‘Right vs. Right’ Companywide Ethics Training Asks Employees to Consider the Hard Questions he decision is all yours. She’s been a dynamite employee for years and has earned the trust of her bosses, but when Julia makes an accounting error, the ramifications could be catastrophic for the company. Do you fire her? It’s a hard call to make. At this stage – without all the necessary details – there’s no way to comfortably lean one way or the other. As this fictional situation unfolds during Martin Marietta’s 2017 ethics training, the question becomes even murkier. There is no easy answer and that’s the entire point, says Talent Development Specialist Ray Rogers. “This training isn’t just about teaching right versus wrong, it’s about teaching right versus right,” he says. “In this case, I ask each class to consider the hard questions: What is right for the company? What is right for the greatest number of employees? What is right for Julia? Which of these questions takes preference? Too often, we make ethical decisions from our gut, but this class teaches us how to arrive at a reasoned, rational answer.” Rogers began teaching the course in July and by mid-December will have led about 40 such sessions across Martin Marietta. He’s one of many Human Resources and Safety professionals working to ensure that all company employees are able to make the right decision, whatever it may be. Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Roselyn Bar, Martin Marietta’s chief ethics officer and a driving force behind this year’s ethics training, says the ethics classes are designed to place all company employees on the same page when it comes to addressing the ethical dilemmas we face regularly. “Ethical conduct in our business dealings greatly affects morale and has a substantial impact on our reputation and overall success. It’s a critical element of our company’s culture,” she says. “This training provides every employee with the tools necessary to make the right decision every time and, as a result, helps strengthen that culture.” Beginning with an in-depth discussion of Martin Marietta’s Mission, Vision and Values, each three-hour class covers a variety of topics, including the company’s policies on sexual harassment, p-cards, computer usage and proprietary information. Rogers says many of the course lessons are illustrated by examples ripped right from today’s headlines. “If safety is number 1, then ethics is number 1A. It’s an enormous part of everything we do and that’s why this training has to be as engaging as possible,” he says. “The content is relevant. Often, employees will bring up their own ethical dilemmas and we’ll kick those questions around. We don’t always agree on a solution, but the goal is to provide each person with the skills to make a decision others can easily understand.” Melissa Barnhart, an office manager at the Mideast Division’s Burning Springs Mine in West Virginia, experienced ethics training with Rogers in July at the division office in West Chester, Ohio. 10 September/October 2017 The Conveyor | www.martinmarietta.com A Martin Marietta employee for the past six years, Barnhart had taken the course the last time it was offered companywide in 2014. She found both instances enlightening, but was specifically impressed with this year’s training. “There was a great deal of communication and because the people in my class were from different parts of the business, there were a variety of views on any given topic,” she says. “The course helped me realize that most of my ethical questions come down to treating people the way I would like to be treated.” In-person ethics training is mandatory for all employees and appropriate contractors. Anyone with questions about the course should contact their local HR/ Safety representative or Director of Talent Development Brad Geiger at Brad.Geiger@ martinmarietta.com or (919) 783-4503. ▼ of he T From left: Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Roselyn Bar, Senior Project Manager Bob Dieter, Associate General Counsel John Gillan and Senior Solutions Architect Tim Willard work during their ethics training session. Materials for an Ethics Training session are ready to go during a class in Raleigh.
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