Then, the same carwash owners offer coupon fundraisers where the kids groups sell carwash coupons and they get money for every one that comes into the car wash with a specific coupon, keeping the remainder of the money of course. Most every non-profit group I have ever talked to, has been underwhelmed by this and the amount of money they made.

A group that uses a free online car wash fundraiser book is able to generate generally about $5,000 or more, depending on the size of their groups. Some High School Bands make in excess of $20,000 and up. At the Fixed Site Carwash fundraiser coupon scheme, the same groups make very little, it is akin to a Pizza Place scheduling a fundraiser and donating 20% of all the orders on a certain Tuesday night.

Our non-profit groups need money and kids need to learn that money does not come easy. Look, here is the deal, we either teach kids that money does not grow on trees, hard work ethic is paramount, working together in a common cause is the right thing to do and keep our kids involved in positive things NOW or we pay for rehabs, police, courts, jails and prisons LATER.

It is time that we used common sense when dealing with the environment rules and regulations in America and think about exactly what we are doing before we allow businesses to lobby rules that hurt the community. Sincerely, Lance.

“Lance Winslow” – Online ThinkTank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

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Tags: ethics, business, corporate, training, car wash

Gossip seems inevitable when a group of individuals get together whether it is over the water cooler or at lunch. The desire to be better than someone or to emphasize someone else’s fault appears to be intrinsic to many individuals. Yet that very gossip is potentially destroying your business and is a very real obstacle to creating a culture of high performance.

To stop gossip begins first by acknowledging the belief that gossip is not a bad thing. When people have a belief that people gossip and that they, management, have no control over gossip must be addressed. Even though many people believe that gossiping is not really harmful, bottom line it is a virus that can immobilize the best organizations.

Much has been written about the impact of words. Words can hurt some contend. Others believe that words are simply that just words with little to no impact. The issue about gossip is much more about focus than the extent of how much or how little the words can hurt someone.

When a company allows gossip, they (management and leadership) are providing an excuse for non-performance and this results in poor productivity. Gossiping is usually on company time and takes time away from truly productive activities.

Not being focused on individual productivity is one of the negative behaviors surrounding work ethics. Employees with high work ethics generally do not engage in gossiping because they do not have time. Their focus is getting their job done by being productive.

Research suggests that at any moment within the work day, 75% of the company’s employees are not engaged on the job. Between gossiping and not to mention paying video games or surfing the Internet, is it a wonder about poor productivity?

When people live their core values as well as the company’s core values, they are demonstrating a professional reputation including high work ethics. To create a culture of high performance begins with the company’s values statement that cascades down from the top to the bottom. Gossiping should not be tolerated at any level and that is not only a management decision, but a personal one as well.

Are you where you want to be? To find out where you are, then M.A.P. for Success, a FREE email course may help you begin to chart a course for business, professional or personal success. Click here for the answer.

Do you want more sales? Then register for FREE professional sales skills assessment here.

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Tags: ethics, business, corporate, professional, training

I would like to tell you a short story about a conversation that I had with a man I met in the lobby of a hotel. We were both attending a food exposition and had some time to kill before our taxis came to take us to the exhibition hall.

The conversation started when the Dutch gentleman asked if the seat at my table was taken. I told him that it was vacant and he quietly sat opposite me. I asked him if he was staying at the hotel for the food fare. He answered that he was. He asked me what my line of business was and I told him that I operated a large catering firm. I asked him the same question. He told me that he had a chain of high street butchers shops in Holand.

Interested, I asked him how many workers he had in his business. He answered that there were around one hundred and fifty people working for the him. I continued by asking him if business was good to which he replied, “it is now”. “I made some changes and now we are all very happy”, he continued.

Puzzled by the reply I asked him what me meant when he said “we” to which he replied, “”the workers and myself”. I must still have looked puzzled because he added “let me explain”.

He continued, “one day I met an old man who looked to be very wise. After talking to him about this and that I told him that I was not happy with my business because I was not making much money and I had to fight to get customers through the doors of my shops despite much advertising in local papers. I tried everything. All types of advertising campaigns, schemes, incentives, you name it I did it. I was very quickly getting very mentally drained. The man asked me just one question. He asked me if my workers were happy working for me. I knew that they were not. I paid minimum wage and gave very few holidays and sick leave. In fact my workers always looked gloomy and sad. But I didn’t care. I told the man that they were not happy. He said “do you realize that your workers are your most vital asset. Nothing can move in this world unless people make it move. Besides, if your workers are happy they will sing your praises to everybody they know and bring them to your shop”.

“Suddenly I saw the error of my ways”, continued the Dutchman. “I realized that I had turned so many potential ambassadors into slaves. I realized that not only could they advertise for me but so could all the people who got a recommendation from them. In addition I also realized that my produce was not always the best quality. I had been trying to reduce losses by selling meat that was about to go off. I decided there and them to stop all my advertising accounts and to re think the pay structure and social conditions for all my workers. In addition I decided to sell only the finest and freshest produce at good prices.”

“When I told my workers about what I had decided they were so emotional that many of them burst into tears. So did I. I asked their forgiveness and told them that we were opening a new page. The next day there was a real buzz in the shop. Everybody was smiling. Customers smiled at me and told me that I was a good man. I felt better than I had for many years. I had no need to worry about the produce either because none of it stayed in the shops long enough to go off, it just seemed to fly out of the doors. From then on I have never looked back. I have added many new products to my range and the customers love them. In fact I am here to buy more new equipment so that the worker’s job will be easier.”

“What a wonderful story” I said. “And it all came from a few words with that wise old man, wonderful, wonderful,” I said

Just then the taxis arrived. I never saw the Dutch man again but his words will remain with me forever. Ethics does pay.

Hi, I’m Andy Routledge, writer, photographer, coach and culinary expert. I would like to invite you to look at one of my many web pages here and see how you can get your own web pages up and running absolutely free and with no previous knowledge of web page building necessary. Your page will be ready in minutes, it’s so easy my kids do it. Don’t miss this opportunity. Write about whatever you want and use it for whatever purpose you like. See also this site.

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Tags: ethics, business, corporate, professional, training

Do you walk your talk as a professional sales person? Are your personal and professional ethics consistently demonstrated 24/7? Do you have a credible reputation within your sales territory?

If you believe that your reputation is impeccable, then what behaviors are you demonstrating to those within your marketplace? For example, do you respond to every phone call or email promptly?

Much of relationship selling is truly dependent upon the business ethics within the referral generating process. People in business who know other people in business make referrals each and every day. Businesses such as Business Networking International (BNI), Leads or LeTip have actually evolved in helping to increase referrals. However, without a strong reputation within your business community, all the referrals in the world will not increase sales and help you become successful.

Locally, I belong to an informal networking group that has generated over $2,000,000 in sales during the last two years. One of the greatest challenges is making referrals and then having that referred party not respond to the referral. Not responding is a negative behavior that damages the reputation of the referred party as well as the referring party. I am asked to make referrals, but if the referring party does not respond, this creates an incredibly difficult situation.

Reputation is also visible in how you deal with your perceived competition. For me, my competition is myself and dollars, but for many others the competition is that other person or business that is doing something similar.

I believe that speaking ill of the competition is not only unprofessional, bad business ethics, but is also very damaging to my own personal reputation. As my Swedish grandmother once told me: If you cannot say anything nice, just don’t say anything at all.

Gossiping is another negative reputation behavior. When you actively refuse to gossip, you demonstrate your high work ethics and reputation for being authentic. Living your personal core values as a professional sales person is critical.

If you are engaged in relationship selling, then look to maintaining and increasing your professional reputation, your business ethics and personal ethics, with your target market. Remember, people buy from people they trust and an exceptional reputation makes it much easier for people to buy from you.

Do you want more sales? Then register for FREE professional sales skills assessment, click here.

Are you where you want to be? To find out where you are, then M.A.P. for Success, a FREE email course may help you begin to chart a course of business, professional or personal success. Visit this site.

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Tags: business, ethics, corporate, code, managing

The Presidential campaigns have begun, and with them a host of shows, ads and debates. I don’t pay much attentions to ads, mostly because they’re paid for by those supporting said candidate. The ads are, of course, biased. I am a “researcher” and I prefer to find actual FACTS on the candidates. What have they done already? Have they lived up to the promises they made when they ran for previous (or current) office? Did they do their job, representing the people in their respective districts? These are the things that count to me. In other words, the proof is in the pudding. Don’t make promises. SHOW me what you’ve done and what you hope to do.

The biggest peeve I have is bashing. Candidates who feel they have to bash their opponents to get my vote are NOT going to get this vote. If that’s all you’ve got, forget it. I loathe the practice in politics as much as I do in business. When I was in sales, I NEVER, EVER put down a competitor. I believe that people are smart enough to see truth and anyone who has to belittle another competitor must have something to hide. That’s just my take. I made every sale I ever made WITHOUT ever mentioning a competitor. And, when asked to give an opinion on the matter, I would always tell folks that comparison shopping was THEIR job. I can share the differences, but I will NOT put them down. Besides, what most salespeople fail to realize is that by belittling their competition, they’re also risking belittling their prospect. Why? Because if I’m shopping, say, for a car, and I’m doing my research and I’m test driving, etc., let’s say I narrow it down to Toyota and Honda. Now, I go to Honda and the salesman says “Oh, you don’t want a Toyota. They aren’t nearly as good as a Honda. They have problems with….blahblahblah. They’re actually junk.” Okay. NOW the knucklehead has basically just insinuated that I’m stupid because I’m even considering a Toyota. NOT a good thing to do. Again, whenever I am met with such people, I take myself and my business elsewhere.

Now, the reason I am on this little rampage is because it’s come to my attention that there are folks out there who are doing the same thing with the company I distribute for. I have heard and seen some of the crap online about this company and done a very thorough investigation into these accusations. And here is what I’ve found:

WITHOUT FAIL, every single person who’s bashed this company (which will remain anonymous in this article, for my own integrity) was, at one time or other, considering the opportunity. And, for whatever their reasons (I know what they are, but again, will NOT go there), they chose to go with some other company. Now they use these same tactics to advertise their new business, using slander as their tool. I don’t get it. I don’t get why people need to do this. I think it’s both despicable and unethical. Am I a bit indignant about this? You bet I am. Because it seems to me that the level of integrity practiced in business (I don’t care WHAT kind of business) is fast diminishing and we are being bombarded with this mentality to the point of madness. It’s just plain CRAZY!

It seems to me that we need more integrity in our business dealings. We need to stop buying the slander and support ethical business practices. We need to look beneath the presentations and see the root of such claims. The sooner we ALL do this, the sooner we’ll eliminate the people who do this and their businesses along with them. Why should anyone support a business that uses negativity for their own gain? What happened to offering a service, or product or opportunity based on the NEEDS of the prospect, as opposed to personal gain? Someone once said, “”When you give people what they want, you will have what you want.”" I think that’s a pretty awesome perspective to take when doing business. And it is from this mindset that I do business. I have what I consider to be a very wonderful opportunity. But just because it’s wonderful for ME, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wonderful for YOU. But I choose to let YOU decide, without slander, without opinion, without pressure. Because after all is said and done, you’re the one who has to live with your choices and who the hell am I to tell you what’s right for you?

It is my sincerest hope that you will do whatever you do with integrity, with passion and with honesty. These are the tools that are best practiced, all for the greater good. Of course, these are MY opinions and, as they say, everyone has one (or zillions!). Wishing you great success and a good night’s sleep!

Camille Strate is an author, critter-keeper and entrepeneur who has spent her life in search of the perfect pasture. She is a staunch believer in the “Pay It Forward” philosophy, and her business is a reflection of this belief. Marketing Personal Development products is one of her passions; she loves seeing other people empower themselves and find their true paths. Her latest book, “Whispers” will be released sometime in Spring of 2008. Visit this site to read more about this topic or visit my blog here.

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Tags: business, ethics, corporate, code, managing

“Throughout history, man has always struggled with the issue of right and wrong and ethics and justice. According to the dictionary, ethics is defined as “the study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral choices to be made by the individual in his relationship with others”. In simple terms, ethics provides the evaluation mechanisms and theories, based on which a particular action is adjudged as right or wrong, or as good deed or bad deed. It tries to answer the questions “”why is this good?”" if something is judged as good or right and “”why is this bad?”" if something is judged as bad or wrong.

Knowing about ethics does not mean that one will always end up doing the morally correct thing. However, it makes you more capable of explaining your actions — like although you knew that this was wrong, you were forced to do it owing to the circumstances.

The moral absolutism approach presumes the existence of eternal moral values and principles that are applicable at all times and at all places and circumstances. It considers that the moral quality of the action or behavior lies on the quality of the act itself (which means that something which is right is always right and something which is wrong is always wrong) irrespective of the circumstances that cause the act or the consequences that result from the act.

The ethical relativism approach presumes that moral values and principles are not right or wrong, but can vary with different circumstances — moral views can vary depending on how different cultures or individuals perceive a particular action or behavior. It is a very flexible approach and considers that the moral quality of the action or behavior is based on the circumstances that cause the act or the consequences that result from the act rather than the actual act itself. For instance, an action is adjudged as right if it proves to be highly beneficial to a large number of people.

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Tags: ethics, business, moral, theory, corporate

“Ethics is defined as being a set of principles of right conduct, and as a Rolfer the therapeutic relationship necessitates this structure as much as it is defined by it. Les Kertay, Advanced Rolfer, defines ethics as the principles of a therapeutic relationship. In this brief review I will discuss insight into how and why problems arise in the therapeutic relationship spoken to at the 2002 Rolf Institute Annual Meeting, and give general principles/guidelines into begging the question “”What is Rolfing?”"

The basic assumption with Rolfing is that complaints stem from a failure of the therapeutic relationship or ethics. “”What to do about what is”", is the Rolfers ontological resource that should be used when engaging a past, current, or future client. It appears to be as much a philosophy as it is a psychology, a complete lifestyle, which in and of itself begs the question “”What is Rolfing?”" All health care relations are therapeutic relations and the phenomena known, as Transference/Counter transference that exists between a Rolfer and his clients is palpable, in all meetings. The nature of the work will magnetize expectations of fix-it sessions and or desires to process emotions through the sessions, this is where it can start to get sticky. The Rolfer is always responsible for the framework of the relationship that always includes Transference/Counter transference so the boundaries and framework should begin with an Informed Consent form. This will always serve as a resource when dealing with unrecognized/unexpressed expectations of a client, a misunderstanding. NEVER HAVE SEX WITH A CLIENT. Do not make exceptions; if you do you have just changed the context of the relationship! Do not do anything with a client that you cannot discuss openly and comfortably. Remember that clients may be seeking boundaries by testing them.

Problem clients can include those involved with workman’s compensation or car accidents, which means an attorney is involved or soon will be so keep no secrets and give no guarantees. It is always best to be yourself in dealing with clients because you never know when you could be ordered to testify under oath or end the relationship. Make rules, don’t break them. Never say, Rolfing can “”do”" anything, especially about pain, do not create expectations. It is also wise to separate the intake interview and the first session to give both parties time to gauge the potential or lack thereof. Some clients will jump around from every Rolfer in town so as to navigate control of the therapeutic relations. Don’t get caught in the Victim Triangle.

“”What is Rolfing?”" Rolfing is an inquiry to the optimal functioning of the human being, so learn to tolerate ambiguity. It is a science, an art, a philosophy and psychology. It is action and non-action. It requires the practitioner to immerse him or herself in it completely, to merge with it. Honor the process by being completely unattached to expectations. Rolfing is the optimal functioning of the therapeutic relationship; so don’t offer what the client doesn’t want. Don’t get caught in the trap of “”trying”" to legitimize Rolfing as if it needed recognition. This does not need recognition, it facilitates resource and points to a potential of higher order that does, and this is the manifestation of health in the context of the therapeutic relationship. Rolfing is always changing and adapting to the way of the human being. This, applied appropriately, is ethics at it’s best.

In 2002 Les Kertay spoke at the annual meeting about ethics and therapeutic relationships and it was my intent to communicate the content within the context of Rolfing as he did. Ethics are the principles of the therapeutic relationship and Rolfing is our gift as somatic therapist to engage life fully.

The Certified Rolfing Ten Series has the potential to reduce pain and release tension in the connective and myofascial tissue of the body associated with TMJ, CTS, RLS, Fibromyalgia, Sciatica, Fascitis, Bunions, Scoliosis, and Cerebral Palsy. Fascial asymmetries can cause foot, leg, knee, hip, back, shoulder, neck, arm, hand, and head pain; integration therapy is necessary. Orthopedic, Chiropractic, Physical, and Massage Therapist recognize Rolfing and Rolf Movement as premium pain management utilizing Structural, Functional, and Postural Integration. Before and after photos of some of my clients proven results available only on my website.

John Barton, Certified Rolfer & Rolfing Fort Worth, Texas/Dallas, TX

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Tags: ethics, business, corporate, code, training

How do small business owners deal with the real world situation when employees suddenly up and quit their posts? It frequently happens with little or no explanation. This can be troublesome to employers, because a great deal of time and expense goes into hiring and training staff. Fortunately, this can be handled through investigative technique and a willingness to communicate in a supportive way with an employee.

In every business organization, no matter the size, it is immensely beneficial to have a designated ethics officer. It is this person’s responsibly to handle communication breakdowns and unethical conduct. When an employee gives notice that they are intending to quit their job, it would be up to the ethics office to investigate why they are quitting and take measures to attempt to resolve any issues surrounding that decision. Often, once the issues are resolved, the employee determines not to quit after all and goes on to contribute a high rate of productivity to the company.

Ethics officers have been trained in the knowledge that:

- People are basically good.

- A staff member will attempt to protect a benefactor (small business owner) from damage caused by unethical behavior.

- A staff member will eventually quit his post if he is the perpetrator of the unethical conduct.

For example, if an employee has been going home every Friday at clock out time with a box full of paper clips, pens and other office sundries that belong to the company with a justification of any sort for doing so, he is a perfect candidate for quitting the company. Because an employee is basically good and ultimately does not wish to hurt his benefactor, he would rather quit the company than continue to steal from it. The ethics division, in gathering data for a case, would take steps to determine what unethical conduct the employee had undertaken. If it was revealed as having happened, then the ethics officer would further investigate to discover reasons for the employee’s conduct in the first place. In handling and resolving the unethical conduct, the ethics officer would have the employee list:

- Details of the act his or her unethical behavior.

- Exact time and location of the act.

- The effect those actions had on other employees, departments and all else involved.

The ethics officer would proceed then to discover any communication breaks that had affected the employee’s state of well being and productivity. The officer would seek to understand if the employee:

- Understood company policy that affected his or her post.

- Had thorough understanding of the requirements of his or her post.

- Had been correctly handed off the responsibility for handling his or her post.

- Knew the company system for communicating with other posts and departments.

In any area where the employee lacked information or understanding, he would promptly be trained and upgraded. Following this basic system of handling ethics has proven to be effective for small business owners in reducing employee attrition rates. As an aside – when an employee requests an unscheduled raise in pay, make your decision based on their current pay rate compared with their productivity. If they don’t meet the productivity requirements for the raise they are requesting, take the time to help them determine how they can increase their productivity to warrant the additional pay.

Robbi Gunter is a staff writer for Strong Business Credit, a free educational web resource for small business owners and businesses seeking to obtain business financing and credit cards.

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Tags: business, ethics, corporate, training, code

“An organisation has a direct impact on its stakeholders namely suppliers, customers, work colleagues, and consumers of its goods and services. It also has a range of indirect impacts on non-governmental organisations and an indirect, but often significant impact on the local community within which it operates, and on the national or indeed global community. It is therefore important for an organisation to recognise its responsibilities to its suppliers, customers, and staff and address the way it impacts on its social and physical environment.

Organisations need to review their current performance, determine if their current level of performance meets predetermined ethical aims and objectives and if necessary identify how the organisation could improve and communicate this to their stakeholders. The management team need to define these aims and objectives so that they can drive internal improvements, potentially decrease the cost of production and also build the confidence of customers and potential customers in the organisation. To be a preferred supplier they must inspire trust and confidence by consistently meeting the quality standards of their customers, ensuring reliability in meeting product and service requirements, and seeking to continuously measure and improve performance. They must also be able to demonstrate their understanding of the ways that their activities affect the local community.

A Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy can deliver brand value and increase brand equity by acting as a management tool to:

• manage and where possible reduce costs,

• manage, mitigate or minimise risk,

• and identify new organisational opportunities.

Therefore, a CSR strategy describes an organisation’s vision – its key aims objectives and measurable indicators of success. It also defines an organisation’s governance structure and the management systems that are in place. Many organisations produce an annual report to inform their stakeholders of their CSR performance and report is increasingly being utilised as a marketing tool as well as an organisational driver.

So, how do you define your organisation’s key environmental, social and economic priorities? How do you measure business success?

Visit this site to read more.

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Tags: corporate, social, responsibility, business, jobs

“So you want high business ethics? Well, that may just be a pipe dream if the data from existing universities is confirmed through actual behaviors.

In 2005, Duke University released one report that revealed over 75% of high school students admitted to cheating. That number climbs to over 90% if copying by sharing homework is included.

An extensive article in the San Francisco Chronicle by Regan McMahon published on September 9, 2007 shows the depth of cheating and the potential impact to the business world within the secondary education world.

And the graduate world is also a mecca for cheating students. A report published in 2006 by the Academy of Management Learning and Education journal suggested that 56% of the MBA students admitted to cheating. These are potentially the future business leaders. Other reports released have suggested that soon to be lawyers and teachers also practice cheating on a consistent basis.

The American business economy has already experienced the affects of bad business ethics. When people point the finger at companies such as Enron and Arthur Anderson, the unethical behavior was not caused by the organization, but rather these individuals were already unethical. Again, the belief that everyone does it was probably not far from their conscious actions.

The excuses for cheating are many just like in the work place where business ethics are violated on a daily basis. However, what is interesting to note is that when everything is peeled away, the belief that everyone does it whether they do or do not is driving this cheating behavior.

This belief that everyone does it is not only regulated to business ethics, but human behavior in general. Children complain to parents well so and so can do it. Adults complain to other adults about so and so doing something.

To change business ethics demands that the beliefs driving the attitudes demonstrated through the behaviors must be identify. Ignoring these beliefs will only make the current situation worse.

Simply speaking, would you like to increase the overall performance of your organization? Then you may find the FREE Leadership Audit of interest here.

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Tags: ethics, business, corporate, code, training

“Are the business work ethics and values in your organization suffering? Would you like to improve these critical skills necessary for business success? Consider, then looking at the beliefs that are supporting these values and ethics.

Let’s get to the heart of the matter? What do you believe is keeping your employees from the bottom to the top or the top to the bottom from consistently demonstrating high business ethics?

First, let’s take care of some logistical issues so to speak. You must have a written values statement that is explained to all new employees when they hire in. This values statement must be demonstrated by everyone to everyone, both internal and external customers (employees and clients).

Your employees must be held accountable for their ethical behavior or lack thereof. There must no be any exceptions because exceptions only reaffirm the current internal belief systems of your employees. These belief systems started why back in school or within the family when so and so received special treatment.

Then and only then can you begin to address the real obstacle to changing business ethics – the foundational belief systems of everyone within your company. And, no, by belief systems I am not referring to spiritual or religious beliefs even though they may be part of this overall system. But, rather, belief systems are the mental schema from which we take action regarding current events.

Every human being has a foundational belief system. This system is comprised on 3 key elements: Knowledge, experience and emotions.

In the 1960’s a Swiss developmental psychologist by the name of Jean Piaget released his findings from a comprehensive study of his children in how they learned. Many so called other professional psychologists debunked his study because of the limited pool. Yet, Piaget revealed a lot about how we as humans make sense of what we are exposed to within what we call learning.

Human beings learn by matching new knowledge with existing experiences with the goal to make sense of it or learn it. If for some reason, the new knowledge does not make sense, the human being casts it off and learning was not successful. This is why some young people or adults get it while others do not.

Within our belief systems, we have learned knowledge and hopefully have grown through these experiences. Yet, without understanding the impact of emotions within this process, is where many miss the boat.

For example, how we felt about our experiences is very much ingrained within our memory. My father modeled reading and showed great emotion when sharing a favorite book or explaining something he learned. I became an avid reader for two reasons: His physical modeling of reading and the emotional joy from reading. Therefore, I embraced a belief reflected through an attitude demonstrated by my behaviors that reading was an incredibly good thing and had tremendous value.

My mother on the other hand did not enjoy reading. Consequently, my younger sister saw my mother’s behavior and to this day she is not a great reader because she truly does not enjoy it. Her belief is that reading is not as valuable as my belief. In neither case, no one is wrong or right, but the belief needs to be identify.

A recent survey released by PopCap Games demonstrates how beliefs affect business ethics. The results of this survey suggested that white collar executives believed it was OK to waste up to 1 hour per day playing video games while on the clock. Their reasons for several from needing some down time to just relaxing. However, their beliefs were telling them that is was Okay to take this time away from the company. Again, until you identify the beliefs, you will not change behaviors.

There are many more examples regarding the impact of belief systems on business ethics. People for the most part know what they need to do to get to where they want to go. However, until the beliefs which are reflected through attitudes are changed, your people will still not want to change. And it is this want to which ultimately drives business ethics.

P.S. And if you do not believe that beliefs are the key to changing behaviors, how many times in a day do you hear someone use the word believe or belief compared to know?

Would you like to increase the productivity of your employees? Then you may find the FREE Leadership Audit of interest here.

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Tags: business, ethics, corporate, code, managing

“Does it come as a big surprise that a convicted felon—indeed, a white collar criminal—would have developed some thoughts about the topic of ethics? Probably not. Since my conviction I have had plenty of time to ponder the idea of ethics, and I’ve conducted some research on my own about the subject. In doing so, I’ve received tons of advice. I must say, I wish I’d had this information at the beginning of my career.

In 1999 I began serving a 21 month federal prison sentence for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. The crime involved four real estate investors submitting fraudulent documentation in order to get approved for residential home loans. I was their loan officer. After the first few transactions, I knew in my heart that some of the documents I accepted were fakes. Over a nine month period I gradually started participating in the profits.

I have been told by some people that my crime was “fraud lite.” Some have said that I was unlucky; wrong place at the wrong time. Well, there is no such thing as fraud lite, and luck has nothing do with making the right decisions. I committed a crime. I am not proud of it and I’m certainly no hero for talking about it now.

However, there is an ethics lesson to be learned in all of this.

Dictionary.com defines ethics as “a set of principles of right conduct.”

My understanding of being ethical was that you base your decision to do or not to do something on the feeling you get in your stomach. If that’s the case, how do you teach “stomach feeling” to someone?

Perhaps this is what led me astray.

In a business’ Code of Ethics, you can’t possibly account for every situation. For every principle of correct conduct; for every “right” way to act in one situation, there is another, different situation that follows, that may require yet a different “right” way to act.

I was traveling in my car with my boys, four and seven years old. In the rear-view mirror I saw the older one punch the younger one on the arm. The young one howled, “aaahhhhhhhhooooooowwwww-auh!” I said, “Hey! Don’t punch your brother.” Immediately, the older one slapped his little brother in the arm. I said, “Don’t slap your brother either.” This was followed by a poke, which I followed with, “don’t poke.” A tickle – “Don’t tickle.” Then just a touch. Finally, I said, “keep your hands to yourself. Period!” The instigator was reduced to leveling a taunting glare at his younger sibling.

This could have gone on for hours. I finally gave them the ol’, “Don’t make me come back there!” (Which of course makes no sense since, I was driving.)

Doesn’t this example prove that there are simply too many variable situations in the real world? Yes, but through my experiences, I have learned that ethics isn’t about situations. It is about people and their behavior.

Ethics doesn’t stand for “what to do.” It stands for “how to behave.” Finally understanding this made ethics less confusing for me.

For employers and leaders, it is imperative that you have a set of principles of right conduct. But to simply disseminate this information in printed format will not be enough. Ethics are best conveyed by example. Additionally, violations of ethical standards must be dealt with and not overlooked, or the unethical behavior will become business as usual.

If you are a member of an organization that adopts a code of ethics, read the printed words and follow the examples of the leadership. Pay attention to the feelings in your stomach. They may not tell you exactly what to do, but it may serve as a red flag. Remember, justifying questionable behavior is nothing more than being dishonest with yourself.

Lead your ethics model by example. Follow your ethics model with honesty.

Take my experiences and words for what they’re worth, coming from a convicted felon. Strive to be honest, diligent, and consistent. Society, your company, your family, and your children need you to stay out of prison.

Jerome Mayne is President and founder of Fraudcon, Inc., a fraud deterrent company. He is the author of the book titled, Life Saving Lessons – the diary of a white collar criminal. As a national keynote speaker and consultant, he has presented to and entertained dozens of trade associations and Fortune 500 companies to keep their people out of prison.

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Tags: ethics, business, moral, theory, corporate

“If you’ve watched The Sopranos you know one of the most sacred honors that bind this family organization together is trust. To become a member of this family you must prove yourself, and if accepted, cement this relationship through a blood covenant.

Afterwards your new family becomes your number one priority. Twenty-four hours a day. Everyday. And once you’re in—there is only one human way out.

Your new family becomes the highest priority in your life. They become more important than your own family. You do everything the family leaders want you to do without question. Every action hinges on loyalty and trust.

How would this family handle a breach of trust? They have many solutions depending on the severity of the crime. And punishment is usually harsher than a slap on the wrist.

Yet in today’s I, Me and My society people casually commit multiple breaches of trust. Relationships, partnerships and contracts are violated without an ounce of regard to the other party or to the consequences. Which creates overflow in the courthouses.

As honest business people I know we’re in agreement when I say you don’t want to become a victim of unscrupulous practices, jealous partners or the ever-common business parasite who bleeds your creative juices without compensation. This can happen to the best of us, and unfortunately, the perpetrator normally gets away without penalty. You can vent all you want at the Better Business Bureau, but they don’t have a lot of teeth.

So how can you protect yourself from these kinds of business deal breakers?

Put everything in writing. This is your proof. Avoid oral agreements, as they can backfire on you. You don’t want to be dragged into court saying, “”But your honor, she promised me she would do…”"

(Here’s my disclaimer: I’m not an attorney and this isn’t legal advice. Consult your attorney about legal documents and forms.)

Let’s take a look at how you can protect yourself:

1) A proposal basically shows the potential client what you will do for her. It can include ideas, strategies, your fees and if approved—what the next step will be for both parties.

2) A work-for-hire credits you, the hiring party, as the author of a published work. If you hire a ghostwriter to write your book, a work-for-hire credits you as the author. Other variables may credit the actual author as the co-author or as the inspiration for your work.

3) A deal point memo is a pre-cursor to the actual contract. It summarizes everything in the contract and must be signed by both parties. This makes the contract crystal clear for both parties and saves the expense of lawyers’ fees in case one party backs out at the contract signing.

4) A copyright automatically protects all your written works, expression of an idea or information regardless if you display the © symbol or not. A similar (P) inside a circle means Phonorecord and protects audio recordings. It’s a great idea to file copyrights for revenue-producing products.

Many people ask what they should do if they see their published work pirated into different languages. Here’s my take: you may lose lots of revenues, but you may also reach markets you never would have in record speed. I suggest you have signposts in your work that always point back to your phone number, your address and especially your website.

5) A contract is a legally binding agreement or promises between two parties. It basically details both parties’ responsibilities, the compensation and what happens when one party backs out of the deal. You should include non-compete clauses, rights, waivers, warranties, arbitration and attorney fees. These are usually drawn up, or at least proofread by an attorney.

6) A signed audio/video release gives you certain rights to produce, publish and promote your recorded materials without compensating the participants. This is ideal if you give seminars and teleseminars, which you want to package into CD or DVD albums. You may bar individual participants from attending your event who won’t sign this release.

7) A trademark ™ distinguishes its products or services from those of other entities. It adds a great deal of credibility and tells the world you stand by your products. It’s typically made up of a name, slogan, phrase, logo, design or image. If your trademark is not actively used or promoted for a period of time, you may lose it due to abandonment.

In an ideal world, all we would need is to shake hands to complete a deal. If that’s impossible due to long distance, your word will do. But this isn’t an ideal world. Get together with your attorney to protect yourself from all breaches of trust.

Tommy Yan helps business owners and entrepreneurs make more money through direct response marketing. He publishes Tommy’s Tease weekly e-zine to inspire people to succeed in business and personal growth. Get your free subscription today here.

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Tags: ethical, issues, training, business, corporate

“A few days ago I was speaking to a man in prison who was in a most serious situation. He was being accused of something which he said he did not do. Now, many prisoners try to convince people that they are innocent, but this scenario was different and unusual.

Over the years I have always found it to be a most privileged situation to be in – to be allowed into the innermost corners of certain individuals lives. They have to have a degree of trust in you to let you in there in the first place.

I made it very clear when I challenged this man to tell me the truth. I was not involved in the incident in any way whatsoever, but he was telling me a lie there and then, then the next time he came to tell me something no matter how genuine it might be, I would always have that niggling thought that it was all just one big smokescreen and lie.

I have taught this in various classes in school from five year olds upwards. If you tell me a lie today then how will I know to-morrow that you are telling me the truth, when it might very well be the truth?

There are those who think that Chaplains and Pastors will believe whatever is said to them, because they are nice men. We are not called to be nice.

At times, Jesus Christ reacted and responded to particular groups of religious people and it could never be said that He was being nice! He spoke strong challenging tough realistic words on various occasions.

Speaking the truth is vitally important, if we wish to maintain good relationships and keep valued friends.

That is why God has said, “”You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour”".

Being a reliable witness in a court of law is essential, and a witness sticks to the facts and seeks to be accurate regarding what actually happened.

God intends that truth permeates and saturates every part of our lives.

I repeat this because it crucially important and has to be put into practical operation no matter where we are, and no matter what our age. If someone comes up and tells me something, which I later discover to be a pack of lies, then the next time that individual speaks to me, I am wondering if he is telling me the truth, or is this just another tale, and in business such trust, reliability and loyalty is essential.

Almighty God detests lying lips, but He delights in men who are truthful, and some discover that to be true when it is just too late.

That old saying, “”sticks and stones may break my bones; but words can never hurt me”" is just not true.

Words can hurt, inflicting deep painful wounds from which some people take years to recover. It is possible to be healed and recover much more quickly.

Telling the truth involves treating people fairly and graciously. Judgmental half truths and even slight exaggerations can be cruel.

The tongue can ruin reputations, speak lies when under severe pressure, boast to satisfy a man’s ego, talk when silence would be golden, and when reporting matters inaccurately can cause havoc.

God says the tongue can be like a spark setting on fire a great forest.

Lies can cause the guilty to go free or the innocent to suffer.

Lies not only pervert justice but they destroy the integrity of the character speaking maliciously.

Jesus Christ clearly teaches that one day we will be answerable for every careless word we might have uttered.

Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children’s Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary here entitled “”Word from Scotland”" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.

His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.

Sandy Shaw

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Tags: business, ethics, management, reasearch, corporate

“Bartering was the mode of trading a long time ago. People would trade their livestock or other goods for other commodities that they need. Today, some people still use the barter method to conduct some sales or business transactions.

In the internet, we still see some barter action although not as much as buying and selling. In fact, several web sites are dedicated solely to the buy and sell or trading business. This is turning out to be a lucrative industry because some person’s junk is another person’s treasure. Some of the old or used items we may have lying around in the house may fetch a good price at the buy and sell sites. This does not necessarily mean that only old or used items are sold in these kinds of websites. Some people also sell services and other unused items for the convenience of buyers. Services cover a broad range of work which can be done using telecommunication or just at the local area. You will be surprised with the variety and type of items and services available at the traders’ sites.

Other forms of trading may also include swapping of items. These items may be entirely different from each other or similar. The quality and quantity of the items will de the determining factor of the swap. Some people also add cash to the swap or exchange to meet the requirements of some swappers. This still depends entirely on each party just how much they will add or demand from each other. Just like in real life, selling and buying sometimes need a personal aspect especially when there is trust involved. A person will trust a well-known store for the quality and data accuracy of the item being sold. If the store has a dubious reputation or an unknown reputation, we will hesitate to do business with it, in spite of the lesser price. Most people opt for the more trustworthy or better known store than other lesser known stores.

Online, we tend to check out the sellers who are recommended by other buyers and other companies than the ones who are not recommended. Recommendations help sellers gain the trust of the buyers. Most sellers also hold true to their trustworthiness because satisfied buyers are more likely to recommend them to others and to do repeat business with them. Some websites encourage interaction among sellers and buyers to minimize disappointment in the sales or transactions. It is probable that the more you get to know the buyer or seller you will the gist of his personality and know if he should be trusted or not. It is also a good thing to review the buyer’s profile and the product being sold so that you may be aware of all the little things which may not be included in the description.

Some sellers only post the major details refraining from adding too much information. To be able to chat or IM the sellers for more info or photos of the item in question would be very advantageous.

For Swapping Online, please visit Online Swapping website.

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Tags: business, ethics, issues, reasearch, corporate

“Organizational Behavior is a study which deals with group or individual dynamics between individuals in an organization. Learning and implementing this study in an organization will add credibility to the organization.

Organizational Behavior is a non-performance related set of practices which when implemented in organizations lend good credibility to the organization for its ethics. Imagine, an organization also gets the label of an ethical company along with the company already known for meeting the productivity expectations. It is this thought process that drives many business owners to experiment with the thought of implementing organizational behavior practices in their companies.

How can one implement Organizational Behavior practices in their company?

• Implementing and managing organizational behavior practices are almost the last steps for companies to consider for the practices. Enough thought and effort should be given on learning various theories related to Organizational Behavior.

• Business owners must understand Organizational Behavior deeply and also assimilate the fact that integrating organizational behavior practices in the company may cause resentment within the employees resulting in a possible dip in productivity.
• Business owners can tackle this in two ways -
  1. Research on the employees to find out their reactions to a perceptible policy change,
  2. Prepare a contingency plan which could deal with the possible dip in productivity levels.

  Though both the methods are highly recommended, the former is highly advocated as a very efficient approach to change management.

• Business owners could decide on implementing the organizational behavior practices in their companies after considering the strategic objectives of the company as well as the Operating model of the company. In most case, these practices are set in such a manner that they blend well with the Operating Model of the company.
• Remember, any efforts to integrate and implement organizational behavior practices in a company may be a failure if the business owner does not get the support of all the employees. Of course, the business owner may manage the implementation of organizational behavior practices in his company.

There are many theories for Organizational Behavior which act as valid inputs for companies or business owners to implement Organizational Behavior practices. You would have Theory X, Theory Y, Hiedelberg’s theory and more to choose from.

The best way of implementing organizational behavior practices is to present the problem statement before the employees and ask the employees to come up with behavioral changes which could help the company to achieve its business objectives.

Business owners could understand ways of implementing the practices effectively by reading sources of information provided by Robbins, Schermerhorn and many more.

Business owners must realize that organizational behavior practices are not desired to cause a dip in productivity. It is to ensure that the company is highly disciplined and ethical in its approach to work.

Ruth Campbell owns and operates Organizational Behavior site .

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Tags: ethics, business, corporate, code, training

Business Ethics – blah, blah, blah. There’s no such thing. There are only ethics. They stem from your values, attitudes and beliefs. Since people make up corporations and organizations, it’s their values, attitudes and beliefs that get brought into these environments. How they match up is a measure of performance.

The 2007 National Business Ethics Survey was released last month and guess what? They’re Baaaaaack! Problems are back and at pre-Enron levels. The study reports that only 9% of companies in the U.S. have strong ethical cultures. Is yours one of them? Over 50% of employees surveyed said they saw ethical misconduct of some type and were afraid to report it for fear of retaliation or that reporting would not result in any organizational changes.

What has failed in the past?

* Hotlines – they don’t work. If employees want to report violations, they prefer to do it to someone they know and feel comfortable around. The challenge? What if the person they are comfortable with is involved in the infraction?
* Having or conducting business practices that are not congruent with your organization’s values creates conflicts and involves ethical decision making on the part of employees. Do what’s right or do what will generate revenue and profits?
* Heavy handed ethics penalties. The “”off with your head”" mentality doesn’t foster individuals wanting to do the right thing. It fosters fear.
* Creating values, posting them in the break room or on your web site and calling your organization an ethical or values-based business.

Creating a culture that is ethical or Values based should not be treated as a single event. This will involve engaging a consultant to come in and conduct an initial assessment to determine the culture climate. This will also involve a series of training conducted as workshops, seminars, teleconferences and other means for leadership, staff and employees. Clearly established objectives, measures and values will be set forth with responsibilities for both the consultant and the company in order to achieve the desired outcome.

What will work?

* Establish clear values and your organizational code of conduct.
* Interpret those values for your employees.
* The Values you reward are the behaviors you can expect.
* Hire, promote and develop a succession plan that is congruent with your organization’s values.
* Show employees that reporting makes a difference and provide multiple safe havens for reporting.

Now is the time to begin establishing your organization’s true competitive advantage in the marketplace. How much is this costing your business in terms of lost employees, lost sales, slowed production, employee conflicts, reduced communication and a myriad of other areas with financial implications?

Wesley Ford is known as That Value Guy. He is a speaker and consultant. He helps businesses and organizations grow and develop leaders and retain employees of value using The Soldier’s Method™; Values, Valor and Value. Come join one of his teleseminars by visiting this site to learn more.

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Tags: business, ethics, corporate, workplace, training

“We think in generalities but we live in details, I wonder how that phrase of word applied. It has been a long time I been seeing myself as an observers in most of the things that interest me, no doubt and with no exemption the business it self. And to put bias out the play and to genuinely consider my self as an observers, one must set aside him self out from the system. Likewise the capacity of one being to separate body and soul and to take distance proximities, that is not to close or neither too far.

In my view there are requirements that business leaders are with them, in their unconscious level, which is, perceive directly or indirectly in such manner.

Seeing business perspective not too close neither too far, as well of being in the right place at the right time. As I earlier spoken, that we think in generalities but we live in details and between stimulus and response, we chooses our responses. It is a shared commonality that every leader’s are equipped with, to navigate blind in the midst of adversities.

Where is the Phantom?

Is he’s hiding somewhere or;
Or yet, to be born or to be reborn

Sometimes we seen our self’s as superior with the absence of comparison and when it comes to the acid test of leadership, one must look back to see who are his followers. We could directly or indirectly tell in close proximities, by which is which from leader to followers. The phantom may be there but no one can tell. May be its premature to unmask the business phantom as so to speak maybe his not yet been born.

Bernard Borgonos is currently working on the website design concept for online store which cater end users consumer products, ranging from Cars, Camera, Gadget, Cell Phone, Cars-Auto, Electronics and other products, His website is currently in beta stage released

“Shared business ethics and values make everyone’s performance as individuals or teams much easier. People know what they can and what they cannot do, what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. So where does one begin?

Having strongly communicated business ethics within a values statement is the first place to begin. This values statement must be communicated and internalized by everyone within the company or the organizations.

Companies without values statements usually suggest that these same companies may not have strategic plans in place. Maybe this is why so many companies fight the strategic planning process?

For when you commit specific business ethics to writing, now you must enforce those same values. This is what I believe is the real integrity issue that keeps many businesses from writing a strategic business plan.

After you commit the business ethics and values to writing, then you must make sure that everyone is actively engaged in modeling the desired behaviors. Policies must be reviewed and procedures analyzed to ensure that these same policies and procedures do not violate the newly adopted values statement.

For example, if customer service is number one, then sales team chasing out customers at closing time is not a good behavior. Or maybe the call center team is mandated to keep calls no longer than 3 minutes. This might be a problem if customer satisfaction is a team value.

Beyond the policies and procedures, what happens when a team member violates the values statement? This is where the rubber meets the road, again an issue of commitment and integrity to uphold the values statement.

If no action is taken, the overall performance of the team will suffer. Remember back in school when the teacher’s pet did something wrong and was not challenged by the teacher? The same integrity principle applies here.

The values statement must be uniformly enforced if the team is to truly functional at the highest level possible. If you team is not performing where you think it should be, then return to your values statement as your first step to create a culture of high performance where integrity is first and foremost.

Are you interested in learning more about how to master success? Then you may find this combination e book and e workbook of interest, Three Missing Pieces of Organizational & Personal Success. Visit this site to learn more about goals, attitudes and self leadership skills as you travel the road to success.

Leanne Hoagland-Smith coaches small businesses to large organizations and high school students to entrepreneurs to double performance by closing the gap between today’s outcomes and tomorrow’s goals. Please feel free to visit this site and explore how she can help you from the free articles to the improvement tips.

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Tags: business, ethics, corporate, workplace, home

It is astonishing to hear of so much fraud and deception going on in so many areas of life. People in business are being found out and some in leading and highly responsible positions are ending up in prison.

Such high profile cases hit the news headlines and so many in the circle of family and friends must be embarrassed, hurt and so terribly disappointed.

With so many Business Courses being offered it is difficult to understand why some people think they can get off with it. Is there a compulsory Ethics class on these Courses? Are there lectures on basic morals? Why are people not being taught how to behave in business?

I regularly read the adverts in “The Economist” and other reputable Journals and wonder just what the content of these Courses is.

It is not just that an individual’s wrong doing and sins are found out – it is more than that – they are found out.

If the foundation is dodgey and questionable and shakey then no matter what you may attempt to build it will crash sooner or later. Many find that out to be true when it is too late and whatever they have been up to reaches the public domain.

There is such a great need for what is called prophetic ministry, which means men hear from God and speak out what God would have them say.

Jesus Christ taught that the prophet is a key to what God is doing, because what God is doing He reveals to the prophets.

Sometimes that ‘word’ will be for sharing immediately, whilst at other times prophetic people may remain quiet for weeks or months.

In all that is going on around us many are looking for a clear distinct sound, which gives guidance and direction in a time of alarming confusion.

The prophet is regarded as the voice or the trumpet of God, rallying the despondent from despair or discouragement.

Of course, there can be false prophets. That is where discernment has to be exercised.

A bank teller can feel a false ‘fiver’ or false Dollar note without having to look at it. “”Excuse me sir, but there is something wrong here!”" He has been so trained – and the counterfeiter does not present a coin kidding on it is a £5 note. He makes it as like the real thing as he possibly can.

A prophet penetrates and pierces and can even shock the whole religious world. Jesus Christ certainly did that when He spoke and taught on various occasions.

“Excuse me, but there is something wrong here” – and the ordinary people recognised that a great prophet had appeared upon the scene.

Prophecy has been accurately described as that ability granted by the Holy Spirit to a believer in Jesus Christ to speak forth words which proceed from God, and which do not come from the believer’s own wisdom, understanding or education.

When a prophet speaks you have a choice – change – or kill the prophet!

Now, is it not time that such a Course was mandatory in every Business School?

Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children’s Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at this site entitled “”Word from Scotland”" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.

His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.

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Tags: business, ethics, mandatory, professional, corporate

During intermission at a women’s event recently, I was asked, “Why do hairstylists assume they can ask you such personal questions?” I thought to myself, personal boundaries are essential on both sides of the chair. My first reaction to the woman’s question, was to defend hairstylists. Inside, I also knew this was an honest, evocative, question, and there are a lot of assumptions made by people in the hairstyling industry, and a lot of unprofessional behavior that gives us all a bad name. I needed to take a closer look at what was being stirred up inside me.

I muttered, “Hm…interesting question.”

I have witnessed, and overheard, many hairstylists going for the jugular in their quest for knowing who sits in their chair. Some hairdresser’s inquiries–incessant,insatiable curiosities leave me to wonder, whether they are really thinking about the client’s experience. Did they get permission,unspoken perhaps, to be as personal? Or, did the trust develop through years of seeing one another? Or, were there alot of assumptions made right from the get go? I’m sure a little bit of everything goes on, but what gives us the right to do so? How does it all happen?

When a client sits in my chair there is a boundary line between us, and that line invisible as it may be, is there, and will move depending on who sits in my chair. A line can be found that winds back and forth on itself, building a wall as thin or as thick as anyone of us wants. It is up to each of us to determine what we want to reveal, what we want the time in the chair to look like. And, I know I am guilty of taking the session into a personal realm, of being too self-focused, or maybe even getting too personal,instead of talking about their hair. It always comes back to the hair.

So, how is it then, that this wall can seem imperceptible to us at times, as if there is no boundary? I certainly have experienced clients who have a hard time respecting my boundaries when they sit in my chair, it’s up to me to decide just where the boundary line is, although I find it delicate to establish at times. For example,I have a client who comes in every six weeks for a hair cut, and has for the last 20 years. Once every session, for the last five years, this very loyal client, has asked me, “When are you getting married?” She insists that I need to, and now even more so because my partner and I have a child together. Now, she is at least twenty years my senior and works as a therapist, a little hard to consider speaking up for myself.

“We’re talking about it.” I’ll say, hoping this will end the conversation. I can’t tell her, “Please don’t ask me that question anymore. Please don’t play the role of my mother. And please, don’t pretend to know what is right for me to do.” I love this client, and appreciate her greatly, and I wouldn’t consciously do anything to have her disappear. And yet, I suppose that is some of the fear, that I would lose my clientele if I set a boundary of that nature. “I don’t work that late,” is a boundary of another kind.

The boundary line gets muddled because we like people, and we want to be liked. We want to avoid hurting people, or being hurt, whenever possible. When a client sits in my chair, especially a new client, I follow their lead, I want them to feel comfortable. So I ask questions to get to know them, and remember the answers. I allow them to set the tone of the experience. Do they want to chat? Do they want quiet? I respect whatever it needs to be. I air on the side of being a listener. It’s about their hair after all. We build trust together and we respect the needs. of one another. If it is a new client and they divulge it all in the first visit, I’m left with, “Wait!” There was no time for the intimacy to be established, too much information, so I cut silently.

The normal rules of relationship apply here, even if I do have permission to touch a client’s head, and style their hair, does not mean I may assume they want anything but a haircut. Personal boundaries are essential on both sides the chair for things to work.

If you would like to know more, check out here

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Tags: ethics, business, training, corporate, code

“How has you organisations corporate social responsibility strategy been developed? has it been produced as a result of commercial one-upmanship or as a result of deep ethical foundations within the organisation? Politicians are in a cycle of ever increasing their environmental credentials over and above their opponents, but does this encourage voters to actually change the environmental impact of their personal lifestyle?

Nearly every day corporations and business organisations are declaring their worthiness with regard to social responsibility, food safety, environment impact, personnel health, safety and welfare, fair trade and ethical supply chains in a variety of reports and policy statements. Third party standards have also been developed that address many of these issues and organisations continue to increase the portfolio of certificates that they display in their reception areas and on their websites. What impact does all this have on the purchasing decisions of the consumers of their products and services?

Mahatma Gandhi said that “”An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind…”" so does this suggest that the constant declaration of improved and enhanced corporate ethical credentials leaves consumers and customers non-plussed? Does the psychology of we will worry about the environment, employee health and safety, etc. when you do, leave us all inactive and weaken organisations by increasing their business risk? Consumers and customers must be able to trust the integrity of organisations and their brands and if this is based on claims and statements of intent then these criteria must be measurable otherwise performance cannot be verified and ultimately that trust may be lost.

Visit this site.

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Tags: corporate, business, organization, vision, ethics

“A good corporate citizen is a company that first views the importance of being a good citizen as an integral part of their core business. Helping to improve the quality of life for others makes a company socially responsible and connected to its community. Corporate citizenship is about the contribution a company makes to society through its core business activities, its social investment and philanthropy programs and its engagement in public policy.

The manner in which a company manages its economic, social and environmental relationships, and the way it engages its stakeholders (such as shareholders, employees, customers, business partners, governments and communities), has an impact on the company’s long-term success. For a business being profitable is the major goal. At the same time however, in order to succeed in a long-term plan, a business must have an active sense of social responsibility.

Fortunately, there are many companies who we can turn to as a case study on good corporate citizenry. I have chosen Green Mountain because the company has been recognized by many reporting agencies of being a “good corporate citizen (social responsibility magazine, greenbiz news, Forbes Magazine, etc.). Green Mountain Coffee (GMC), a public traded company, is a leader in the specialty coffee industry. The Company roasts high-quality arabica coffees and offers over 75 coffee selections including single-origins, estates, certified organics, Fair Trade, proprietary blends, and flavored coffees that it sells under the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters® brand (GMCR). The majority of Green Mountain Coffee’s revenue is derived from its wholesale operation that serves supermarkets, convenience stores, offices, and other locations.

The company has been socially and environmentally active. Green Mountain upped the ante in 1989 when it formed an environmental committee and created a rainforest nut coffee to support the Rainforest Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to protecting ecosystems. The company has grown increasingly active in the countries where coffee is grown and has been a pioneer in the fair trade movement, which pays coffee growers stable, fair prices. But the biggest change came in the early 1990s when the company began sending its employees on trips to see where the coffee is grown.
Green Mountain, with 600 employees, saw 2005 revenue of $161.5 million with net income of $9 million, a 15 percent increase over the year prior. Since 1988, it has donated more than $500,000 to Coffee Kids, an international nonprofit seeking to improve the quality of life for children and families in coffee-growing communities. Through the Coffee Kids program, the company supports a micro-lending facility in Huatusco, Mexico and a sustainable sanitation system in Cosaulan, Mexico. It also has provided financial support to the FomCafe cooperative’s quality control training program, which helps farmers earn higher profits for coffee.

In 2006, Green Mountain released its first corporate responsibility report. “”We are focusing on measurement so we can understand the economic and social impact of the company and create indices so we can better focus those efforts,”" stated Green Mountain CEO, Bob Stiller. “”Just the process of getting all that information in one place is valuable,”" notes Michael Dupee, vice president of corporate social responsibility. “”It makes you think about and gain insight into what’s working and what’s not, so even if you never published anything, it’s worthwhile” (www.greenmountain.com).
In 2004 the company expanded from one executive in social responsibility to three. Besides Dupee’s position, there is a director of sustainable coffee and a vice president of environmental affairs. Some 45 percent of Green Mountain’s coffee is purchased farmer-direct, which cuts out the share middle men take. And 20 percent of coffee sold is certified fair trade, which incorporates principles of environmental sustainability and respect for cultural identity, while guaranteeing growers minimums of $1.26 per pound when commodity prices might be far lower. Consumer interest in fair trade is growing, Stiller says, “”Because through their purchases they want to make a difference in the lives of growers.”"

As Porter and Kramer highlighted in their book, Strategy & society: The link between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility, “Corporations are not responsible for the entire world’s problem, nor do they have the resources to solve them all.” As businesses strive to build their brands and differentiate themselves from the competition, practicing good corporate citizenship is one healthy and wise strategy that businesses differentiate from the pack. As was highlighted in this paper, from a marketing and communication perspective, corporate citizenship is not just good but it is good for business.

Loyedi Waite is a marketing consultant with Waite Consulting Services (WSC) and an adjunct professor. At WSC, we strive to provide you with targeted, effective marketing efforts that are designed to build your brand and sell your products and services.

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Tags: ethics, personal, corporate, discussion, paradigm

You all know I’m pretty much posting about my skin care products to get men/women more familiar with them and how they can change your skin. However, today I’d like to talk about ethics or professional respect.

I had an unfortunate encounter with another consultant that I found really disturbing which made me wonder how often this kind of thing happens. In my situation, I was communicating with a potential recruit, answering her questions, sending her information and product samples, etc. Before I knew it, another consultant (from the same company) reached out to this person offering all sorts of free stuff if she’d sign up with her!

What I found annoying was that I had already put time, effort and expense (catalogs, opportunity brochure, samples, postage, etc.) to introduce the Series Opportunity to this person now someone else comes along offering her the world to get her sign up under instead of me? I don’t know about anyone else reading this but I think that’s just wrong. Not to mention unprofessional and disrespectful. I could not imagine doing that to another consultant. In the end, it worked out OK – she signed up with me & is one of the best consultants on my team.

Later, I’ve heard similar stories from other people, some of which made me cringe, and I never realized how much this is happening out there. Why can’t we all just get along? How is it OK in someone’s mind to go ahead and butt in on a fellow consultant’s potential recruit? Why can’t a consultant do their own work, get their own leads and work their own business? If anyone out there can shed some light on this, I’d really appreciate it. If you have a horror story you’d like to share, tell us about it. What can be done to stop people from doing this? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

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Tags: ethics, business, corporate, training, professional

In order to fully understand ethics and how they relate to business, one must first define its key components. Ethics can be broken down into three categories: social, organizational, and individual. Corporations are bound by social ethics which challenge them to hold accountable for their own actions its company officers, management, and stakeholders, who aspire to gain financially from traditional and unconventional economic activities. Organizational ethics involve a shared sense of pride and responsibility for employees, managers and corporations. They are part of an overall business philosophy that is shared throughout the company. Individual ethics involve our conceptions of right and wrong which stem from many different sources. Religious beliefs can often play a significant role in the ethical path many choose to follow.

What prompts a company to act ethically in business? What prevents businesses from generating as much profit as possible, regardless of the ethical ramifications of their actions? The general public, as well as company stakeholders, have come to expect that corporations will conduct business ethically and with the highest regard for social accountability. When companies fall short of these expectations, the end result often involves punishment and harmful publicity. Companies which conduct business in an unethical manner run the risk of harming not only its stakeholders, but also the general public. Companies that act ethically impart a sense of trust and responsibility in both local and national communities; this type of trust can often promote strong business alliances.

Ethics problems occur in many forms for many different reasons during the course of business. Unfortunately, companies often unwittingly employ people whose moral values are less than that of a responsible corporate citizen. These employees often put their own greed and selfishness ahead of the welfare and safety of others, simply for their own financial gain.

Alan Barnes, IAPDA Certified Debt Arbitrator and President | CEO Debt Regret, Inc.
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Tags: business, ethics, issues, research, corporate