Business owners really can establish an ethical workplace. But the effort must be conscious. The owner sets the foundation by establishing the core values under which the company will operate.

The code of ethics reflects these core values.

A business should have no more than 10 or 12 core operating values, such as patience or never recommending products or services the customer does not need. If a business strives to have too many, even the owner won’t remember them all in daily dealings with vendors and customers.

These values will ease decision making because the owner won’t have to agonize over what’s right in a given situation. Values and ethics won’t shift with mood or circumstance.

Steps for establishing and implementing your core operating values:

1. Write a philosophy and policy statement on ethics and performance accountability.

2. Develop clear ethical and performance standards that have a demonstrated relationship to achieving company goals.

3. Write clear descriptions of jobs and adviser roles, such as outside accountant or attorney, that reflect the values you have defined.

4. Develop procedures for hiring employees or independent contractors, signing with suppliers and even engaging clients that take into account your ethics and values.

5. Perform staff development to explain and enhance ethical behavior and performance. Make sure everyone knows the effect of his or her conduct on your business.

6. Set up a system for holding people accountable for adhering to the company’s core values

7. Create procedures to observe and monitor behavior that helps or hinders achievement of ethical standards.

8. Provide feedback on ethical and unethical behavior to employees, strategic partners, vendors and financial partners.

Your core operating values must apply to everyone from boss to janitor. Once they’re established, they must be communicated with current staff and used when hiring or contracting with each new employee or adviser.