Integrity and honesty. Seems they’re always in the news these days. If it’s not the lobbyist-incited exposure of someone’s political misbehaviors, it’s authors “embellishing” on their autobiographies. Oh, and let’s not forget the hardy crew of the HMS Embellishment: Marketing people.

Hmmm. That’s us.

Surely each of us has at one time or another used a little white lie to avoid trouble, make a resume seem better than we think it is, or add some “interest” to a story told in praise of a personal exploit. Even the squeaky-cleanest of us has some such fib to reveal.

But let’s examine integrity as though there were a trend here, a trend toward consistent truth-bending. Have we become hardened by the lies we’re told nearly every day, writing off those that seem harmless enough and shrieking in astonishment at others? That answer is for sociologists and psychologists to debate.

What I want to know is this: Is it okay to alter the truth about a product or service? I’m not talking about putting your best foot forward here, showing your best side to the camera, or deciding not to expose minor product problems. I’m talking about exaggerating the purported benefits of our goods. Of fabricating testimonials. Of positioning our product as one thing when it is in reality something else.

I’ll admit it. I have an opinion. It’s NO.

Here’s why.

The Customer Relationship: “Trust Me”

If what we want is a long-term relationship with our customers — and no sane business person wants anything else — then we must be worthy of the customer’s choice to spend his or her money on our products and services. We must offer them something they perceive to be of unique value, and we must deliver on the promise implicit in that value. By consistently fulfilling our promises to our customers, we become trustworthy. It’s the only way to gain customer trust.

So… If being trustworthy is our goal in business, and being trustworthy means promising something and consistently delivering on that promise, what happens if we make a promise about value that isn’t all it’s cracked up to be?

Don’t Believe Everything You See…

… and half of what you hear.

Companies that have long-term, consistent success have three characteristics about the promises they make:

1. They promise something that’s relevant to their customers.
2. They make sure they can deliver on that promise.
3. They communicate that promise in clear, unambiguous, consistent language at every point of customer contact.

There should be no news here. The reality of promise, the value of integrity, and the process of becoming trustworthy should be taught in every marketing class, every business seminar, and in every customer service workshop.

I’ll take that a step further: We should be teaching these things to our children and in the schools. We should demonstrate our commitment to integrity and the keeping of our promises in everything we do.

And before I step off the soapbox: In the end, we owe it to ourselves as much as our customers and clients to make trustworthiness our goal. It isn’t just a good thing to do.

It’s the right thing.

Michael Knowles works with entrepreneurs and growing businesses who are struggling to bring new products to market. He is co-author of The Entrepreneur’s Concept Assessment Toolbook (available at http://www.booklocker.com/books/1988.html or Amazon.com) and a principal of communications consulting company One Straight Line. Sign up for The Arrow, their free biweekly newsletter, by sending email to subscribe@onestraightline.com.

Tags: communication, customer, ethics, marketing, planning, strategy, value, valuescommunication, customer, ethics, marketing, planning, strategy, value, values

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Have you ever been at work and noticed something highly unethical happen. Did it bother you to the point you almost quit? Well did you know that 38% of all Americans have had the same experience? A recent survey seems to indicate that we have an ethics problem in the United States and it is not just in Government or with cheating spouses. It is also prevalent in the Work Place as well. But if you do quit your job, well who is going to pay the bills?

It is amazing how easy in life it is to become ‘ethically unemployable’, but integrity is something that is becoming more and more scarce in our world. But you know what can you expect from a bunch of humans. The interesting thing about ethics is that it is so perception based. The person at your work who caused this ethical event that you are now thinking about since I brought it up? I bet they had some justification didn’t they?

So hold that thought for a moment and consider the issues of the “Ends and Means” debate. They say sometimes; “The Ends do not justify the means.” Indeed this is true, sometimes, but a pragmatist might say that sometimes the Ends are so great that the means are justified to win, complete the task or perhaps in a company make the deal? But still you shrug, why? Well, because you are an ethical person and we are deeply troubled discussing this aren’t we? But we also realize that there are rare circumstances when as much as we do not wish to admit it, well the ends might possibly, justify the means

For instance, inadvertently hurting a few to help the whole. Now that stands against everything we stand for in the US, however realize that it is unfortunately bathed in truth that sometimes you have too. I am sure you can consider examples of this and we are dealing with these issues now in some recent political events, which have been brought to light aren’t we? Or rather aren’t we always?

Now then is the “Ends do not justify the means” debate is an ethically troubling issue indeed. But what if we turn it around; what about the “Means do not justify the ends?” For instance what if you do the right thing, because it is the right thing to do, rather than focus on the ends (winning) and then your poor decisions fails to secure the necessary objectives and the whole of all involved are severely hurt because you did everything “politically correct” for instance but in doing so you built a really bad Dam? And the dam broke and everyone died. But you can save face because you did what was ethical in the process to build the dam without offending anything or anyone else?

So, often the ethical debate misses that flip side of the argument. The true answer in many cases is to do nothing. Yet in doing nothing there is no progress, no progress means nothing gets done and stagnation occurs which is a travesty also. So, then in ethical debate this is to be considered, as well, we must consider the opposite in the “Ends do not justify the means.” A pragmatists can do this, politicians have to, otherwise they cannot survive? Is this best for the whole? Sometimes, because you have forward progression, other times it is not good for the whole, but serves the few. Yet sometimes what is good for the few is good for the many (Ayn Rand type theory) so that also must be considered. So ethics is tough, but suffice it to say the best way to look at things is to encircle them from all perspectives and then you get a better picture. Ask yourself is it fair for all concerned; yes or no? If not find a third way and think hard on better and more ethical decisions; Think on this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

Tags: debate, Ethical Discussion, ethics, means and ends, with Lance Winslowdebate, Ethical Discussion, ethics, means and ends, with Lance Winslow

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We all have ways of testing opportunities that enter our lives. Some of us just dive right in based on feeling, others walk straight into what they know is right by a gut feeling or intuition. And if it’s not gut feelings or emotions that are the tests of opportunities, it is the logical mind persuading us to ignore those feelings and emotions and test it with our reality of reason.

Most of us do not have a predetermined strategy for testing opportunities, or even more generally to test the actions we take and the choices we make in our lives.

There is an easier way to determine if our choices we make and the opportunities we receive ‘pass the test’. This simple 32 word statement of business ethics was first created in the 1930s and used to turn around a failing company. These four questions were applied by each employee to each and to every minute detail of the company’s workings. This little list of four questions from Rotary International, a humanitarian business organization, is the most widely printed, translated and reproduced piece of business ethics today:

“Of the things we say, think or do:

1. Is it the TRUTH?

2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?

3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?”

If we built businesses and our lives based on these very simple 4 questions we would be coming from a place completely the opposite of the competitive mind and the lack mentality. As you can see, these questions prompt you to choose what is true, fair, and good, making choices that can build friendships and goodwill. It helps us to see how the choices we make can be beneficial to all concerned.

Because of our societal influences, we most often are inclined to make choices and act based on a competitive mind. This comes from the perspective of lack, scarcity, and ultimately greed.

Any opportunity based on the model of competition and lack will simply not pass the test. Competition promotes strife. It embodies winning one spot, taking it away from all the other people who want it. It misleads people to believing there is only one chance for success, when in reality there is plenty for all.

The competitive model encourages people to rely on a source outside of themselves to give them what they need. This denies the power of their own ability to create what they want. This narrow focus shows they are choosing to ignore the possibility of creating this opportunity in their own lives, instead of trying to win the spot from millions of others.

This simple testing technique takes us completely out of the competitive mind of greed, scarcity and lack. It turns our thoughts and choices toward the positive, realizing there are opportunities we can take that can provide increase for all concerned.

I invite you to use these questions to test your actions and opportunities in your life. If you are seeking opportunity, these questions may help you see things in a different way. In doing this, perhaps you might find an opportunity in your life which truly allows you to benefit the world, while at the same time reaching whatever your dreams, goals, and desires are.

Carina MacInnes is an author and entrepreneur, currently offering a free in-depth e-course on wealth building secrets by her favorite mentor, get it here: milliondollarsecret@robotreply.com She also offers a powerful opportunity to increase health, wealth and vitality in your own life. Visit her site here: http://imagineacai.com

Tags: business ethics, motivation, positive thinking, self help, success, wealthbusiness ethics, motivation, positive thinking, self help, success, wealth

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