Code of Ethics
This is the first priority in Costco’s Code of Ethics.
What is obey the law?
Selling products that meet Costco’s quality standards refers to this right.
What is the right condition?
A supervisor's first priority is to ensure this for all members and colleagues.
What is safety?
A leader need to effective in this to relay information to others in a clear, concise way.
What is communication?
Working together toward a shared goal defines this concept.
What is teamwork?
Costco commits to this group by offering high-quality goods at the lowest possible prices.
Who are our members?
Offering products at a competitive and fair value relates to this right.
What is the right price?
When a supervisor follows all rules and sets the standard, they are doing this.
What is leading by example?
Listening carefully and asking follow-up questions demonstrates this skill.
What is active listening?
Holding each team member responsible for their contributions is known as this.
What is accountability?
A supervisor ignores a minor safety regulation to save time. This violates this core principle.
What is obey the law?
A high-demand item is out of stock during peak hours due to poor planning. This right was missed.
What is the right time?
An employee is struggling, and the supervisor takes time to train and guide them instead of disciplining immediately.
What is coaching?
An employee repeats a mistake, and the supervisor provides specific, encouraging, constructive guidance to improve.
What is giving positive job specific feedback?
An employee finishes early and helps a coworker complete their tasks without being asked.
What is collaboration/team support?
An employee is told repetedly that they CANNOT use the restroom on the job. This part of the Code of Ethics is not being upheld.
What is take care of our employees?
A product is placed in a hard-to-find location, leading to member frustration. This right failed.
What is the right place?
A supervisor assigns tasks based on each employee’s strengths to improve efficiency.
What is effective delegation?
A manager gives a vague task to an employee, then makes himself unavailable for follow-up questions.
What is no feedback?
A supervisor encourages different perspectives during a team discussion to improve decisions.
What is diversity?
A manager begins insulting the flower merchants. This principle is being ignored.
What is respecting our suppliers?
Selecting products that align with member demand and expectations relates to this right.
What is the right merchandise?
A supervisor pushes for results but ignores morale, leading to burnout and turnover. This key attribute is missing.
What is leading and motivating?
Two employees have a disagreement, and the supervisor steps in to resolve it professionally and fairly.
What is conflict resolution?
Costco does this with 85% of new managers to promote effective/collaborative teamwork.
What is internal promotion?