For Immediate Release:

Friday, September 2, 2016

Here’s a question to ponder. Is it possible for an organization to find long-term success if the company or its employees conduct their affairs without uncompromising honesty and integrity?
There are two key phrases included in the question above: “long-term success” and “uncompromising honesty and integrity.” So many examples come to mind of companies that have seen incredible success and then failed miserably when it was clear that the organization lacked “uncompromising honesty and integrity.
An ?rg?niz?ti?n ?nd it? employees must ??ndu?t th?ir ?ff?ir? with un??m?r?mi?ing honesty ?nd int?grit? if they are to survive and thrive long-term. Business ethics are n? diff?r?nt th?n ??r??n?l ethics ?nd the same high standard ???li?? to both. Every choice we make has a consequence and thus every choice an organization makes, has a consequence as well.
Ev?r??n? is responsible f?r th?ir behavior. Likewise, organizations are responsible for the behavior of its employees. W? live in a culture wh?r? responsibility ?nd ????unt?bilit? ?r? minimiz?d. All too often, individuals hide behind th? l?b?l of “vi?tim” as an ?x?u?? f?r th?ir actions.
For some there i? right ?nd wrong, bl??k ?nd white, but m?n? (if not most) would ?r?f?r to ???r?t? in shades ?f gr??. A? l?ng ?? th?? d? n?t ?r??? the line, they f??l th?t they ?r? fin?. As long as n? ?n? ??t?h?? th?m, th?ir behavior i? ?????t?bl?. These are the foundational concepts for rationalization, a powerful tool of the brain that allows to make poor choices acceptable.
Individu?l? ???r?ting in ?h?d?? ?f gray feel ?thi?? ?r? n?t ?? important ?? th? l?g?lit? ?f th?ir actions ?nd think th? ?nd? ju?tif? the m??n?. Aft?r ?ll it i? a r??ult?-driv?n ?nvir?nm?nt ?nd it i? the results th?t m?tt?r. Here’s a question that might best be answered in private: Does the company I work for value results over integrity and/or honesty? Mind you there is nothing wrong with outstanding results, however, if you have to cheat, cut corners, or do something that otherwise if known, would create a challenge for you or your customers, you might have an organization that lacks in uncompromising honesty and integrity
While certain ??ti?n? might be l?g?l, th?? m?? also b? un?thi??l ?nd r?fl??t poorly ?n ?n ?rg?niz?ti?n ?? well as the individu?l? r????n?ibl? for th?m. If these ??ti?n? ?r? t?l?r?t?d and ?ll?w?d, ?n ?rg?niz?ti?n?l ?ultur? i? created th?t und?rmin?? the ?u?t?m?r’? confidence in th? ??m??n?, as w?ll as it? ?r?du?t? and ??rvi??? and ultim?t?l? can d??tr?? it? reputation in th? marketplace. Just ask many good people who worked for Enron or Arthur Andersen.
Allowing ?v?n a single un?thi??l activity ??n ?ull a thr??d th?t ultim?t?l? unr?v?l? th? cloth ?f an ?rg?niz?ti?n. A?ti?n? h?v? consequences and unethical actions ?nd th?ir ??n???u?n??? ??n h?v? a ri??ling ?ff??t within a ??m??n?. If ?ll ?m?l????? und?r?t?nd this ?nd apply it t? th?ir ??ti?n? ?nd th? ??ti?n? of th?ir ??ll??gu??, it will r??ult in a ?tr?ng?r company. B?th th? company and ?n ?m?l?????’ ongoing employment within it r??uir? ??m?li?n?? to thi? ?hil????h?.
Ethi??l b?h?vi?r cannot b? l?gi?l?t?d. It is a ??mbin?ti?n ?f ?tr?ng v?lu?? ?nd th? impact ?f the ?x?m?l? ??t b? peers and superiors. To b?tt?r ???r??i?t? ?thi??, individu?l? mu?t understand h?w choices int?r??t with ???h ?th?r t? im???t their ??ti?n?, b?h?vi?r? ?nd d??i?i?n?:

Ch?i???: Acting with Uncompromising Honesty and Integrity

Ethics i? th? ??ll??ti?n ?f v?lu??, n?rm?, ?t?nd?rd? ?nd ?rin?i?l?? th?t provides a fr?m?w?rk f?r ??ti?n. A?ti?n r??uir?? individu?l? t? make ?h?i???. Ethi??l ?h?i??? often ?r??t? ??r??n?l dil?mm??, wh?r? d??i?i?n? m?? ??nfli?t with ?n?’? ??r??n?l values ?nd b?li?f?. Th? bottom line in ethical b?h?vi?r i? d?t?rmin?d by the individu?l ?h?i??? one m?k?? in both their bu?in??? dealings ?nd in th?ir ??r??n?l liv??. Is “business ethics” real? Most certainly, however, in a practical sense, business ethics is the combined ethical choices of those individual – from the CEO to the janitor – that work for or with the company.
Ethical ?h?i??? and decisions are un?u??ti?n?bl? diffi?ult to make. S?m? may im???t ?r?fit?bilit?, ?m?l??m?nt or even ??r??n?l relationships. Th? dil?mm? often li?? in d?fining “the right thing,” whi?h i? n?t ?lw??? ?bvi?u?. Thi? ?ft?n involves d?t?rmining and weighing th? various ??n???u?n??? specific decisions will h?v? ?n th? problem or ?itu?ti?n.

Where from here?

Acting with uncompromising honesty and integrity always produces, over the long term, the best outcome.
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