Dignity, respect, and fair treatment
Treat participants with respect, professionalism, courtesy, cultural sensitivity, psychological safety, and equitable participation.
Ethics & Professional Conduct
Responsible Mentoring Requires Ethical Infrastructure
GMI's Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct establishes principles, standards, and accountability expectations for participants across the mentoring ecosystem.
Core Ethical Principles
The foundation for ethical mentoring practice.
GMI's Code anchors ethical judgment, conduct, and governance across the ecosystem.
AutonomySupport self-determination and independent decision-making
BeneficencePromote well-being, growth, and capability
Non-MaleficenceAvoid harm, misuse of influence, and unsafe conduct
Justice and EquityAdvance fairness, inclusion, and equitable access
IntegrityRepresent credentials, evidence, and commitments truthfully
Professional Conduct
Standards that turn principles into behavior
The Code applies to mentors, mentees, certification participants, assessment administrators, REPs, instructors, partners, board and council members, volunteers, staff, sponsors, and anyone representing authorized GMI activities.
Confidentiality and information use
Safeguard confidential information and communicate the limits of confidentiality, including safety, legal, and policy-based disclosure requirements.
Boundaries and scope of practice
Maintain role clarity and refer individuals to appropriate resources when issues exceed the scope of mentoring.
Honesty and transparency
Represent qualifications, affiliations, assessment purpose, certification status, evidence, and outcomes truthfully.
Competence and responsibility
Practice within competence, seek consultation when dilemmas arise, and support development rather than dependency or control.
Stewardship and system integrity
Protect GMI programs, standards, assessments, exams, events, partner relationships, and good-faith reporting.
High-Risk Ethical Areas
Areas requiring heightened care
The Code identifies recurring ethical risks that require clear boundaries, documentation, consultation, or escalation.
ConfidentialityDefine limits clearly and uphold them consistently while recognizing legal, safety, and policy obligations.
Power dynamicsRecognize positional, professional, and informational power and avoid undue influence, pressure, or dependency.
Dual relationshipsAvoid arrangements that impair objectivity, create favoritism, or compromise fairness, trust, or safety.
Assessment and credentialing integrityUse assessment results responsibly and protect exams, certifications, and status claims from misuse.
Technology and dataUse digital mentoring, recordings, messaging, AI-supported tools, and assessment systems transparently and lawfully.
Boundary Rule of Thumb
Pause when an action increases dependency, blurs role clarity, creates coercion, or places dignity, safety, or autonomy at risk.
When a mentoring action creates ethical concern, GMI’s ethics framework directs review through consultation, ethical review, or appropriate referral.
Reporting and Accountability
GMI provides a clear pathway for good-faith concerns.
GMI expects reporting of substantiated concerns involving misconduct, cheating, credential misuse, harassment, retaliation, conflicts of interest, or other ethical violations. Review processes are structured for fairness, appropriate confidentiality, and due process.