Episode 904: Why BNI Has a Code of Ethics

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Official BNI Podcast – Episode 904: Why BNI Has a Code of Ethics

Introduction In Episode 904 of The Official BNI Podcast, hosted by Priscilla Rice from Live Oak Recording Studio in Berkeley, California, Dr. Ivan Misner, the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of BNI, delves into the fundamental reasons behind BNI's Code of Ethics. Recorded live during the US and Canadian National Conference in Houston, Texas, this episode provides listeners with an in-depth understanding of the ethical framework that underpins the world's largest networking organization.

The Importance of BNI’s Code of Ethics Dr. Misner begins by emphasizing the critical role the Code of Ethics plays in maintaining the integrity and effectiveness of BNI chapters globally. He references a previous discussion from Episode 285 but promises to expand on aspects not covered earlier, specifically addressing a listener's query about the necessity of the sixth item in the Code.

Breakdown of the Code of Ethics Dr. Misner outlines the six key components of BNI's Code of Ethics:

1. Provide Quality Service at Quoted Prices
2. Be Truthful with Members and Their Referrals
3. Build Goodwill and Trust Among Members and Their Referrals
4. Take Responsibility for Following Up on Received Referrals
5. Display a Positive and Supportive Attitude
6. Live Up to the Ethical Standards of My Profession

He elaborates on each point, highlighting that the first five were established in 1986 with the initial Board of Advisors when BNI was primarily concentrated in Southern California. These principles were designed to be straightforward yet effective in holding members accountable for their professional conduct.

Evolution of the Code Dr. Misner explains that the sixth item, "Live Up to the Ethical Standards of My Profession," was incorporated later, likely in the late 1990s or early 2000s. This addition was in response to specific professional requirements, particularly from the legal and medical fields, which necessitated adherence to stricter confidentiality and ethical guidelines. He notes, “[...] we put that in also at the request of a number of bar associations to say, hey, look, if you're an attorney, your code of ethics supersedes ours” (01:45).

Practical Applications and Challenges The conversation shifts to practical scenarios illustrating the Code's application. Dr. Misner shares anecdotes about members who failed to uphold these ethical standards, such as neglecting to follow up on referrals, which led to their removal from chapters. He underscores the enduring relevance of the Code, stating, “It's been almost 40 years since the code of ethics was done, yet those still apply just as strongly today” (07:55).

Addressing Specific Professional Concerns Priscilla Rice raises a pertinent question regarding the sixth ethical standard, particularly its impact on professionals like therapists who operate under strict confidentiality rules. Dr. Misner acknowledges the difficulty in referring such professionals but offers solutions. He references Episode 481, “Referrals for the Difficult to Refer Business,” where he discusses alternative referral strategies, such as speaking engagements with organizations like Rotary or Lions clubs, thereby expanding the avenues through which therapists can receive referrals without compromising client confidentiality (09:30).

Fostering Community and Accountability The discussion also touches on the communal aspect of the Code of Ethics within BNI chapters. Priscilla reminisces about the tradition of reciting the Code in unison during in-person meetings, a practice that strengthens chapter unity and reinforces commitment among members. Dr. Misner confirms that many chapters continue this tradition, highlighting its effectiveness in fostering a cohesive and ethically grounded networking environment (10:37).

Conclusion Dr. Ivan Misner wraps up the episode by reflecting on the meticulous development of BNI's Code of Ethics, emphasizing its role in sustaining the organization's growth and success across over 70 countries. He encourages pride in being part of an organization that values ethical conduct, ensuring that members not only achieve professional success but also contribute to a trustworthy and supportive community.

Notable Quotes

• Dr. Ivan Misner (01:19): “We needed something to hold people accountable for their performance as a business professional.”
• Dr. Ivan Misner (07:55): “It's been almost 40 years since the code of ethics was done, yet those still apply just as strongly today.”
• Priscilla Rice (10:37): “We would all stand up and we would say that we would repeat the code of ethics in unison. And it really brought together the chapter and made the new member feel connected.”

Final Thoughts Episode 904 offers a comprehensive exploration of BNI's Code of Ethics, providing valuable insights into its origins, evolution, and practical significance. Dr. Misner's thoughtful analysis underscores the Code's pivotal role in fostering ethical networking practices, ensuring that BNI remains a trusted and effective platform for business professionals worldwide. This episode is a must-listen for current and prospective BNI members seeking to understand the ethical foundations that drive the organization's enduring success.

Transcript

[A]

Episode number 904, why BNI has a code of Ethics.

[B]

You're listening to the official BI podcast with BI founder and chief visionary officer Dr. Ivan Meisner. Stay tuned for networking and referral marketing tips from the man who's been called the father of modern networking, along with suggestions and insights into getting the most from your membership in the world's largest networking organization, bni.

[A]

Hello everybody and welcome back to the event official B and I Podcast. I'm Priscilla Rice and I'm coming to you from Live Oak Recording Studio in Berkeley, California. And I'm joined on the phone today by the founder and the Chief Visionary Officer of B and I, Dr. Ivan Meisner. Hello, Ivan, how are you and where are you?

[B]

I am happy to say I am at the US and Canadian National Conference for B and I in Houston, Texas. And I love, I love being at conferences and having the two countries get together to do their national conference is always exciting.

[A]

Oh, nice. That's. That sounds like fun.

[B]

It is fun. Conferences and conventions are a blast. That it always amazes me to see how this organization has grown over the years.

[A]

It really has.

[B]

Yep. So today I'm going to be talking about BNI's code of ethics and why we have a code of ethics. For those of you listening, you can go back to episode number 285. 285, where I did talk about BNI's code of ethics there. But I'm going to give some information that I didn't share in that podcast back in 2012. That's when I did that podcast. And I'm going to give some information that I didn't share there. And the reason I'm doing this, it was actually recommended by my assistant, Dana Coyle, who was on a webinar that I did. And somebody asked me a question and they said, why do we have the last item of the Code of Ethics? I will live up to the ethical standards of my profession. Why do we have that? And he said, I'm a car salesman. We don't, we don't have an industry wide code of ethics. So why do you have that? And so I want to answer that question specifically, which I didn't do in 285. But before I do, I want to give a little bit of context first, starting with all of the six items in the Code of Ethics. Number one is I will provide the quality of service at the prices that I have quoted. Two is I will be truthful with the members and their referrals. Three, I will build Goodwill and trust among members and their referrals. Four, I will take responsibility for following up on the referrals I receive. Five, I will display a positive and supportive attitude. And of course, six, I will live up to the ethical standards of my profession. The first five were created back in 1986 with the board of Advisors. And that was back when it was literally just the Board of Advisors, not the International Board of Advisors. We only had chapters pretty much in Southern California. And we had talked about the fact that we needed some kind of code of ethics. And so I sat down with the board and literally around the dining room table of my home in la, where I lived at the time and where I started bni, we sat around the dining room table and we started talking about what the code of ethics should be because we needed something to hold people accountable for their performance as a business professional. In BNI and Priscilla, we were like into page two of all of the specifics of how people should behave in a PNI chapter. And one of the members is like, this is too much. Nobody's going to ever read this. It's just too much content. You know, it's starting to feel like, you know, a tax code, US Tax code, code of ethics. And we pretty much just, I mean, imagine a chessboard. We just kind of, you know, swiped the whole board across and wiped everything out and started over. And our idea was to just come up with a handful of general considerations to follow an ethical code. And that's where we came up with the first five. Good quality service, be truthful, goodwill. That was an important one. And so many members over the years have actually been asked to step down because they just didn't build goodwill in, in the chapter or in trust, of course, following up on referrals. Oh my goodness, how could you get a referral and not follow up? But even in 86, we'd seen that happen and we're like, no, you can't do that. You got to follow up, display a positive and supportive attitude. That was really important. So, I mean, isn't it amazing? It's, it's been almost 40 years since the code of ethics was done, yet those still apply just as strongly today as they did in the 70 plus countries that we're in. They still apply. Number six was added later. I don't recall what year, but it would have been in the, probably the late 90s or early 2000s. And it came about because of certain professions like medical professions that had, you know, there was, there's, they have a code where they. They can't share their clients. They can't say anything about who their clients are. But in particular, it was the bar associations in Northern California, the. The legal associations who started to tell their attorney members that they could not be a member of bni because, you know, that there was nothing in there about sharing, not sharing their client database and confidentiality, you know, wasn't in our Code of Ethics. And so not all professions have that requirement. And so we negotiated with, literally negotiated with various bar associations to come up with number six, which is, I will live up to the ethical standards of my profession. And then in most of the manuals that members see, there's a note at the end that says, professional standards outlined in a formal code of conduct for any profession supersede the above standards. And we put that in also at the request of a number of bar associations to say, hey, look, if you're an attorney, your code of ethics supersedes ours, because generally speaking, professional codes tend to be more particular than BNI's code of ethics. And so number six in that note at the end came about years later because of various medical professions and legal professions. And the Code of Ethics has been one of the things that we're, I think, really proud of. And it's also a. A great tool to use to have conversations with members when, you know, they may be bringing in referrals, but are they being. Are they building goodwill? Do they have a positive attitude? You know, I've seen chapters where they sat down and like, you know, you're a good member, but I remember, and I think I've said this in a previous podcast, Priscilla, we had one member, a woman, who said to me, we got this guy in our chapter where it's like, the best thing he can ever do is call in sick, because when he's not there, we have a great meeting. And she said, he is a fun sucker. He just sucks the fun right out of a room. And so that's when I told him, look, you need to sit down with him and have a conversation about. About his attitude, and he needs to, you know, come in with a positive attitude. So the Code of Ethics was really thought through thoroughly and was multiple meetings of the Board of Advisors, many, many hours spent, and probably just as many hours combined for item number six in the Code of Ethics. So what are your. What are your thoughts on all of that?

[A]

Let me ask you. I think the number six applies a lot to, like, therapists. That's what I always thought it was for, you know, that you. We've had some therapists in our chapter and they don't get a lot of referrals. And I think that was mainly because it's very private. There's not a lot you can say about it, you know?

[B]

Well, I mean, I do see therapists that get referrals, but you just can't give the name of the person.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That you're. You know, that you're referring.

[A]

Right.

[B]

But there are a number of other ways that therapists can get referrals. And I think I've done a podcast on it. I'll have to look. Referrals for the Difficult to Refer Business. And I know I did an article on this years ago, and I bet I've done a podcast on it. I'm doing a search as we talk right now. Yeah, it's episode number 481. Episode 481. Referrals for the Difficult to Refer Business. And I wrote this article and did this podcast because of therapists and because of the business that I was in when I started bni, which was business consultant. And it was hard for people. You know, it was way before coaches, business coaches. I mean, 1985, way before business coaches. And so people didn't know how to refer me. I was a difficult to refer business. And therapists were even more difficult to refer, in my opinion. And so go listen to episode 481. And one of the things that I talk about is doing speaking engagements as a way of getting referrals. And you count that as a legitimate referral. If you get a speaking engagement to a local Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis women's organization, any organization, listen to episode 41. And that's a great way for therapists to get referrals. That kind of sidetracks the topic, but it's an important question, and I'm glad you asked it.

[A]

Yeah. But the rest of the ethics. I think one of the things I really enjoy about the code of ethics is it used to be when we were always in person. Now I don't know whether this still happens or not for different chapters, but we would all stand up and we would say that we would repeat the code of ethics in unison. And it really brought together the chapter and made the new member feel connected. I thought it was really a cool thing.

[B]

Yeah, a lot of chapters still do that. And it's something that's part of the system. With any new member stand there and have the new member read the code of ethics. And you have the members read the code of ethics with it. It was something that I saw done many, many years ago and incorporated into the program as a result of watching how impressive it was to have everyone stand there and. And do the Code of Ethics together. It actually, I think, started in Las Vegas, of all places. The director there. The director there would have some fun with it. She's still a BNI director, Leslie Taylor. And Leslie would say, okay, you know, raise your right hand, lift your left foot. Put your left hand on. On the BNI business card holder and raise it right in. And she does some fun with it. And. But they would all read the Code of Ethics together, and it started with that, and then we kind of implemented it worldwide.

[A]

Yeah, I think it's. It's nice.

[B]

Well, that's the history behind the Code of Ethics. A little more information than I did in the previous podcast. I hope that gives people some context and, And. And be proud, Be proud to be part of an organization that has a code of Ethics that we really want our members to follow. Thanks, Priscilla.

[A]

Okay, great, Ivan. Thank you so much. That's it for this week. This podcast is sponsored by MeisnerAudioProGrams.com and these audio programs will provide you with the tools and the inspiration to powerfully enhance your B and I experience. So check out the great material that's available to [e-mail] and then use the promo code Ivan.5 0 for 50% off of everything. All of the proceeds go to the B and I Foundation. Thank you so much for listening. This is Priscilla Rice, and we look forward to having you join us again next week for another exciting episode of the official B and I podcast.