsibility on the evaluator to support this rating and call upon him to furnish proper justification and documentary evidence. Else, his integrity could be under a cloud!

The word ‘Integrity’ in the above context refers in the main again to honesty and propriety in the employee’s official dealings and behavior vis-a-vis guidelines and procedures made by the company. Hence it follows that only such transactions which are tangible and offer themselves easily to scrutiny can be brought under the organization’s ‘integrity scanner’.

But is that all?

Does it really give the total picture of the integrity of a man at the workplace? No, it doesn’t. There are many intangible but nevertheless vital qualities which go into the definition of a person’s integrity at work. In the following lines, I would love to share, from my own experiences at work in the Steel Industry, the other qualities which are displayed by persons of strong character and true, total integrity.

But I would hasten to add a few words of caution before proceeding further. Firstly, as you know too well, treading the path of truthfulness is always fraught with danger and you could be in direct conflict with the powers that be. It’s all the more so if you are working in a private firm and your job is at the mercy of a few powerful individuals.

In my case, though my job was relatively ‘safe’ those days- being a government-owned organization- I still had to face many humiliations like impromptu intra-plant transfers. I also was deliberately bypassed for promotions in spite of being otherwise recognized as an effective, senior employee. All these in an organization where I was among the earliest employees and which I served for more than 35 years. I retired probably at least two ranks lower than what I might have if I had ‘toed’ the line of my various bosses always.

Looking back now after retirement, I can say simply that I have no regrets at all. I have the satisfaction of working and behaving - not perhaps as the management gurus would have approved- but as one ought to.

Now I hope my readers do not take me as a disgruntled or disobedient employee. I was far from that. I was a very loyal, hard-working and punctual employee, who believed that I should give deliver results for the regular monthly pay I got. But my first and foremost loyalty-as learnt from certain senior colleague gurus I held in great esteem-was to the letter and spirit of the faceless organization, to the maintenance and upkeep of the capital equipment, to the welfare of the personnel for whom I was responsible and not just to any individual, who happened to be a few ranks above me.

And that can make all the difference, friends, as you will come to know in the following passages.

Stand up for the harassed subordinate

I had a senior colleague whom we will simply call as H. He was an electrical engineer with immense subject knowledge and a deep commitment to work. I have seen with my own eyes how he developed and taught the young engineers working under him. While he was very gentle and soft-spoken in interaction with his subordinates, peers and bosses, he could be tough as nails if anyone tried to harass his personnel, whom he loved like brothers.

There was this occasion when, after an electrical breakdown that occurred in our mill on the previous night, the livid head of maintenance of the whole Steel Plant was visiting to ‘fix responsibilities’. When H arrived a bit later on the scene-being the electrical chief he found that this man, who was his boss too, shouting at a very junior electrical engineer who, poor chap, was shivering in fright. H coolly asked the young guy to ‘get back to work’. When the maintenance chief protested angrily, H said calmly, “Now that I am here, please shout at me.”

I couldn’t help admiring H, because he had intervened and saved his own subordinate from a vicious onslaught by a man several ranks bigger.

It was all the more admirable because I have myself seen-both before this and later- many bosses run and hide when they saw their juniors being ‘whitewashed’.

My own experience:

It was just my luck that I had a subordinate who was very good at his work but was thoroughly disliked by my bosses at that time for their own reasons. One year, when the time for the annual so-called confidential report came, I was summoned by my immediate boss, who told me that I was to ‘spoil’ my subordinate’s report to ensure that he wouldn’t be promoted.

Naturally, I was appalled at this ‘indecent proposal’ kind of instruction and immediately refused. I pointed out that as per the company rules, I would evaluate him in the first stage as a reporting officer and that would be solely based on my experience with him. I also suggested that there was a column for a review by a higher officer where he could do as he pleased.

Needless to say, my boss was livid. “There will be consequences,” he threatened, but I stood my ground as I knew I was doing the right thing.

Management, as represented by the bosses of that time, wanted to shoot down his career by firing from my shoulders.

Later, when friends came to know, I was called a fool and chided by a few of my ‘successful’ colleagues some of whom even related their own experiences wherein they had even recalled and rewritten reports to please their bosses.

“You are putting your career on line for a subordinate!” was their refrain.

“No,” I replied, “I am just doing what I think is the right thing.”

Dear readers, what do you think I should have done? What would you do? If you want to live as per the diktat of your conscience, I would suggest that you defend the values dear to your heart.

Give credit where it is due:

Now I am about to talk about a different boss and a different subordinate of mine, but this too concerns the so-called ‘confidential report’ which the powers that be misused more often than not to harass and browbeat, or to reward undeserving people because they toed the line, were submissive and accommodative in even unethical matters, or simply because they belonged to the same region or community.

My experience:

One year, during evaluation season, I gave the highest possible marks to an outstanding engineer under me. When my boss saw the report, he called me to my room and said with a mocking smile, “Look, I am not going to ask you to change your marking, but don’t blame me if your subordinate outraces you in future.”

“Let him sir, if he deserves to,” I said smiling, knowing then that I obviously wouldn’t get that kind of evaluation from him even if I deserved it!”

Friends, if you are in a position to positively influence your deserving subordinate’s career by your feedback or evaluation, please do so unhesitatingly. I know quite a few people of otherwise ‘above board’ integrity who deliberately didn’t give credit where due.

Never compromise on safety and security:

This may be more relevant in a factory or process industry, but the underlying principle is the same for every organization, though the context may vary.

In most industries where the higher bosses are answerable on daily basis for production targets, sales etc, there can be a conflict of interests between the former and the operation team on one side and the maintenance guys on the other. The production people will be generally speaking, relentlessly pursuing quantity and quality of output whereas the maintenance personnel might have to apply brakes or speed breakers occasionally when the health of personnel or equipment is at risk.

Being a maintenance man, I have faced several such situations in my work life. Since the operation people are always the dominant group in a typical process industry, we in maintenance were often at loggerheads with the middle management while trying to safeguard the costly equipment from over-enthusiastic production guys.

Though I can relate many events to highlight this, I will mention one which would give a general idea of the conflict in interests within the same organization.

About midnight one day, I was woken up by my production chief. Since this was not a rare occurrence, I answered the phone expecting the usual whining about some breakdown or other in the 24 hour mill. But this time he sounded more livid than usual.

“Your maintenance asses have stopped the production, man. Are you even aware of it?”

I told him that they might be calling any time now to inform me.

“Go to the plant immediately and get the production started… and inform me.” He commanded.

It turned out that after a routine shutdown, some guy from the operation department had forgotten to switch on the lube and cooling for the massive gearbox, which had overheated and was literally ‘smoking’.

When I checked up with my junior staff (the ‘asses’!), they showed me the red hot gearbox and the bearings and said the drives couldn’t be started before the whole thing cooled down and the mechanism was thoroughly inspected for damages. After my own assessment, I found they had done the right thing to safeguard from possible costly capital damage and also that it would be at least another couple of hours to normalize production.

When I informed him, the boss was furious and started shouting at me. I could understand his tension because he would have to face his bosses next day- but there was nothing I could do. I calmly told him that being my boss, he could come over and after verifying for himself, overrule me.

But knowing that he couldn’t do that, he uttered a few more invectives and slammed the receiver down.

But I had to stand my ground firmly, inviting his wrath and the disapproval of the big bosses who expected me to run the show anyhow.

Praise in public and reprimand in private: (To protect the dignity of your subordinate)

Though the above guideline is recommended by almost all the Management Gurus, sadly it is very often bypassed even by very senior officials, who are supposed to be highly experienced and well-informed.

I remember once, in an important high-level meeting, being shell-shocked on seeing a very senior officer a Director in fact being shouted down mercilessly by another senior Director. The poor guy’s face turned crimson at the embarrassment of dressing down in front of persons like me, maybe two or three ranks lower.

At the earliest opportunity, I and a couple of other juniors quietly slipped out of the room when no one noticed or missed us.

In my experience over several years and seeing such behavior often in big meetings, I could conclude that two reasons can be attributed to this low EI behavior: In the first (somewhat understandable) possibility, the ‘boss’ is so overcome with a fury that he forgets all decorum. In the regrettable second, he is so drunk with his power that he wants to ‘show’ in front of everyone as to who’s the boss.

Though I admit to having erred on this count myself due to sudden rage, I have never deliberately put on public display an ugly ego.

Convey disagreement or displeasure to the boss only in private:

Of course, we have to be considerate to our bosses too and convey opinion differences or anger in his or her chamber. Exceptions would be when they throw open any subject for discussion prior to taking a decision. Else, however unacceptable or outrageous the decision of your boss, please get him or her alone in the chamber and vent out your feelings or ideas.

Sadly, there are amongst us some ‘heroes’ who try to shame or embarrass their chiefs publicly, if only to get even with him or her on some other dispute. I have seen many meetings implode, losing totally the planned agenda, due to ugly spats between the chairperson and one or two mulish subordinates.

This is not to say that one shouldn’t express oneself…that would be slavery. But while being firm, one ought to be polite and act with discipline.

(Never forget that you could be in that chair tomorrow and your disciple (who is today watching you quietly) could simply emulate you.)

In a firm working on a structured hierarchy, any matter should lend itself to public debate only if called for, or till a decision is made and announced. After that, one has to sort out quietly or utilize the designated grievance processes.

Poach not your colleague’s or junior’s work.

Poaching another’s work sadly is very common and is resorted to by even persons of known ‘integrity’.

I have seen, during my lengthy career, some senior persons, after understanding brilliant ideas and suggestions from a colleague presenting the same to the higher authorities as one’s own.

When I, along with a few colleagues, presented a paper for some modifications in our mill, it was contemptuously filed away by my boss of that time. Later, after I was shifted to another department, I found in the in-house magazine that the said senior, along with a favorite subordinate of his , had bagged an award for the same work.

Though some friends asked me to represent, I was so fed up with the whole thing that I just kept quiet.

Give due respect - without being servile- to elders by age, superiors in rank and all other colleagues in spite of differences and disagreements.

Giving due respect to elders by age or rank reflects our character, though our egos often are not in agreement.

A man elder to you might be your subordinate often- give him or her due deference even if you have to sometimes scold.

Conversely, a younger guy could be above you in rank or be your direct boss. (It’s happened to quite me a few times). Give that person respect due to that position or chair.

I have seen a so-called senior executive calling a Director by name in meetings and talking to him on easy familiar terms like with a friend. Once when someone questioned him, he shrugged and replied, “Oh! After all, he was once my junior.”

It will help, if ego troubles you to remember that it’s the chair we give respect to, not the person.

Last but by no means the least, never compromise on, or sabotage your work in spite of real or perceived injustice to yourself.

If you are sitting pretty in your job, this may seem quite irrelevant or unnecessary to you. But I am sad to state that I have seen a few people for real or imagined humiliations far less than I perceive to have endured-trying to indulge in totally unacceptable activities (like destroying files in spite).

There is nothing more despicable than that. Our ills at work, both real and imagined are due to certain individuals whose wavelengths don’t match with ours. No one should do anything harmful to the organization at any cost.

Just live with it or leave.

Some of the incidents related above are more relevant to an Industrial environment rather. But the underlying principles are universally applicable across all workplaces.

That’s it, dear reader friends. Thank you for your valuable time. If I have missed anything which could be included in ‘Integrity at the Workplace, I would be delighted to receive your input.

Hopefully, I have shared my own experiences at work with you without sounding morally high and mighty. That was never my intention, nor was I myself anywhere near perfection. The only motive is to teach and learn continually to become better persons.

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