“Ugh, I was just dealing with an INSANE client.”

“Jenn’s email had a weird tone. I bet she is trying to undermine me.”

“This event was a mess, and it’s all Jim’s fault.”

What do all those comments have in common? Each one of them goes against Vista’s Honor Code. An Honor Code, sometimes called a Civility Code, is an important tool for organizations. Sure, in an ideal world, every person treats each other kindly and respectfully, and there’s never a need for leadership to get involved and “teach” anyone what that kindness and respect should look like. But we are living in a world that is far from ideal, and sometimes, team members need to be taught, shown, and reminded explicitly of what is acceptable in the workplace. Similarly, team members must be held accountable for upholding the firm's standards.

Many firms we visit have spent a good deal of time developing their firm values. The best firms live them, display them, use them in onboarding, and reward team members who routinely exhibit those values. But sometimes, values are amorphous. They are words on a page, and it can be tough to understand what those values look like in action. The Honor Code helps to clarify how to treat each other in a way that upholds firm values.

At its simplest, an Honor Code is a short list of behaviors or actions that are easy to understand, remember, and live. In this blog, we'll explore the concept of an honor or civility code and examine what kind of impact it could have on your law firm.

Honor Code Vs. Code of Conduct

You may have spent a good deal of time and HR/employment attorney effort developing a robust section in your employee handbook that outlines a code of conduct. Often written in legalese, this handbook section typically outlines scenarios that may arise, identifies how the firm handles those scenarios, and provides guidance on who to contact if you need additional guidance or have questions. You’ll usually find this section in the handbook sandwiched in with a progressive discipline policy, a statement about harassment, and other formal policies. It certainly has its place, but it’s not quite the same as an Honor or Civility Code. Those are written in simple, easy-to-understand language. They are usually shorter and often quite distilled so that the team can easily remember. You can include them in your handbook as well, but you’ll likely also want them more accessible on a daily basis to your team.

Living Out Firm Values

The Honor or Civility code helps your team understand exactly what it looks like to live out your firm values. For example, one of your values may be: We work as a team. That’s great, but what does it mean? What does it look like? How do you DO it? Enter the Honor Code. You could include some items in your honor code focused on how your team treats each other to help work together cohesively:

• We let people speak without interruption.
• We say, “please” and “thank you."
• We give recognition for a job well done.
• We blame a system, not a person.

Maybe one of your values is to zealously advocate for your clients. Other than casework, what does that look like? Your Honor Code could include:

• We place the well-being of our clients above the well-being of the firm.
• We will talk about our clients as if they are listening to our conversation.
• We never use negative language, like “crazy” or “annoying,” to describe our clients.

Those are simply examples, but every firm value can have some actions on the Honor Code. Each firm’s Honor or Civility code will look a bit different, just as each firm’s culture, brand, and team look different!

The HOW-TO

This all sounds great, but how do you develop a Code of Civility for your team? It’s tempting to have your leadership team create a document to roll out, but a better and more meaningful strategy is to make it a collaborative effort. You know who knows where the problems or incivility lurk in your firm? YOUR TEAM! Involving your team in the development of your Code of Civility is a great way to uncover issues (hello, gossip!) If you have created a psychologically safe environment, your team should feel comfortable providing input into unwanted behaviors. If your team is small enough, you may be able to brainstorm it all together, perhaps during a firm retreat or all-team meeting. Otherwise, team leaders can discuss with their individual teams. It is fascinating to see what commonalities emerge as different teams report their takeaways. Involving your team not only creates buy-in for the final product but also ensures that different perspectives are considered.

Once you’ve collected input from the team, distill it down into simple, easy-to-understand bullet points. These should be written in layperson’s terms and be easy to remember. You don’t want 100 bullet points. Keep it manageable.

Roll it Out

Once you’ve listened to the team and distilled their feedback into a manageable document, it’s time to roll it out. This is where many firms fall down. We see the firm owner or COO email it out, hope for the best, and then get frustrated when issues persist, or the team isn’t bought in on the concept. The Honor Code calls for a launch party! Make it fun and intentional. Your leadership team should clearly communicate its purpose and highlight its significance and relevance to each person’s daily work.
Ideally, there is a sense of pride and ownership in the final product, and every team member becomes responsible not only for upholding the Honor Code but also for ensuring that others around them uphold it as well. The Honor Code is a shared responsibility, and every person on the team has a stake in its success.

One way we at Vista ensure every team member knows their shared responsibility for the Honor Code is by committing to it together. We meet to review the bullet points, and we all agree to uphold the standards outlined in the document together. When you’ve committed verbally, in front of your entire team, that you agree to the code, it’s hard to break that commitment without being called out on it!

The Feedback Loop

Once your code is rolled out, ensure there is a system for ongoing feedback. Encourage your team to provide constructive feedback to enhance the code over time.

The Honor Code is a living document that should be revisited often. At Vista, we recommit to upholding our Honor Code annually when we get together in person. We’ve made changes to it over the years, and each change helps to refine and simplify it. We’ve also helped many firms refine their codes.

Leadership Commitment

You know the best way to ensure your Code of Civility is a failure? By treating it as lip service or something that the team must follow but leaders can ignore. Firm leaders should endorse and follow the honor code and serve as role models for the expected behavior without exception. Your team learns what’s acceptable by watching what leadership does, and when leaders stray from the published code, your team sees that as permission for them to do so as well.

Leadership should use the Honor Code in performance reviews. They can recognize and reward individuals who consistently uphold the code in their work. It helps to have the code visible in the office and in team communications. Put it on computer lock screens, frame it on the walls of the office, put it on swag, and reinforce it regularly. We have seen a firm do an Honor Code rollout with a baseball theme. They took their team to a local game, gave them firm-branded baseball jerseys with some of the standards highlighted, and used that time to sign the code together. The “team” element translated really well to a baseball game, and firm leadership made that connection.

In addition to rewarding folks who consistently uphold the code, clearly outline consequences for violating the code. Consequences should be fair, consistent, and in line with the values of the code.

But Wait, There’s More!

Honor codes are not just for corporate environments. Because of their plain language and ability to provide concrete examples, you see versions of honor codes in schools, on social media platforms, and in other spaces. I recently joined a chorus for LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies, and during the first practice, the chorus director read a list of items for all of us to agree on before we interacted with each other. It helped set the tone for how we treat each other and outlined some practical ways for us to interact in a safe and welcoming space. You can even create a family honor code! There’s no wrong place to outline what civility looks like.

Examples

Below are some items we have seen on firms' Honor Codes. These are examples that can get the juices flowing for your firm:

• We are kind to one another at all times.
• We will always place the well-being of our clients above our own and the Firm.
• We will tell the truth in a professional manner.
• We will always be courteous, no matter the situation. Rudeness is never appropriate.
• We will use positive conversation.
• We will give recognition for a job well done.
• We will think before we speak. Will this comment be helpful or hurtful? If hurtful, is it absolutely necessary?
• When talking about a client or fellow Team Member who is not present, we will speak as if they were listening to our conversation.
• Prior to placing blame, we will ensure the Team Member has been given the proper tools and training and understands the expectations of their job.
• We will blame a system, not a person. We will take time to analyze what went wrong in an attempt to not deal with the same issue multiple times.
• We will praise our Team in public when appropriate. Any needed constructive feedback will occur only in private.
• We will always assume our fellow Team Members are acting, emailing, and texting with good and positive intentions.
• If we have a problem with something another Team Member has done or failed to do, we will talk about the issue only with them and in private. If no resolution is reached, then we will involve the Office Manager.
• We will NOT complain about a Team Member or their job performance to someone who is unable to fix the situation. This is considered gossip and will not be tolerated.
• We will proactively find fun and laughter in our jobs.
• As a Team Member, when asked to do something outside of our scope of work, we will not say, “That’s not my job” or “I’m too busy.” We will work out a compromise on how to get the task accomplished.
• We say “please” and “thank you.”
• We let people finish speaking without interrupting them.
• We schedule as few meetings as possible — and we make them as small as possible— to respect each other’s time.
• We don’t stay in the office past 5 p.m.
• When we see each other, we greet each other and acknowledge one another.
• We say “I’m sorry” freely, and we forgive one another.
• We celebrate each other’s milestones.
• We cover for one another in times of need.
• We assume the best of each other.
• We call out behavior that goes against our values.
• We welcome constructive criticism.

The Power of Civility

An Honor Code or Code of Civility can be a significant step toward “fixing” a firm culture that has room for improvement. By clearly outlining expected behaviors and values, these codes help create a more respectful and accountable work environment. However, it’s important to recognize that it’s not a panacea. Like all positive firm change, it requires ongoing work, commitment from leadership, and active participation from all team members. Establishing such a code involves open discussions about values and ethics, ensuring everyone understands its importance. Despite the challenges, we’ve yet to see a firm that has implemented an Honor Code regret that decision; in fact, many have found it to be a transformative experience that fosters collaboration and trust within their teams.