Doing the Right Thing When Nobody is Looking

Doing the Right Thing When No One is Looking

1 2/28/2012 Destinations Showcase ~ Wash DC

“Doing the right thing when no one is looking”

Decency

Integrity

Honor

Belief

Moral Code


Ethics

That branch of philosophy dealing with

• Values relating to human conduct

• Rightness and wrongness of certain actions

• Goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.


Ethical Codes

. . . just in case . . .

• To assist in making decisions determining the difference between 'right' and 'wrong„

• To apply this understanding to decisions


Morals vs. Ethics

Morals

Define personal character Things you learned at home about

right and wrong ~ good and bad


Morals vs. Ethics

Ethics

Stress a social system in which those morals are applied

• Company Ethics

• Family Ethics

• Professional Ethics

• Social Ethics


Conflict Between Morals and Ethics

• Legal Ethics

• Medical Ethics

• Workplace Ethics

• Social Ethics

• Abortion

• Euthanasia

• Stem Cell Research

• Conflicts of interest

• Boomers vs “Y”


Employee Code of Conduct

Effectiveness Dependent On

• Management Support

• Sanctions

• Rewards


Conflict of Interest

Using professional position for personal gain

Conflict of interest in the Federal government is a violation of criminal

statute


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How to Avoid Conflicts of Interest

Recusal or disqualification Remain impartial in performance of

official duties Obtain waiver by authorized official

when conflict of interest is not substantial

2/28/2012 Destinations Showcase ~ Wash DC

Vendor/Supplier Relationships

Based on good relationships and previous

business, a venue or supplier recognizes the value of your business

Don‟t abuse or jeopardize this relationship!


Current Economic Situation

• Planners trying to “get a lot for a little”

• Suppliers offer incentives

• Where is the line and who‟s drawing it?


Let‟s Examine Some Scenarios

What would you do if no one was looking?


Scenario 1

Based on a good working relationship with a local hotel

You ask your sales person for the hotel to donate a ham and potato salad for your office Christmas

party


Scenario 1

Planner – Is this taking advantage of a professional relationship?

? Conflict of Interest?

Supplier – Have you ever been in a situation like this? How would you handle this request?


Scenario 2

Planner

• Negotiating with 3 venues for a training conference

• Venues 1 and 2 are comparable in rates, amenities, and other areas important to the organization and conference

• Venue 3 does not have the dates available


Scenario 2

Venue #1

• Low season for venue

• Bidding on lucrative piece of business

• Represents repeat business with client

• Understands they are seriously competing with two other venues

• Offers planner a persuasive incentive • A personal weekend at a nearby boutique

hotel


Scenario 2

If Planner Selects Venue # 1

Who will know?

No one is looking. . . . 18 2/28/2012 Destinations Showcase ~ Wash DC

Scenario 3

Based on business relationships with a local hotel chain, you ask your hotel contact to secure a comp hotel room for you in another city . . .

The hotel salesperson suspects this is a personal trip and not a site visit


Scenario 3

Planner

Does this present a conflict of interest?

Supplier

How do you handle this request?


Scenario 4

One of your vendors sells T-shirts. You have purchased these

shirts and other clothing items for official purposes.

Is it appropriate to ask this vendor for personalized t-shirts at no charge for

your son‟s baseball team?


Scenario 4

• Is this a conflict of interest?

• How can this be handled appropriately?


How Clean Are Your SOX? Sarbanes Oxley Bill ~ 2002

• Enacted after failure of Enron and Worldcom

• To protect employees and public from effects of fraudulent accounting principles

• To eliminate Auditor Conflicts of Interest

• Auditor = Consultant = Conflict of Interest


Effect of SOX Act on Hotel

Negotiations

• Meeting Room Rental

• Food and Beverage

• Other contract line items


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Washington Post Test

Are your event and your professional behavior up the scrutiny of the media? Do you want your event and actions publicized on the front page of a major newspaper?

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Perceptions

• Perceptions are reality

• If you are perceived as guilty . . .

• . . . You will be condemned as guilty


Muffingate

• How did this happen?

• How could this have been avoided?

• What is the outcome for the hospitality industry?

More Regulations?


Wandering Off the Beaten Path

• Hotel Rewards

• FAM Trips

• Gifts

• Other Incentives


Scenario 5

As a planner you are familiar with and comply with your company‟s Ethics Policies and Code of Contact

Your supervisor asks you to “negotiate”

inappropriate upgrades, hotel awards, motivational trips, etc. for her/him


???

What are you going to do?

Whom do you consult?

Are you jeopardizing your job?

Is this a conflict of interest?


Scenario 6

A supplier asks the planner . . .

“It would be great if I could get the papers approved and signed before the end of the month . . . If you can make

that happen, I‟ll make sure you personally receive 50,000 hotel points.”


Who Benefits?

• Are you going to give your organization the 50,000 planner points?

• Will the supplier personally benefit if you sign the papers by a certain date?

• Are there other things to consider?


Scenario 7

Planner to Supplier . . .

“Do you think if I select the Griswold Hotel to host this event, I could have that Weekend at Bernie‟s that you mentioned earlier? I‟m about to make a decision between your beautiful hotel and The Giddyup Get-Away.


What‟s Wrong with This

Scenario?

• Giving proprietary information

• Revealing competition

• Asking for compensation

• Making a decision that‟s good for the planner instead of good for the organization


Getting Back on Track

• Be familiar with your organization‟s ethics policy and code of conduct

• Disclose offers of gifts and incentives

• Don‟t be afraid to decline an offer of gifts or trips

• Educate your suppliers to avoid embarrassing situations

• Keep business/business


Recap

• It is a conflict of interest to use your professional job for personal gain

• Do not put yourself or your vendors in this situation

• Do not risk your job or reputation or the reputation of your company


Recap

• Always negotiate fairly with the best interest of the company and meeting in mind

• Always make selections based on the best value for the company/meeting NOT „what‟s in this for me?‟

• Be the planner that suppliers welcome back to their properties


MPI Principles of Professionalism

• Maintain Professional Integrity

• Utilize Professional Business Practices

• Respect Diversity


Conclusion

No one is looking . . .

No one will ever know . . .

Just this one time . . .

Respect yourself and appropriate behavior will follow.


Do the Right Thing
