By Daniel Cheleste
One evening, in a cosy setting among a few colleagues enjoying a light-hearted moment, I was confronted with a blunt question:
“What exactly is this ethical work culture thing?”
The tone was one of frustration, almost irritation, and it demanded an immediate and direct response. Our conversation quickly pivoted to tackle the subject head-on.
By the end of the discussion, a challenge was put to me: “Why don’t you share this with a broader audience?” Indeed, we rarely pause to articulate what we truly mean when we talk about ethics in the workplace. Even when we try, our definitions often remain abstract—far removed from the realities of daily work life.
So, what is an ethical work culture?
According to a survey on ResearchGate, work culture is best described as “a work environment where agreed standards and values are encouraged and consistently demonstrated by employees, even when no one is watching.” From the same study, organisations exhibiting ethical work cultures had some common features:
- Clear behavioural guidelines—such as a code of conduct, business principles, and visible commitment to these values. Frequently cited values included transparency, integrity, accountability, time management, fairness, equal opportunities, teamwork, and mutual trust.
- Open and effective communication—where employees feel free to express themselves.
- Commitment to results—from both management and staff, backed by systems that ensure sustainable achievement.
- Clean and safe environment—supporting physical and mental well-being.
Ethical culture
Drawing from years of experience in corporate African spaces, I have identified ten practical indicators that suggest an individual is upholding ethical work culture:
- Taking innovative action to promote ethics in the workplace and achieve positive outcomes.
- Openly expressing values and principles to colleagues and business partners.
- Making the effort to learn or define, if self-employed—the work culture, core values, and business principles relevant to your role.
- Consistently getting recognised by colleagues, clients, and friends as a person of integrity.
- Actively seeking self-improvement and investing in enhancing the value you bring to your work.
- Encouraging others to provide feedback on your professional behaviour.
- Taking responsibility for nurturing an ethical work environment.
- Actively promoting ethical practices and speaking out against unethical behaviour.
- Your ethical standards are consistent across all areas of your life—professionally, socially, financially, spiritually, and within your family.
These behaviours not only contribute to a positive work culture but also create environments where productivity, respect, and mutual accountability thrive.
Making work meetings more productive
Work meetings, when effectively managed, are powerful tools for aligning teams, clarifying objectives, and delivering results. They provide opportunities to communicate direction, share updates, solve problems, and make decisions.
However, many organisations struggle to strike the right balance—too many meetings can feel like time-wasters; too few can create communication gaps. It’s no surprise that many employees dread Monday meetings, believing they stall productivity and delay task execution.
Meetings serve various purposes—team building, status updates, tackling specific challenges, driving innovation, recognising performance, and sharing critical information. For meetings to be truly productive, we must be intentional in how we conduct them.
Improving meeting productivity
Here are four recommendations to improve the productivity of organisational meetings:
- Evaluate your current approach: Assess the structure of your meetings—how often they occur, how long they last, when and where they happen, and who attends. Are they delivering value?
- Identify areas for improvement: Examine how meetings are run. Are the agendas clear? Are discussions focused? Is follow-up action tracked?
- Clarify expectations: Every participant should understand the purpose of the meeting beforehand. This enables better preparation and more meaningful engagement.
- Implement agreed actions: Meetings must lead to tangible results. If action points are repeatedly ignored, enthusiasm and participation will diminish in future sessions.
Evaluating meeting structure
To refine meeting effectiveness, organisations should regularly evaluate their approach by asking:
- Are current meetings achieving their intended outcomes?
- Does the organisation have clear guidelines for conducting meetings?
- What roles do employees and management play in meetings?
- How does each member contribute to value creation?
- How is active participation promoted?
- Where—and by whom—are decisions made?
Meetings are most effective when team members trust each other, are willing to engage in constructive conflict, commit to shared goals, hold each other accountable, and focus on results. These are the core elements of cohesive teams.
Therefore, team building is essential before attempting to improve meetings. Without it, discussions become unproductive rituals rather than results-oriented collaborations.
Ultimately, meetings are only as valuable as the results they help the organisation achieve. By learning from past experiences and adapting accordingly, meetings can become a platform for transformation—not just conversation.
Daniel Cheleste is a Consultant and Researcher.
Email: danielcheleste@gmail.com
