Even the most ethical business people will continually confront integrity challenges unless they carefully and unambiguously make their standards clear to employees, colleagues, friends, competitors, vendors and advisors.

The company that wants to instill ethical behavior in its workers also needs to publicize its standards and coach people to internalize the core values that will drive right behavior.

The Boeing Company, after ethical lapses cost it at least $1 billion worth of Air Force contracts for rockets, had every one of its 70,000 employees attend a four-hour course in the company’s ethics policies.

Even the smallest firm can set up such meetings. One small manufacturer discusses ethics at quarterly employee meetings.

This same firm also posts the company’s core values in the lobby in six-foot-high letters.

Every business should have a handbook that includes its core operating values and code of ethics. If the founder took the time to write such a document in the beginning, these standards would guide the company as it adds employees.

Once a business starts hiring employees, the ethical standards should be explicitly stated during job interviews and applicants should be asked to describe their own standards of ethics.

Companies with clear values and ethics codes are in a good position to measure potential clients to determine any conflicts. One small advertising agency turns down lucrative tobacco and liquor campaigns because they are not in alignment with the firm’s values.

One consultant schedules individual meetings each week with every employee just to discuss how each of them met the firm’s core values in the past seven days.

Regular meetings with customers can also reinforce a business’ ethical standards. It’s good to remind customers that:

• Your business will stick to schedules and meet deadlines.

• You honor all financial arrangements including the customer’s budget.

• You do not pad your billable hours when you write an invoice.

• A customer’s records are kept strictly confidential.

• You never work for their competitors at the same time you’re doing their projects.

• You won’t recommend unnecessary products or services.

Customer meetings are also a good opportunity to stress that your business will not do anything illegal, even at the customer’s request. The accounting firm of Arthur Andersen would have avoided the destruction of its reputation if its accountants had stuck to such a policy with Enron.

Many consultants and self-employed contractors write their ethics policies into their contracts. But even if these policies are stated in writing, they should be repeated verbally so there aren’t misunderstandings later.