Professional Standards
One principle comes first. Everything else in this Code follows from it.
Every leader, consultant, adviser or mentor who belongs to AALCAM must work for one purpose: to help, assist and equip the people they serve (mentees, protégés, trainees, clients) to grow. They must never use those people as bridges or tools to advance their own ambitions, biases or ideologies.
This does not prevent fair, disclosed compensation or honest professional recognition. It prohibits using a person's trust, time, work or reputation to advance your own agenda at the expense of that person's growth.
What this means in practice
- Start from their goals. Agree with the person on what they want to achieve, and measure success by their progress, not yours.
- Hide nothing. Disclose fees, conflicts of interest and any benefit you receive from the relationship before it begins.
- Keep your agenda out. Do not steer people toward your politics, religion or personal causes, and do not recruit them for your interests.
- Do not use people as bridges. Do not use a person's work, contacts, testimonials or reputation for your own advancement without their free, informed consent and fair credit.
- Protect them. Keep what they tell you confidential and treat them with dignity, whatever their background.
- Build their independence. Know your limits, refer people elsewhere when appropriate, and aim for the person to leave more capable and more independent than they arrived.
Neutrality
A member who uses AALCAM's name, platform, events, materials or member contacts to advance a political party, candidate or campaign, or to promote or attack a religion, is permanently excluded. Before the decision, the member is told what is alleged and may respond in writing. The Ethics Board decides, any conflicted member recused, and gives written reasons. The decision is final and cannot be appealed.
How members carry it out
AALCAM's six principles are the way members live out the founding principle: integrity, transparency, professionalism, confidentiality, inclusion, responsible practice.
Member responsibilities
- Serve the growth of the people you work with, and never use them as a means to your own interests.
- Provide accurate information and keep it up to date.
- Do not misrepresent your membership or imply that it is a license, certification or accreditation.
- Report conduct concerns in good faith.
- Tell AALCAM about changes that affect your membership.
How concerns are addressed
- Submit a written concern using the contact form and choose "Ethics concern".
- AALCAM acknowledges receipt by email.
- The Ethics Board reviews the concern. Any member with a conflict of interest steps aside.
- The person concerned is told what is alleged and may respond in writing before any decision.
- The Board decides and gives written reasons. Possible outcomes are a warning, a suspension, revocation of a certificate or removal.