ETHICS OF SOUTH AFRICAN TRAINERS

www.saptaonline.org

CHARLES COTTER Ph.D candidate, MBA, B.A (Hons), B.A

KYALAMI ESTATES

10 JUNE 2017

www.slideshare.net/CharlesCotter

WORKSHOP OVERVIEW

• Characteristics of a Profession

• Definition of ethics

• Diagnosis: The ethics barometer of S.A trainers

• Identifying the characteristics of ethical trainers

ETHICAL and MVP trainers

• Types of trainers and relating ethics to these types

• Trainer maturity

• Applying ethics as a trainer

The four (4) responsibilities of a L&D professional

• Overview of the SAPTA Code of Ethics

DEFINING A PROFESSIONAL

“You don’t just become a professional just by calling yourself one. You have to behave like one - a trusted

consultant, not an order taker.”

(Clive Shepherd, 2016)

8 CHARACTERISTICS OF A PROFESSION

• #1: Specialized knowledge, skills and training

• #2: Accreditation of competence and association/membership toregulatory body

• #3: Provision of essential/value-adding service

• #4: Universally accepted body of knowledge

• #5: Maintains highest levels of work quality and performance standards

• #6: Continuous professional development (CPD)

• #7: Sense of duty (servanthood)

• #8: Code of Conduct/Ethics

DEFINITION OF ETHICS

• Ethics is a branch of philosophy which seeks to address issuesrelated to concepts of right and wrong. It is sometimesreferred to as moral philosophy, including applied ethics e.g.business ethics

• Moral principles or values that govern and regulate aperson's behaviour or the conducting of an activity.

MISSION #1: ELEVATE TRAINING TO A FULLY-FLEDGED, LEGITIMATE AND REPUTABLE PROFESSION

DIAGNOSIS: ETHICAL BAROMETER SCORE OF S.A TRAINERS

DIAGNOSIS: ETHICAL BAROMETER SCORE OF S.A TRAINERS (LEARNING ACTIVITY)

• From your experience, observation and various business engagements,rate and jot down the general average (%) of the ethics of S.A trainers.

• https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5B7XLPD

• From your experience, observation and various business engagements,rate and jot down the general average (%) of the ethics of the S.A trainingindustry.

• How does the ethical average of S.A trainers compare with otherprofessions e.g. legal, medical, engineering, accounting and IT etc.

• Identify and jot down the top 6 behaviour, conduct, practices and/ordecisions where S.A trainers tend to be most unethical (ethical gaps).

DIAGNOSIS: ETHICAL BAROMETER SCORE OF S.A TRAINERS

• https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5B7XLPD

• SAPTA mini survey: N= 39

• 360% assessment

• x20 Questions

• Range – 39% to 85%

• Average: 57%

AVERAGE SCORE – 57% (NO. OF RESPONDENTS)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

0-10% 11-20% 21-30% 31-40% 41-50% 51-60% 61-70% 71-80% 81-90% 91-100%

TOP 6 MOST UNETHICAL PRACTICES BY S.A TRAINERS (ETHICAL GAPS)

• #1: S.A trainers sometimes discredit the training profession by associating with unscrupulous business owners – 47%

• #2: S.A trainers sometimes violate copyright and intellectual property rules and are guilty of plagiarism – 48%

• #3: S.A trainers are sometimes guilty of misconduct – 51%

• #4: S.A trainers avoid accepting accountability for their actions – 51%

• #5: S.A trainers sometimes violate the organizational code of conduct – 52%

• #6: S.A trainers' actions do not comply with regulatory standards and training legislation – 53%

#1: S.A trainers sometimes discredit the training profession by associating with unscrupulous business owners

#2: S.A trainers sometimes violate copyright and intellectual property rules and are guilty of plagiarism

#3: S.A trainers are sometimes guilty of misconduct

#4: S.A trainers avoid accepting accountability for their actions

MISSION #2: CREATE A CULTURE OF E-T-H-I-C-A-L S.A TRAINERS

• Exemplary

• Transparency

• Honesty

• Integrity

• Consistency

• Accountability

• Legitimacy

MISSION #2: CREATE A CULTURE OF M-V-P S.A TRAINERS

• Morals

• Values

• Principles

MISSION #2: ALL H-A-I-L THE S.A TRAINER

TYPES OF TRAINERS

EVALUATION OF ETHICS OF THE 4 DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRAINERS (LEARNING ACTIVITY)

• Critically evaluate the 4 different types of trainers in terms of their ethics.

• Propose strategies to develop a culture of ethics amongst S.A trainers.

TRIPLE H – DEVELOPING TRAINER MATURITY

MISSION #3: DISRUPT & TRANSFORM THE S.A TRAINING INDUSTRY BY OPTIMIZING THE NUMBER OF ETHICAL , HIGH

MATURITY & PROFESSIONAL (Q4) S.A TRAINERS

THE FOUR (4) RESPONSIBILITIES OF A L&D PROFESSIONAL

• According to Clive Shepherd (2016):

#1: Responsibility to the client.

#2: Responsibility to the learners.

#3: Responsibility to my fellow professionals (peers).

#4: Responsibility to myself.

#1: RESPONSIBILITY TO THE CLIENT

• Helping the clients to achieve their goals foremployee performance.

• Doing the best for the client will often meansuggesting a solution other than the onerequested.

• Sometimes it will mean recommending somethingother than a learning intervention.

#2: RESPONSIBILITY TO THE LEARNERS

#2: RESPONSIBILITY TO THE LEARNERS

• The feature challenges those describing themselves‘professional’ to ask: ‘to what extent are you meeting theresponsibility to your learners?’

• As a learning professional, I want these learners to beinspired and grow in confidence.

• I want to help them achieve their own goals for personaldevelopment.

• I want to do them no harm, by boring them, overwhelming them, embarrassing them or peddling them untested remedies.

#3: RESPONSIBILITY TO MY FELLOW PROFESSIONALS (PEERS)

#3: RESPONSIBILITY TO MY FELLOW PROFESSIONALS (PEERS)

• I have a responsibility to my fellow professionals to upholdthe ethics and standards of my profession.

• Commitment to do nothing that would damage ourcollective credibility.

• I want to enhance the reputation of learning professionals astrusted consultants and skilled practitioners.

• Reposition L&D professionals as people who can be relied onto put the interests of their clients and their learners first.

#4: RESPONSIBILITY TO MYSELF

• To make sure I am fully up-to-date with currentbest practice and evidence-based learning theory.

• That I am constantly reflecting upon and looking toimprove my skills.

• That I am conversant with the latest technologies that could enhance learning in terms of its effectiveness or efficiency.

MISSION #4: INSTIL A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP WHERE S.A TRAINERS WILL EFFECTIVELY FULFILL THE 4 RESPONSIBILITIES OF A L&D

PROFESSIONAL

OVERVIEW OF THE SAPTA CODE OF ETHICS

www.saptaonline.org

Purpose of the Code

Scope of the Code

Chapter 1: Ethical Identity

Chapter 2: Core values and Guiding Principles

Chapter 3: Breach of the Code

Overview

• This Code of Ethics sets out the professional standards,norms and values as well as the guiding principles expectedby the Southern Africa Professional Trainers Association(SAPTA), as a condition of SAPTA membership.

Purpose

• The SAPTA Code of Ethics serves the purpose of promoting,governing, supporting, regulating and sanctioning (ifapplicable) members’ professional conduct, in the dailypracticing and exercising of their profession as anoccupational trainer.

CHAPTER 1: ETHICAL IDENTITY

• Building and enhancing the reputational status and credibility of training asa bona fide profession

• Being the custodian of professional standards and practice within thetraining industry, by upholding and maintaining professional principles,competency standards and core values

• Capacitating, empowering and certifying associate members withprofessional and industry-respected credentials

• Creating, supporting and building a network of training professionals,based on a family-oriented SAPTA ethos

• The benefits and value of a Code of Ethics is that it directs and guidestraining professionals to acknowledge acceptable standards of professionalpractice and also to comply with these standards.

CHAPTER 2: CORE VALUES AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES

• #1: Professionalism

• #2: Competence

• #3: Integrity

• #4: Family-oriented

• #5: Respect

• #6: Stewardship

STRUCTURE OF CHAPTER 2

• Refer to pages 3-12 of the Code of Ethics:

Definition (of each core value)

Motive (of each core value)

Guiding principles (that all SAPTA members need to comply with)

CORE VALUE - #3: INTEGRITY

CORE VALUE - #3: INTEGRITY

• Training professionals should be committed to the followingexemplary ethical conduct and character:

HonestyTruthfulness

TrustworthinessObjectivity

Fairness (of judgment and decisions)Consistency (of action and decisions)

Morality (principle-centred)Transparency (and Accountability)

DignityReliability

CORE VALUE - #6: STEWARDSHIP

• This oversight role will ensure that professional trainersdemonstrate an obligation to the following:

Duty to the Profession

Duty to Society

Duty to the Client

Duty to the Learner

Duty to fellow Professionals

Duty to the Professional Trainers Body of Competence (PTBOC)

"Diligently serve the S.A training industry and the S.A training industry will

diligently serve you." (Charles Cotter, 26 May 2017)

CHAPTER 3: BREACH OF THE CODE

• Any breach of the Code of Ethics will be considered under SAPTA’sDisciplinary Procedure.

• SAPTA members should also ensure that they notify SAPTA of anysignificant violation of this Code by another SAPTA member toensure that the necessary corrective/remedial action may betaken.

• Guided by the SAPTA Disciplinary Code and Procedure, The SAPTAEthics Committee will decide on the following:

Whether a SAPTA member has indeed breached the SAPTA Code ofEthics

The severity/gravity of non-complianceThe appropriate disciplinary sanction or remedial action

MISSION #5: FACILITATE BUY IN FOR, THE ADOPTION, IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE SAPTA CODE

OF ETHICS

CONCLUSION

• Key points

• Summary

• Questions

MISSION I’M POSSIBLE 5

• MISSION #1: ELEVATE TRAINING TO A FULLY-FLEDGED, LEGITIMATE ANDREPUTABLE PROFESSION

• MISSION #2: CREATE A CULTURE OFE-T-H-I-C-A-L, M-V-P AND/OR HAIL S.A TRAINERS

• MISSION #3: DISRUPT & TRANSFORM THE S.A TRAINING INDUSTRY BYOPTIMIZING THE NUMBER OF ETHICAL, HIGH MATURITY & PROFESSIONAL(Q4) S.A TRAINERS

• MISSION #4: INSTIL A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP WHERE S.A TRAINERS WILLEFFECTIVELY FULFILL THE 4 RESPONSIBILITIES OF A L&D PROFESSIONAL

• MISSION #5: FACILITATE BUY IN FOR, THE ADOPTION, IMPLEMENTATIONAND ENFORCEMENT OF THE SAPTA CODE OF ETHICS

“AS LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONALS, LET'S LIBERATE THE

LEARNING LIKE TRUE REVOLUTIONARIES." (Charles Cotter, 7 June 2017)

CONTACT DETAILS

• Charles Cotter

• (+27) 84 562 9446

• charlescot@polka.co.za

• LinkedIn

• Twitter: @Charles_Cotter

• http://www.slideshare.net/CharlesCotter