“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

It’s all about a stock company where pump and dump and take no prisoners is the way to the ten thousand square foot Hamptons house and everything else. It’s just about the worst example of business ethics run amok that Hollywood has ever captured. It makes “Wall Street” look like “”Breakfast At Tiffany’s.”

The thing the movie did well to point out is the time frame that comes with a lack of business ethics. It’s beyond short. And for good reason.

You go to the video store with a crisp twenty dollar bill and rent a video for the kids. As you pay for the rental (which by the way has gotten outrageous in price) you get your change back and all you see in your hand are three dollars and eighty-one cents. You politely tell the manager that there must have been a mistake, as you handed him a twenty, and he tells you that you only gave him ten.

Oh, boy.

You saw the twenty move into his till. You only had a twenty and there he is telling you that it was a ten. And his inflexibility is astounding. Quick inquiry here…no matter how close in proximity this video place is to your house, are you headed back there any time soon? More than that, will your friends and neighbors hear of your little encounter?

You’d better believe it.

Business ethics is a MUST. An absolute have to have to survive element.

And while it is easier to lose sight of that while operating online, no where else is it more important. Talk about irony.

When I write my autoresponders for my clients, I have one goal in mind…theirs. Period. And if possible, over-delivering is a smart way of operating. Writing emails campaigns affords a lot of people shelter from the ethics that they should be putting into everything they do. From experience, I can assure you that I’d be holding a tin cup filled with pencils feigning blindness for cash if I wasn’t being ethical as I craft my campaigns.

Do the right thing.

Kevin Browne is a former Creative Director and Senior Copywriter at agencies including J Walter Thompson, McCann Erickson and Young and Rubicam. Kevin now runs this site where he shows web owners how to FINALLY best way to make my site profitable.

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Tags: business, ethics, survive, ethical, company

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

Many people wonder if business ethics is just a buzzword that has been tossed around lately, due to some of the aggressive tactics we have seen them as we enter the 21st century. I assure you, it is here to stay. What needs to be done is for more people to brush up on their ethics, as they relate to business, to make sure they always operate with a high standard of moral conduct. In this article, I will discuss with you why this is important to help you with your business.

Business ethics training comes in two forms — one for the employer and one for the employee. For the employer, a good sense of what type of ethics are required as a business owner is needed, because the owner is the one who makes all the final decisions. They need to be a good leader and a representative of somebody who has strong moral and ethical ideology, if they are going to expect the same from their employees.

For the employee, business ethics training is even more important. Especially for somebody who is new on the job. If you start early, and instill a good sense of ethical conduct within your employees, or as an employee cultivate these ethics within yourself, then you can be assured of working in a company that will not fall prey to deceptive practices and fraudulent processes.

It is important that you take the time to develop your own sound business ideology, as it relates to ethics. You must consider what is acceptable, and what is not, as far as practices are concerned. On your own, you can only do so much. But, if you consult with professionals to help you design your own code of ethics, you will be that much better off.

Consider the facts — every day there are certain ethical codes in business that are being violated, even by people who otherwise have been upright and outstanding citizens. How does this happen? How can a three to seemingly honest person one day do something stupid, and jeopardize the company, or even worse — get thrown in jail?

It was because they did not have a well developed ethical business code, which you can receive with the proper training. So consider this type of training a valuable resource, if you want to build a strong solid foundation and business environment.

Want to learn more about Business Ethics? Steven Ross has written many more fascinating articles here

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Tags: business, ethics, training, course, ethical

“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

Corruption in big business is a matter we are hearing about in a seriously increasing manner. Why do so many people think they can get off with it and get away with it? They obviously do not know that Almighty God says, Behold your sins will find you out. It is not just just that your sins will be found out. It is much more serious than that. You will be found out!

Thieves can be forgiven – even those who have stolen from God. Aren’t you glad?

Some people may not be aware that they can rob God. How is that done? There were those who actually asked God, “”How do we rob You?”" – and back came the answer, “”In tithes and offerings”".

Because God’s people were not giving a tenth of their income, plus offering offerings they brought the whole nation under a curse.

Giving a tenth of your income was the law at that particular time.

We are no longer under the law. We are free from the law when it comes to being right in the eyes of God, but surely that freedom does not mean we give less. We are now free to give more.

When Zacchaeus met Jesus Christ he realised he was a rogue. As a customs officer he had lined his own pocket. He had been a totally corrupt character, robbing God and robbing God’s people.

The transformation in Zacchaeus’ life is astonishing. Knowing he had been a cheat and a swindler, he had to put things right and make restitution. He told Jesus that he was going to give back to the people from whom he had stolen, four times what he had sinfully taken.

God says stealing is wrong.

Funds are misappropriated in various commercial and business undertakings – the United Nations ‘Oil for Food’ programme in Iraq being presently under scrutiny. Even charities occasionally discover people with their fingers in the till, and overseas aid money is mysteriously siphoned off.

There is little ‘love your neighbour’ when man behaves in such an abominable manner.

Corruption occurs because man is corrupt, and Jesus Christ comes to correct that consequence of The Fall.

We witnessed hasty undignified mass burials being broadcast on our news bulletins following the tsunami. Why were they necessary? To prevent the spread of disease.

The spiritual parallel is equally essential. When a man comes to faith in Jesus Christ he is a new creation. The old man should be buried. It is inappropriate, even offensive, to leave an unburied body lying around.

God teaches us that when we are baptised in water the old man is buried and we are then able to rise to live a new life.

New Testament believers regarded baptism as important and urgent, submitting themselves to God at the hands of men, as soon as they came to believe. That prison officer, and those in his home, who came to believe, did not even wait for dawn to break.

All God asks for is obedience. The condition is obedience in small things and great things, for the small things are as great as the great things. God usually presents the small matters before those matters which we might regard as great.

The man who is faithful in small matters is more likely to be found faithful in great matters. Those who are not reliable in little things are likely to be unreliable in big issues.

The size of the work or project is irrelevant. What matters is obedience, and when you obey you no longer evaluate what is trivial or important.

We are not good judges of what is small or big.

Jesus was baptised by John to fulfil all righteousness and He says, “”Follow me”". It is unwise to overlook what Jesus says.

Don’t dismiss some decisions as being unimportant. These might be key moments in God’s plan for you.

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: personal, ethics, code, professional, social

“After reading one too many articles about the need to eliminate cumbersome processes in the industry I found myself thinking about the roots of bureaucracy.

Processes are made to guide the execution of action, and invariably include approval checkpoints to ensure those actions were executed. While processes must be simplified and eventually automated, checkpoints are the real productivity killers.

On lack of trust and inefficiencies

Some are offended by what they consider a lack of trust, others are distressed by foiled acquisition of equipment that could make their work more efficient. I have been on both camps, but I eventually got over both feelings. The reason? Show me a person with some common sense and I will show you four other people who cannot tell what they need from what they want.

At the root of bureaucracy one will often find the need to control the usage of common resources, whether it is the approval for the construction of a wall or for the acquisition of a new network router. In a never ending loop, people in the “”I need the resource to do my job”" camp find ways around the processes and the bureaucracy responds with more control points. Bureaucracy thrives on the intersection of limited resources with resourceful people.

Executives and keyboard purchases

Remove all the control points, and you soon my have a tragedy of the commons on your hands.

Of course, the extreme case of a senior executive approving a US$200 purchase should be avoided. On the other hand, US$200 may be the cost of that matching set of keyboard, mouse, and speakers that look great with the replacement workstation you received last week.

Personal responsibility to the rescue

In the tragedy of the commons, the only known solution is to eliminate or reduce the “”commons”" in favor of personal ownership, whatever that resource may be. Karl Marx would not be proud.

Scott Adams once suggested, in the serious portion of his excellent “”The Dilbert Principle”", that companies actually gave money to employees for the purchase of office items instead of the traditional supply bins spread through the building. It would be up to employees to individually purchase the supplies they needed or keep the money. The actual amount is unimportant – the bean counters have all the numbers they need to calculate that amount – but the company would no longer need to burden administrative staff with those tasks.

The real question is, could one try and stretch that approach to personal laptops or desktop computers? In many geographies, the cost of these machines can rival the monthly salary of their users. What happens when you hand out the money for equipment that should last 3 years and the person leaves the company before that period is over? Impound whatever they bought or demand a refund?

Solve that riddle and the end of bureaucracy may be at hand.

Denilson Nastacio is a software engineer in a large corporation. Through years of experience observing the interactions between his colleagues, managers, and executives, he observed several repeating patterns drawn from science, religion, and politics.

He maintains a blog, called the RTP Scrolls, where he writes about the cyclic influence between individuals and organizations help explain how and why each side reacts to the actions of the other side.

Recent observations and recent communications with business colleagues confirm that there are far too many violations of good business manners each and every day. Manners are essential to build relationships in today’s business world. People, who present themselves very favorably, will maximize their business potential. I must tell you that I remain very passionate about manners in business and believe very strongly in the results that follow the use of good manners.

Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach continues to stress the importance of manners and to seeking advice on that issue and others. And I am pleased to confirm to you that I continue to follow my own advice by seeking outside advice and counsel when needed. In my own efforts for continuous improvement in manners, I recently did some research that resulted in me finding a great resource – a quiz to establish your Business Etiquette Quotient. The quiz was developed by Lydia Ramsey, a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer and author of Manners That Sell-Adding the Polish that Builds Profits. She has been quoted or featured in the New York Times, Investors’ Business Daily, Entrepreneur, Inc., Real Simple, and Woman’s Day. For more information about her programs, products and services, visit her Website

Here is Lydia Ramsey’s Quiz, answers and score interpretation.

1. When shaking hands in business, a man should wait for a woman to extend her hand before offering his.

2. When introducing business people, say the name of the most important or senior person first.

3. When talking on the phone, your tone of voice counts more than your words.

4. The first place to go when you arrive at a business/social function is the bar.

5. Women may remain seated to shake hands in business.

6. Business casual means dressing down one notch from business professional.

7. You should always use a subject header when sending an e-mail message.

8. The guest decides when to start talking business during the meal.

9. If the information on your business card is incorrect, draw a line through it and write the correct information on the card.

10. If you can’t remember someone’s name, don’t attempt an introduction.

11. Handwritten notes are out of place in the business world.

12. Name badges are worn on the right shoulder.

13. A woman’s handbag, if small, may be placed on the boardroom table.

14. Small talk is not appropriate in a business environment.

15. In today’s relaxed business environment, it is not necessary to ask your clients’ permission before using their first names.

Answers

1. False. It is no longer necessary for a man to wait for a woman to extend her hand. In business, everybody shakes hands regardless of gender or age.

2. True. Always say the name of the most important person first or the name of the person you wish to honor. Follow that with “”I’d like to introduce…”" or “”I’d like to introduce you to…”".

3. True. Studies show that 70% of your message is conveyed by your tone of voice and 30% by your actual words. It’s not what you say but the way you say it that counts.

4. False. No matter how hard your day was, resist the urge to go straight to the bar. After all, these business/social functions are more about business than eating and drinking.

5. False. A woman who remains seated to shake hands in business appears to lack confidence. She sends a message that she is not as important as the people who are standing.

6. True. Business casual did not start out as an excuse to wear your favorite old clothes to the office. It is still business, and you should always look professional.

7. True. Why would anyone want to open an e- mail message with “”no subject”"? You always want to give the recipient a reason to read your message.

8. False. The host is the one who decides when to end the small talk and get down to business. As a rule, the business discussion begins after everyone has ordered so the conversation will not be interrupted.

9. False. Have new cards printed as soon as possible. Handing out outdated business cards sends a poor message.

10. False. Always make the introduction. Everyone notices when you try to avoid it and will suspect that you can’t remember the other person’s name anyway. The best thing to do in this situation is to confess your loss of memory, beg forgiveness, and ask for the person’s name.

11. False. Handwritten notes are very impressive. They give the idea that you went to extra effort, whether this is true or not.

12. True. The right side is the correct side. Since you shake hands with your right hand, the eye naturally travels to the right shoulder.

13. False. The only objects that belong on the boardroom table are those that are necessary for the meeting.

14. False. Small talk is the basis for building and maintaining relationships in business.

15. False. While most people prefer to be called by their first name, use titles and last names until you are told otherwise.

What’s Your Score?

Give yourself one point for each correct answer. If your score is 13 points or higher, you are speeding up the ladder of success. (If you earned between 9 and 12 points, you’ll most likely make it to the top. If you scored 8 or below, chances are that you can climb the ladder, but you won’t make it all the way to the top.

Glenn Ebersole, Jr. is a multi-faceted professional, who is recognized as a visionary, guide and facilitator in the fields of business coaching, marketing, public relations, management, strategic planning and engineering. Glenn is the Founder and Chief Executive of two Lancaster, PA based consulting practices: The Renaissance Group, a creative marketing, public relations, strategic planning and business development consulting firm and J. G. Ebersole Associates, an independent professional engineering, marketing, and management consulting firm. He is a Certified Facilitator and serves as a business coach and a strategic planning facilitator and consultant to a diverse list of clients. Glenn is also the author of a monthly newsletter, “”Glenn’s Guiding Lines – Thoughts From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach”" and has published more than 325 articles on business.

To find out more about the benefits & rewards of effectively working with a strategic thinking business coach, please contact Glenn Ebersole through his web site here

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Tags: workplace, ethics, business, training, professional

“One common denominator for all successful business is that they discovered a way to earn profit by solving someone’s problem. Information products are developed by confronting an obstacle, finding a way to overcome it, then showing others how they did it.

There are three essentials for a business which comprise the factors of creating and maintaining an Extreme Competitive Advantage: You, Your Brand, and How Your Product/Service is a Solution.

You are The Star. You bring to your business what you have created, accomplished, or overcome. You are the reason your business exists, whether you are selling a service, information, or a gadget. If you aren’t in the equation, your business won’t exist.

Your brand is Your Story. Years ago, just out of college in my first writing job, a colleague was lamenting that she would never be able to write a book because all of the good ideas had already been written about. While there is some truth to that, everybody’s story is different, and how you present it will be different, too. Your story, your brand will be unique because you are unique. So when you start thinking about your brand, look at your story. What makes it different? What makes you different? Bring that to your business and you will see your brand develop.

Your product or service is The Solution. When you weave the star and the story together, you create and maintain extreme competitive advantage as a support for your solution; it requires looking at several levels of your business, from branding and marketing to product development and R&D, budgeting your resources and staying nimble in your decision-making—in short, developing your Extreme Competitive Advantage. Here are six things to consider as you bring your Star, Story, and Solution to life:

1. Have a profound reason for your business.

The fact is, like a book theme, there aren’t a lot of segments in business that need more offerings. As a result, you will need to look for either a trend-related reason to be in business or for a service advantage that you can provide. What do you know that someone might need or desire that they can’t find anywhere else? What service do you provide that sets you apart from anything that is currently available? How can you position yourself to be distinct in your market?

2. Create Strong Positioning.

Stand out from your competitors. Be clear and dramatic, dynamic and different. What sets you apart? What do you offer that makes people take notice of you and your business? What is the best way of making the presentation of your solution to the world? Everything you do establishes your brand. Look at companies with strong brand appeal. You notice them because they offer something different, or they say it in a way that the market notices.

3. The Continuous Development of Unique Assets is Key.

We’re all very familiar with the iPod. It’s revolutionized how we listen to music, added another tool to share information, and changed how people view Apple as an innovative technology company. For a short time, Apple relied heavily on this unique asset to give them a competitive advantage. However, within months, many mp3 players became available from other companies. So, they came out with other models to cover more of the market; they added new features; they continued to develop new products. Now they’ve developed the iPhone. What Apple knows is that although they have a unique asset, their competitive advantage will go away over time. They need to continually develop new ones to maintain their competitive advantage.

4. Maintain an Economic Advantage.

This is a key area that too many businesses lack. Wise use of budgetary funds will help you to maintain profitability over your competitors. Pricing is important, as is perceived value to the customer. The more unique your offering, whether it is service or a product, the more ability you’ll have to offer products for premium prices and bigger margins, ultimately attracting customers for whom price is not a factor.

5. Build Complex Business Systems.

Systems are very important for the flow of your business. Another way they are important is that the more complicated they are, the less likely it is that your competition will copy them, allowing you to maintain your competitive advantage.

6. Use Speed and Agility.

You must be mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially agile to maintain your competitive advantage. Staying a step ahead of your competition requires you to be at your best in all areas.

As you build your business, support The Star, Story, and Solution with these six aspects of creating and maintaining a competitive advantage and you will move ever closer to the Success Phenomenon.

Copyright 2007 © Marilyn Schwader

As a Writing and Life Coach, Marilyn uses humor, compassion, and a strong sense of a writer’s abilities to support and motivate her clients to become published authors. Her purpose in life is to give a voice to subjects that benefit others. Her mission is to provide truthful, clear, and motivating information to those who passionately desire more in their lives. Her vision is to use her two passions-coaching and storytelling-to convey this information to as many people as possible. Click here to contact Marilyn.

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Tags: information, maintain, ethics, business, competitive

“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

“I called a guy I’ve known for about three years.

Along with his wife, he’s been to multiple parties at my house, and we’ve been very genial.

He’s a professional actor, which for me was a road only partially traveled, so I take some delight in hearing about his career, how he addresses its challenges, such as rejection, and the inevitable ups and downs.

And I suppose I’ve always told myself, “I can do what he does, any time I want.”
And some day, I may do that.
In the meantime, there are very few nexuses between his field and mine, though I perform by giving speeches and seminars, and I do a considerable number of appearances on TV.

Finally, the day came when I needed some advice from him pertaining to where I might take my media career.
I phoned him and he didn’t seem particularly busy.
What surprised me was how easily he dismissed the subject of my inquiry, and turned the tables.
He said, without a trace of regret or reluctance, “I can’t help you, but if there’s anything you can do for me, don’t hesitate to call!”

I was a little put off by that, but I scratched it up to “show business.” He could be one of those people you meet that are superficially friendly, providing you can help him, but if you can’t, the conversation’s over.

Then I got a call from a long-lost business associate from the rural Midwest, a salt-of-the-earth type and someone I remember as a good guy. After catching-up, I mentioned that his seminar sponsorship might come in handy one of these days when I get back to his neck of the woods, but he just demurred.

In nearly the next sentence, he told me he has some great new financial products to offer and I should discuss them with him.
I got off the phone and simply shook my head.
Whatever happened to the idea of reciprocity? One hand washes the other, right?
I’ve always been of the mind to believe, “If you want to get value, give value, in return,” especially in business.

This is a proven idea in friendship, i.e. Want a friend? Be a friend.
But this ethic of reciprocity could be changing.
If so, it’s very disappointing, and I believe, foolish, because Win-Lose relationships don’t last very long, no matter where we’re located, or what business we’re in.

You don’t have to keep an official score of favors received and returned, but it seems a lot more sensible than acting as if professional advancement is a one-way street.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is a top trainer, conference and convention speaker, and sales, service, and negotiation consultant. A frequent expert commentator on radio and TV, he is also the best-selling author of 12 books, more than a thousand articles. and several popular audio and video training programs. His seminars are sponsored internationally and he is a top-rated faculty member at more than 40 universities, including UC Berkeley and UCLA. Gary brings over two decades of sales, management and consulting experience to the table, with some of the best academic credentials in the speaking and training industry. A Ph.D. from the Annenberg School For Communication at USC, an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School of Management, and a J.D. degree from Loyola Law School, his clients include several Fortune 1000 companies and successful family owned and operated firms.

Visit his website, and he can be seen here.

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Tags: personal, professional, ethics, code, social

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

Organisations are finding that not only internal stakeholders, but increasingly external stakeholders are having more of an input into organisational strategy, goals and objectives. Each stakeholder can have differing requirements that they expect the organisation to meet depending on exactly how they interface with the organisation. Have you determined your organisation’s key stakeholders and their individual and collective requirements?

First you need to determine who your stakeholders are! Stakeholders can include suppliers, customers, consumers, shareholders, workers, management, those living in the vicinity of the business location – neighbours, businesses, schools, hospitals, governmental and legislative bodies, certification organisations and non-governmental bodies. The requirements can include, but are not limited to, product safety, product and service consistency and compliance with specifications, health and safety, worker welfare, social accountability, and the organisations actual, or potential impact on the local or global environment, impact on biodiversity and protection of ecosystems, and if applicable animal health and welfare.

The organisation must determine these myriad requirements and develop an integrated strategy that not only addresses organisational performance and cost effectiveness, but also encompasses the needs of its varied stakeholders. However at times these stakeholders may have opposing requirements and the management team will have to determine how they address this issue and this is the role of business ethics. Another output of determining stakeholder requirements is the development of both brand protection and risk management strategies and defining those risks that are acceptable, those risks that need to be managed, risks that must be mitigated and possibly transferred to a supplier or alternative organisation and those risks that are unacceptable and must be eliminated.

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Tags: ethics, issues, legal, cases, business

Can there be any hope in promoting ethical behavior in the modern business culture? The public’s general skepticism of corporate ethics is understandable considering the track record of organizations in recent years of continued downsizing, outsourcing, scandals, increasing executive pay and decreasing employee benefits. “Many believe that executives are not being held accountable for bad management decisions and the pain they inflict on employees as a result(Trevino and Nelson, 2005, p. 3).

For there to be any hope of promoting ethics in a business culture, ethics training, policies, programs and finally, actions, must be deeply ingrained into a culture of an organization in order to be seen as more than half hearted public relations gimmicks that only provide lip service to ethical behavior while the real culture of an organization runs in the opposite direction. Ethics must become a primary function and responsibility of the modern leader in order to have real impact on organizations and teams. While these leaders still must protect and promote the healthy profits of their organization, they also must recognize “”that business has a responsibility to address certain social problems because of its unique abilities, and because a healthy social environment is a prerequisite for a healthy business environment (p. 7). Such a leader recognizes that by serving all of its stakeholders to the utmost of their ability, including their customers, employees, and community, that in the long run they will best bring a return on investment to their shareholders (p. 7).

“Ethics is a body of principles or standards of human conduct that govern the behavior of individuals and groups” (Bottorff, n.d., p.1). While ethical behavior is based on a set of values and principles, ethical behavior goes beyond mere belief; it also encompasses actions of individuals, groups and organizations (p. 2). For there to be ethical behavior in an organization, leaders must not only state a belief in a set of actions, their actions as a leader must be in alignment with those values and beliefs. The leader must work to establish clear business practices within the organization that reward and promote positive ethical behavior and promote the reasoning and consequences of ethics as strongly as they promote business results. In time all individuals and teams must be able to follow the ethical decision-making process involving; “moral awareness (recognizing the existence of an ethical dilemma), moral judgment (deciding what’s right), and ethical behavior (taking action to do the right thing) Trevino and Nelson, 2005, p. 15). They can only do this if an organizational culture has been developed that clearly defines its values and supports actions in alignment with those values. Because individuals may have different values and cognitive ability that influences their ability to recognize and act ethically, leaders must ensure that training, rewards, recognition and consequences are clearly defined in the organization in order to help individuals act accordingly.

A perfect example of such a leader is the story of Aaron Feuerstein, who was the owner and CEO of Malden Mills, the New England manufacturer of “climate control” materials like Polertec and Polarfleece (p. 38). Feuerstein was a business leader who had built his business based on Talmudic teachings and values that extended beyond his responsibilities to the shareholders, but also to the workers and community (Shafran, n.d., p. 1). When a fire destroyed the companies’ New England factories in 1995, Feurestein faced an ethical dilemma (moral awareness). While most other fabric manufactures were closing plants in the US in order to reduce manufacturing costs, he had maintained his factories in Maine. Now he faced a dilemma; would he rebuild in New England or re-establish his facilities overseas where construction and manufacturing costs would have been less. Feuerstein explained “that the ideas of his religious heritage had played the major role in his decision” (p. 1), (moral judgment). He stated in an interview with Parade Magazine in 1996 that “I have a responsibility to the worker; both blue-collar and white-collar…I have an equal responsibility to the community” (p.1). His final decision (ethical behavior), which was in alignment with his stated values, was to rebuild the plants and keep as many employees on the payroll until they opened operations again (p. 1).

All leaders must have the same moral courage to support and to make similar ethical decisions, even if they are on a much smaller scale. I lead the learning and development department for on of the world’s leading organizations for all of Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The company attracted and maintained top talent in part based on one of its stated core values of developing people. Because of this core value and our international approach to development, the company had been recognized for several years as on the world’s top training organizations. I faced an ethical dilemma when the company, which was projecting loses in revenue in the coming years, decided to “downsize” and re-align the Leaning and Development Department. I saw this as a major departure from the company’s stated value of people development (moral judgment). I had to decide whether to abandon this key value and go forward in support of the re-alignment or leave the company. I decided (ethical behavior) that I would stay with the company for one more year in order to ensure all cuts and re-alignments were carried out in a manner that showed respect to the people who had dedicated themselves to people development and to help our clients finish their learning and development commitments. I then left the organization in order to start my own training business where I could contribute to the development of others.

The public’s trust in ethical business behavior can only be re-established by strong leadership of individual leaders within their own sphere of influence; great or small. Leaders must take strong actions to elevate the importance of ethical behavior based on clearly stated values that emphasize equal commitment to all stake holders equally. This may be a strong departure from traditional bottom line focus. Leaders and organizations would benefit from development and coaching from ethics trainers and coaches who can help leaders understand the steps to establish ethics within a team and/or organization.

References:

Bottorff, D. (n.d.). What is Ethics? Retrieved July 6, 2007 from a Website

Shafran, A., (n.d.). Aaron Feuerstein: Bankrupt and wealthy. Retrieved July 6, 2007 from a Website

Trevino, L., and Nelson, K., (2005). Corporate social responsibility and managerial ethics. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Since founding Magnify Leadership and Development, James has developed, facilitated and coached programs including; Change Leadership, Coaching, Communication Skills, Sustaining Learning, Interviewing Skills, Leadership, Territory Management for dozens of leading global organizations; including, Advantis Research and Consulting, IMS, CMOE, Pfizer, Sinclair, Disetronic Medical Systems, StratX, ASTD, Coventry Health Care, Wilson Learning, and many others. James is bilingual and can facilitate and coach in both English and Spanish.

Prior to founding Magnify Leadership and Development, James headed Pfizer’s Learning and Development for all of Europe, Canada, Africa and the Middle East where he was instrumental in the development of a global management curriculum and other training initiatives to enhance organizational effectiveness for over 30,00 employees.

Visit James website here to learn how we can you with your leadership and communication development needs.

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Tags: ethics, business, code, dilemma, issue

Along with his wife, he’s been to multiple parties at my house, and we’ve been very genial.

He’s a professional actor, which for me was a road only partially traveled, so I take some delight in hearing about his career, how he addresses its challenges, such as rejection, and the inevitable ups and downs.

And I suppose I’ve always told myself, “I can do what he does, any time I want.”
And some day, I may do that.
In the meantime, there are very few nexuses between his field and mine, though I perform by giving speeches and seminars, and I do a considerable number of appearances on TV.

Finally, the day came when I needed some advice from him pertaining to where I might take my media career.
I phoned him and he didn’t seem particularly busy.
What surprised me was how easily he dismissed the subject of my inquiry, and turned the tables.
He said, without a trace of regret or reluctance, “I can’t help you, but if there’s anything you can do for me, don’t hesitate to call!”

I was a little put off by that, but I scratched it up to “show business.” He could be one of those people you meet that are superficially friendly, providing you can help him, but if you can’t, the conversation’s over.

Then I got a call from a long-lost business associate from the rural Midwest, a salt-of-the-earth type and someone I remember as a good guy. After catching-up, I mentioned that his seminar sponsorship might come in handy one of these days when I get back to his neck of the woods, but he just demurred.

In nearly the next sentence, he told me he has some great new financial products to offer and I should discuss them with him.
I got off the phone and simply shook my head.
Whatever happened to the idea of reciprocity? One hand washes the other, right?
I’ve always been of the mind to believe, “If you want to get value, give value, in return,” especially in business.

This is a proven idea in friendship, i.e. Want a friend? Be a friend.
But this ethic of reciprocity could be changing.
If so, it’s very disappointing, and I believe, foolish, because Win-Lose relationships don’t last very long, no matter where we’re located, or what business we’re in.

You don’t have to keep an official score of favors received and returned, but it seems a lot more sensible than acting as if professional advancement is a one-way street.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is a top trainer, conference and convention speaker, and sales, service, and negotiation consultant. A frequent expert commentator on radio and TV, he is also the best-selling author of 12 books, more than a thousand articles. and several popular audio and video training programs. His seminars are sponsored internationally and he is a top-rated faculty member at more than 40 universities, including UC Berkeley and UCLA. Gary brings over two decades of sales, management and consulting experience to the table, with some of the best academic credentials in the speaking and training industry. A Ph.D. from the Annenberg School For Communication at USC, an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School of Management, and a J.D. degree from Loyola Law School, his clients include several Fortune 1000 companies and successful family owned and operated firms.

Visit his website, and he can be seen here.

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Tags: personal, professional, ethics, code, social

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the concept that that a corporation’s responsibilities include other stakeholders and includes other responsibilities above and beyond a return for shareholders. These responsibilities include legal, ethical and philanthropic responsibilities in addition to economic responsibilities (Trevino and Nelson, 2005, p. 31). Other stakeholders could include employees, suppliers, the customers, the community and others. Types of responsibilities the corporation may hold beyond a return for shareholders could include, protecting and or improving the environment where the company operates, improving conditions for the community where the company resides, etc…

Corporate Governance refers the way in which the corporation governs itself. Governance includes the way the company reports earnings, pays Directors, etc… Recognizing that improper governance can have huge consequences for employees and shareholders, the government requires corporations to follow Corporate Governance laws and guidelines that are designed to reduce the risk of fraud, and financial ruins such as those that caused the demise of corporations like Enron, WorldCom and Global Crossing.

Solid Corporate Governance that protects investors and employees from accounting fraud, conflict of interest, etc., can be seen as a part of any company that is acting socially responsible. Because a CSR company is acting in a way above and beyond what is required of it by law to protect stakeholders in the company, solid Corporate Governance of a CSR oriented company could be viewed as a way in which the company can ensure that the interests of many directly related and dependent on the company can be protected, including; employees, customers, the communities that depend on tax revenues and employment, etc… Solid Corporate Governance can be seen as an essential first step of any CSR oriented company. Without it, it risks conflict of interest of its board members, CEO, uncertain financial and accounting practices and other risks which could have devastating negative impacts on all stakeholders. For example, Enron’s collapse due to failure of Corporate Governance to prevent fraud and deceit hurt thousands of employees, the community of Houston, where most employees lived, the tax revenues that supported public works, the effect on families and couples who lost retirement savings, health insurance coverage, etc… In fact, before Enron’s accounting fraud became known, many would have considered Enron a solid socially responsible citizen because of its much recognized funding of museums, hospitals and many other organizations in the community where they operated (p. 163). However, all the communities would have been better off in the long run, if Enron had never contributed a dime to these social responsible activities, but had rather provided solid Corporate Governance over its internal operations. If Enron had done this, thousands would not have lost jobs, communities would have maintained higher tax revenues, retirements would have been more secured for thousands, health insurance would have been secured by many more, returns would have been higher for investors and shareholders, etc…

Corporate Governance should be seen as a top priority of any company seeking to be a good corporate citizen. More good can be done by a company ensuring solid corporate governance, than other activates usually seen as important for Socially Conscious organizations. Furthermore, more pressure should be exerted on organizations to establish good social governance than should be exerted on companies to sponsor other socially responsible activities and stakeholders in communities, the press, the government, etc., should also recognize and applaud companies who may put more effort on Corporate Governance although they may lack other social activities. Governance should be seen ad rewarded as the top priority.

References:

Trevino, L., and Nelson, K., (2005). Corporate social responsibility and managerial ethics. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Since founding Magnify Leadership and Development, James has developed, facilitated and coached programs including; Change Leadership, Coaching, Communication Skills, Sustaining Learning, Interviewing Skills, Leadership, Territory Management for dozens of leading global organizations; including, Advantis Research and Consulting, IMS, CMOE, Pfizer, Sinclair, Disetronic Medical Systems, StratX, ASTD, Coventry Health Care, Wilson Learning, and many others. James is bilingual and can facilitate and coach in both English and Spanish.

Prior to founding Magnify Leadership and Development, James headed Pfizer’s Learning and Development for all of Europe, Canada, Africa and the Middle East where he was instrumental in the development of a global management curriculum and other training initiatives to enhance organizational effectiveness for over 30,00 employees.

Visit James website to learn how we can you with your leadership and communication development needs.

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Tags: business, work, economic, ethics, public

In Justice Gomery’s final report, he observed that “only a handful of government officials failed to live up to (ethical) standards in the Sponsorship program”. Most of us in business or government have faced situations where our personal principles have come under attack yet, unlike that handful, we successfully resisted temptation. Further, some of us may have faced personal risk standing up for our convictions, taking responsibility, and holding ourselves accountable for our actions.

But is there a point where we might start to bend or even break as they did?

A 2005 global study of over 1100 managers and executives, commissioned by the American Management Association, (with which Canadian Management Centre is affiliated), identified the top three factors most likely to cause business people to compromise ethical standards. All three impact most of us from time to time, so it would be an unusual person who would not have experienced temptation. The factors, in order, are:

1. Pressure to meet unrealistic business objectives/deadlines

2. Desire to further one’s career

3. Desire to protect one’s livelihood

So here is a theory. Model the dynamics that put pressure on people’s ethics and you have an early warning of possible problems.

Dynamic A is Pressure. Sometimes the pressure to compromise comes at a person externally on vectors such as:

• Urgent timing, “I don’t care what the policy book says, I need your decision now.”

• Entrenched opposition that can be avoided, “HR won’t find out till it is too late”

• Superiors or colleagues, “If you don’t do this, we’ll all pay a price”

• Critical impact, “National unity is at stake here”

• Competitor’s tactics, “Competition gives them money under the table. We have no choice.”

Any single one of these, let alone a combination, can isolate a person on ethical grounds.

Dynamic B is Personal Benefit. Even scrupulous people generally look at choices through a lens of self-interest that includes:

• Financial gain

• Financial risk

• Reputation

• Career and stature

• Power and influence

The greater the personal upside or downside associated with a decision, the more internal pressure will build to compromise on honesty and ethics.

When you buy a house from a vendor with hundreds of thousands of dollars and their personal life plan at stake, who is represented by a commissioned salesperson, you know it is wise to get a home inspection done. Buying a used car? Take it to a mechanic you trust first. Interviewing a job applicant who is currently out-of-work? Check references.

These are commonplace, small town, daily examples of a recognized need for safeguards against unethical behaviour by ordinary people when pressure and self-interest intersect. We understand the need to watch out at that level. But when we learn that “a handful” of the participants in multi-million dollar transactions in the colossally critical and legacy-charged national unity debate behaved badly, we have the right to be dismayed but not surprised.

Millions of dollars spent on the Gomery Inquiry has yielded recommendations the country is glad to see. In the clear absence of a sense of personal accountability, the only solution is a body of constraints. But there is a danger now that associated bureaucracy will inflict cumbersome and stultifying rules and procedures on transactions in the matrix’s green low risk boxes. These transactions have neither materiality nor external pressure nor sufficient personal benefit to the buyer or seller to pose much of a risk.

As an
example of unnecessary procedure, in one recent situation, Canadian Management Centre was presented with a complicated federal government RFP that would have required us to invest days of preparation and would require the government people days of due diligence — all for a $6000 contract. We declined to pursue the RFP. There was no pressure and only incidental benefit, not enough justification to warrant the trouble of proving our qualifications beyond the shadow of a doubt

With over 40 years experience; Canadian Management Centre has earned the reputation as a trusted partner in worldwide professional development and management education that improves the immediate performance and long-term results of over 12,000 Canadians every year.

Continue here for more information.

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Tags: business, ethics, dilemmas, decisions

“There are times when a little of something goes a long way. Take salt, for instance. The right amount can enhance the taste of food. Too much and the food is ruined. Many characteristics of successful entrepreneurs must be balanced or in moderation. Although one characteristic that entrepreneurs can never have too much of is Integrity.

Webster defines integrity as the quality of being upright, honest and sincere. Firmly adhering to a code of moral honor and maintaining incorruptibility is one definition. In business, integrity is all about character and conduct.

The Internet has made it possible for people who’ve never owned or operated a business before to go for home based business success. Unfortunately, the Internet has also made it possible for Internet scam artists to promise individuals who want to better themselves and their financial condition that with one purchase they’ll achieve the American dream. The maker of empty promises takes the purchase money then actually delivers nothing but hype.

If you truly desire to rise above your current standard of living, becoming an entrepreneur is a good way. However, on your rise to the top, it’s important to maintain your integrity. Know your boundaries. Stick with business actions that are legal, moral and ethical.

Natural law has proved over and over that what goes around truly does come around. In other words, the way you act today determines how others act toward you tomorrow. Equally important is the fact that in helping others, people help themselves.

By providing legitimate business opportunities or products to others, you help yourself by creating income and advancing your steps toward wealth. You also make it possible for others to benefit according to the product or service that you have provided.

When you maintain your integrity on the road to home based business success, you are building a firm foundation for your future success to stand strongly upon. When the route you take continues to be the moral and ethical one, not to mention legal one, you are building a solid reputation.

Reputation and trust are important for true business success. What could be more satisfying than the ability to live the life of your dreams and attain total financial freedom to live how, when and where you want to live? Knowing that you reached the pinnacle of success without sacrificing what truly matters.

At the end of the day, regardless of profit or loss, you want to be able to rest your head on your pillow knowing that at your core… your inner being that makes up the real you… you have done right by yourself and the world. You cannot lie to yourself and fake this one. You know what is right in your soul. When actions are taken, or promises are made that go against a code of ethics that is woven into your DNA, you will not be able to escape from the guilt, anxiety and depression that linger. An elementary teacher gave me this advice as I was becoming a teenager, and it works for kids as well as aggressive entrepreneurs… “Do Right, Do Right, Do Right. Sleep Well.”

It isn’t easy to reach true entrepreneurial success. Many try. Few succeed. You can greatly increase your chances of success by maintaining your integrity while en route. You can even shorten the learning curve and greatly increase your chances of success by following in the steps of someone who’s been there, and done that. Get your free copy of the Business Evaluation Guide now. A lot of integrity and a little wise research go a long way on the path to creating wealth.

Take Action, and Create a Life by Design.

Greg Six has been a successful entrepreneur for over 15 years. After having owned motels and rental properties, he found success using internet marketing. He now spends his time coaching and assisting others as they search through the maze of internet offers to find the piece of the puzzle that is legitimate, and will ultimately allow an individual to create longstanding, stable wealth, without sacrificing integrity and honesty.

Visit this site now.

(This article may be reprinted, distributed and published at will, if left completely intact with links in place.)

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Tags: ethics, integrity, business, legitimate, legal

A review of case studies of ethical problems various organizations have encountered show that many common ethical problems that organizations find themselves facing arise from individuals protecting their own financial benefit and/or the short-term economic goals of their organizations and not protecting other key stakeholders of the business or organization. Organizations can avoid serious consequences by considering the consequences of their actions to six key stakeholders, including; business partners, customers, employees, opinion formers, community and authorities (Trevino and Nelson, 2005, p. 196). By analyzing decisions using these six groups as a guide; “one can begin to identify how a variety of calamities might affect a company’s reputation and the value of its brand, and how much those calamities might cost” (p. 196).

By reviewing how companies have both effectively and ineffectively responded to severe ethical dilemmas, leaders of organizations can identify 8 steps for preventing ethical dilemmas in their own organizations.

1. Top down responsibility for ethical behavior must exist within an organization. The head of the organization must take responsibility to manage the ethical behavior of the organization. This responsibility cannot be delegated. Furthermore, this responsibility cannot be downplayed to a lesser role than other key leadership responsibilities, such as, short term profits. Top leadership must set the ethical tone of the organization. They must communicate their vision regarding ethical behavior to employees often and with as much emphasis and clarity as they do with other organization goals. The leader cannot leave the ethical tone of the organization to chance or to others within the organization.

2. Organizations must design a code of ethics for the organization. This code should be developed with input from a broad section of individuals within the organization. It should be distributed to every member of the organization and referred to often in training and other types of communication to employees so that it is not just a manual that sits in a file but is seen as a valid document for answering questions regarding what is accepted and not accepted as appropriate behavior within the organization.

3. Policies must be established and reinforced in the organization regarding how to report ethical abuses. Employees must understand how to report problems and know that they can do so without fear of retribution. Care must be taken that this is not just a theoretical exercise but that examples of real reporting be given and employees are rewarded for reporting ethical dilemmas.

4. Ethical responsibility must be taught to members of the organization. This must be done in various settings including on boarding of new employees, ongoing workshops, business meetings, round-table discussions with leaders, newsletters, websites, etc… Training should include case studies where employees must examine and discuss ethical dilemmas that they realistically might face and possible actions they should take. These case studies should include real cases that have occurred or theoretical cases that may occur in the organization so individuals can understand the proper way to handle real life issues. Employees must clearly understand what they have a shared individual ethical responsibility to each of the stakeholders along with the responsibility of the organization.

5. Practices must be incorporated to ensure that discussions regarding ethics are included in the decision making process. For example, a “devil’s advocate” should challenge decisions in order to explore whether unforeseen stakeholders may be jeopardized as a result of the decision; or decisions should be reviewed by an ethics committee or department to evaluate whether other stakeholders may be at risk. The practice of questioning decisions and openly exploring their consequences must be encouraged and rewarded.

6. Accountability for ethical behavior must be taken seriously by all levels of the organization. Unethical behavior should be punished and not allowed to continue. Ethical behavior must be rewarded. Performance management systems should include ethical behavior as well as other key aspects of job performance. Those higher in an organization should be punished equally as those lower in the organization. In fact, it could be justified to punish those higher in the organization more severely than those at entry level positions because they should know better and because of the example it sets for others in the organization.

7. Organizations should act swiftly to protect stakeholders when dilemmas occur. Contingency plans should be made for dealing with a crisis in order to act quickly to protect stakeholders in times of emergencies.

8. Members of the organization must know that their primary responsibility is to defend and maintain the high reputation of the organization at all times. Leaders should encourage standards of behavior to be set higher than what the law requires. What is lawful should be considered a minimum standard; however, standards should be set higher than this minimum in order to enhance and protect the reputation of the organization. Conduct below that standard should not be accepted and raising the bar higher should be rewarded and recognized by senior leaders.

References:

Trevino, L., and Nelson, K., (2005). Corporate social responsibility and managerial ethics. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Since founding Magnify Leadership and Development, James has developed, facilitated and coached programs including; Change Leadership, Coaching, Communication Skills, Sustaining Learning, Interviewing Skills, Leadership, Territory Management for dozens of leading global organizations; including, Advantis Research and Consulting, IMS, CMOE, Pfizer, Sinclair, Disetronic Medical Systems, StratX, ASTD, Coventry Health Care, Wilson Learning, and many others. James is bilingual and can facilitate and coach in both English and Spanish.

Prior to founding Magnify Leadership and Development, James headed Pfizer’s Learning and Development for all of Europe, Canada, Africa and the Middle East where he was instrumental in the development of a global management curriculum and other training initiatives to enhance organizational effectiveness for over 30,00 employees.

Visit James website to learn how we can you with your leadership and communication development needs.

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Tags: ethics, training, questions, issues, business

“As a general proposition, you’ve all heard that the consumer residential real estate mortgage lending industry is cyclical. This is best illustrated by thinking of a old grand-father clock, with it’s pendulum swinging back and forth. It swings in one direction for a period of time, then it reverses itself. It is those reversals we have come to call ‘corrections.’ In the early stages of these reversals, the industry goes through a cleansing period, a sort of punishment phase. The length of each swing before the correction, is as a rule, roughly for the same time interval.

So there I was, in my late 20’s with 7 years under my belt in the biz operating a branch office, the recently implemented landmark Federal legislation – The Truth in Lending Act was only a couple of years old, and both Fannie & Freddie were both newborns, as I faced the first industry wide correction. Thankfully, I was employed at The Mother Company, which sheltered me from most of the negative impact of it (my employer then was a rather large, solid, and sizable financial organization). Shortly after Watergate, it came rolling in all across the Nation. As I recall it was because of serious troubles in the American Economy in the early ‘70’s. We had run-away inflation, and long gas lines, etc. Rates on conforming were 10% to 12% on 1st mortgages and 16% to 18% on seconds.

The industry wide punishment segment of this correction lasted a few years, and since I was shielded from it I don’t remember it being all that extensive. This one wasn’t our fault, the industry didn’t do it to itself. What developed as a result, was the seven decade old subprime industry left the confines of the consumer finance companies, and began to be noticed by the more conventional mortgage world. The reversed cycle that followed was generally good for the mortgage industry and lasted more than 10 full years. I was young and fairly green way back then, and my memory could be off a bit on some of the details, but that’s what I recollect.

Only a handful of years after the MBS market was created , the Government de-regulated the Savings & Loan industry (they were most of the secondary market/portfolio buyers for residential mortgage loan transactions during that period), in ‘87-88 there was a huge explosion! Countless S&L execs foolishly began to make loans that were not on local SFR’s as they had traditionally been doing utilizing depositor’s money, the previous four decades (at modest LTV’s). Instead they began to finance large investor/builder owned apartment complexes in far-flung areas they knew little about, made risky business loans, plus funding a great many non-real estate related type loans, such as lending collateralized by cattle and such! That’s what started the snow-ball. As these S&L’s failed one by one, ultimately FSLIC failed (the S&L equivalent of FDIC at that time). Although it was the de-regulation that was the core problem that time; many S&L execs were easily fooled by being in regions they were unaccustomed to, losses were astronomical, many S&L senor execs and owners were convicted of criminal activity.

A few of you veterans will remember many scandals, felony convictions, and jail sentences … Charles Keating of Lincoln Savings and others. Industry wide, nearly everyone got punished, many MI companies went under, as did a great many mortgage bankers and brokers who fell like dominos … but basically it wasn’t our fault, Government corruption and de-regulation were at the center, was my analysis at the time. Today with the Internet, I found this article which summarizes it from an historical viewpoint. With my own head down and bullets flying-by close overhead, it’s not as tidy as Google shows you. The Government’s RTC bail-out (you can Google Resolution Trust Corporation) saved even more people from being punished. This industry punishment segment lasted a couple of years as well. During this one, I operated a fairly sizable nationwide wholesale company, with a $4+ Million annual overhead ($0 of that was commissions BTW), so I remember this one like it was just last month. I frequently had nightmares and was often scared to death throughout this period. As a result, the mortgage asset backed securitization market grew like gang-busters after this. The reversed cycle that followed was generally not favorable for the mortgage industry, it lasted more almost 10 full years like the last one. What I’ve written is from my memory, it was ugly, I was there and that’s how I remember it!

Two years after I closed my former company, underwent two Cancer surgeries and was an independent consultant helping mortgage operators locally, came the next correction. This last one, came as a result of the Russian Ruble crisis in the Fall of ’98. Worldwide Capital markets got squeezed big time … some of you might remember Old Stone, Conti Mortgage, Southern Pacific, and many more names back from that era, who didn’t make it. This market ‘reversal’ was a quick one, the industry wide punishment was mild compared to last time; it wasn’t a long prolonged slow bleed-out like today. We didn’t do that one to ourselves either. As a result, there were more than 350,000 new originators that jumped into this business, due to the paradigm shift of big commissions being offered to originators (a notion previously unprecedented) by the few lender survivors plus the new ones that developed – since there were many unemployed people available due to lender failures, this was the largest single growth period in the history of our industry … they’re exiting now.

As the pendulum swung back, this reversed cycle which followed, was historically the biggest boom-time for the industry I had ever seen. Housing values soared, rates plunged to the lowest levels in more than a half century, and generally a good time was had by all for the remained of this short lived 7 year cycle.

Today as a Teacher/Mentor and the semi-retired Founder of www.secretuniversity.com I see, unlike the three previous ‘corrections’, this late 2005-2006 reversal has not been due to circumstances generally beyond our control, this one is due entirely to actions solely by industry insiders. Many of my peers and I have seen this one coming since early ’04 as it became apparent ‘the wheels were starting to come off the wagon.’ On the rise we saw originators working in their jammies with the bunny-slippers at home, broker/LO fraud starting to become a concern to wholesalers, wholesalers promoting irrational No Doc and Stated loans to low FICOs with high LTV’s, etc … The early symptoms began showing up in our newsletters, in late ’03 and well into ’04. An epidemic of greed prevailed nationwide for several years, with an industry flooded by unethical and unbelievably poorly educated, trained and supervised personnel who were our industry’s front-line, exploiting the public – a virtually frenzied wild-west gold-rush mentality. RESPA violations overwhelmed those that policed the industry, Wall Street greed incentivizing foolish wholesale lending program extreme offerings, that literally gave away money to borrowers, unethical behavior and greed fueled ramped fraud and abuse at all levels. By anyone’s definition, the industry did this one to itself. And, it’s going to be a long and slow bleed out, The reversed cycle that will follow, will by and large, not be complimentary for the mortgage industry.

Even if it’s as short lived as the last one, this pendulum swing should last at least another 5 years, while the industry punishment segment, should be generally over by next Summer, or Fall. There’s plenty of blame to go around. I do not believe the effect on the overall market will be as massive as the ‘87-88 collapse, but this one is gonna be close, and some in the know think even bigger!

As in the past, as the punishment portion ends, and this recovery ultimately begins, we’ll find many new and exciting organizations emerge from the wreckage of the retribution of this harsh reversal, and there will be countless innovative programs, products, and ways of doing presented. Even though scary as it is happening, this renewal of the business from time to time, gives us all hope, for a stronger and increasingly solid industry, that’s a critical and vibrant part of the American economy.

Article by Peter Cugno, Chairman & CEO of Secret! University, the educational division of Americas Money Center, Inc. with 40+ years experience in the subprime industry niche. Questions or comments may be directed online here.

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Tags: ethics, social, responsibility, code, work

We see and read about what appears to be obvious lapses of ethical behavior almost on a daily basis and ask “how is that possible”? It appears obvious to anyone learning about these stories for the first time that there was a breech of what is appropriate behavior and we wonder how so many people could be so unethical. We also believe that we certainly would act differently if we were in the same situation.

One reason why otherwise normal individuals may be caught in unethical behavior is because of a social learning process that occurs in all teams and groups. Members of teams and groups learn acceptable and expected behavior by other members and leaders of the team. Over time, a culture evolves that either encourages or discourages certain behavior. Members are even pressured either consciously or subconsciously to conform to what is accepted by the larger group. If the social group in which an individual belongs does not punish negative behavior, or even reinforces inappropriate behavior through the use of direct or indirect rewards, many people who may not behalf inappropriately in normal circumstances, may cross the line and behalf inappropriately in other circumstances.

The Tailhook Association is an association of naval aviators whose annual convention became the center of a sexual scandal because of the 90 sexual harassment charges that resulted from their 1991 convention. In all, 140 aviators were charged. While these men were not participating in such behavior outside of the convention, while at the convention, they felt their behavior was appropriate and undeserving of punishment. These types of incidents had long been known to those in the Navy and those familiar with the organization. The group never had been disciplined for treating women inappropriately.

In fact, most everyone in the military accepted the behavior as appropriate for this type of group and convention. Over the years, a culture had developed within the group that permitted sexually inappropriate behavior to occur. While no one in command would have explicitly rewarded the activity, no one would reprimand anyone for it either. Because it was permitted, the convention became a safe haven for behavior that would have been considered inappropriate in other circumstances. Members “learned” through the lack of punishment and through the tacit acceptance of the behavior that the behavior was accepted and even expected at a Tailhook Convention. It was a place where they could “let their hair down” and have fun, even though they may not have acted the same elsewhere. (Trevino and Nelson, 2005, p. 169).

The public was outraged as to how the men could act the way they did and how the Navy could have allowed such behavior to continue. While the activities seemed obviously inappropriate and unethical to anyone learning about the story for the first time, very few of the men were ever seriously held accountable for the incident. How could the group have developed a culture of such inappropriate behavior? Because, the individuals in the group had received reinforcement through many years of the organization that such behavior was accepted and even expected at Tailhook Conventions. The military did nothing to stop it, which actually encouraged the behavior more. After 1991, they slowly began to change, but still took no drastic action to discipline those involved. This lack of discipline likely reinforced the viewpoint of those involved that the behavior was acceptable and should not be punished.

The implications for other organizations and managers are clear. Rewarding unethical behavior will reinforce the behavior within the organization. Furthermore, even looking the other way and allowing the behavior to continue is a form of reward because it sends the message that the behavior is acceptable. Over time, the behavior can be ingrained in the culture and individuals, who otherwise would otherwise not do so, may begin to feel pressure to conform. Managers must not allow unethical behavior to continue without taking action to correct it. This should include taking actions against those who participate. If the Navy had taken action to punish those involved in sexual harassment at the convention, a clear message would have been sent that the behavior would no longer be accepted, and improvements in behavior may have begun to occur. The same in true in all organizations; managers that may look the other way, while inappropriate behavior occurs in their teams, are inviting unethical behavior to become part of the learned organizational behavior of their teams. Unless, they act to prevent and correct unethical behavior, individuals will continue and new members will be taught and encouraged to begin unethical behavior.

References:

Trevino, L., and Nelson, K., (2005). Corporate social responsibility and managerial ethics. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Since founding Magnify Leadership and Development, James has developed, facilitated and coached programs including; Change Leadership, Coaching, Communication Skills, Sustaining Learning, Interviewing Skills, Leadership, Territory Management for dozens of leading global organizations; including, Advantis Research and Consulting, IMS, CMOE, Pfizer, Sinclair, Disetronic Medical Systems, StratX, ASTD, Coventry Health Care, Wilson Learning, and many others. James is bilingual and can facilitate and coach in both English and Spanish.

Prior to founding Magnify Leadership and Development, James headed Pfizer’s Learning and Development for all of Europe, Canada, Africa and the Middle East where he was instrumental in the development of a global management curriculum and other training initiatives to enhance organizational effectiveness for over 30,00 employees.

Visit James website to learn how we can you with your leadership and communication development needs.

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Tags: ethics, training, questions, issues, business

“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.

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Tags: corporate, business, organization, vision, ethics

“Isn’t it about time that you got right with money? When I say “right” what I am talking about is getting money right emotionally. Money is a very controversial subject in our society. Mention money to almost anyone and it will bring out a certain level of discomfort because almost everyone lacks money. Statistics say that 97% of our population works for 3% of society.

Only around 4% to 5 % achieve a six figure income and one-twentieth of 1% of society achieve a seven figure income. “Why is it,” I ask, “that so many people struggle when we are living in a world with so many opportunities to create wealth?” In this information I will be presenting what I believe to be the reasons that hold so many people from receiving the money they deserve.

I have personally coached hundreds of great people in the last six years whose struggles with money issues have caused them to sabotage themselves over and over. One of the first questions to ask when it comes to money is, “Who was my role model when it comes to money, prosperity, finance, and abundance?” For most of us it was our parents and for them it was their parents. Let’s also state that this information is not about blaming anyone. You are now a grownup and your perception of money is now up to you.

The next question to ask is, “What did I learn in my education about money?” Typical high school curriculum includes courses about economics and government but nothing about how to attract money or how to have a healthy relationship with money. Traditional education teaches how to acquire job skills, and prepares students to get paid what a particular job is worth, not what the individual is worth.

Making more money requires education about free enterprise and how to get paid what the free market bears; getting paid on your terms and your time frame, and learning about service and value. The more valuable you become through the service you provide, the more you make. This is not about working hard because if that were the case, then all of the world laborers would be millionaires.

Over the centuries money has gotten a bad rap by being associated with corruption, greed, pain, and the misuse of power. A perception grew that somehow the rich deprived the poor and that wealthy people were bad people, were not loveable, were disconnected from love, and were greedy. The sad fact is that most people just don’t believe they deserve to have money freedom or peace of mind.

I believe that you can be rich, spiritual, and prosperous, and that with your abundance you can create love and compassion using your wealth to assist others strengthen their skills so that they too have the opportunity to be prosperous in life’s ways.

Most of us have been taught that “Money is the root of all evil,” but the actual quotation from the Bible is, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” Money itself is neutral – not good or bad. It is paper and metal that symbolizes an exchange of goods and services. Money is an energy that you either attract or repel. It is the negative emotions around money such as greed, obsession, and power that can bring negative experiences, and that keep most people from it.

In the last several centuries there has been radical change in opportunity, philosophy, and ways to create wealth. Many courageous forerunners paved the way for new thoughts and ideas about prosperity, abundance, self sufficiency, and enlightenment. Just in the last hundred years brilliant writers and speakers have emerged like Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie, Earnest Holmes, Katherine Ponder, Florence Scovel Schinn, Earl Nightengale, Louise Hay, Jim Rohn and Tony Robbins, to name a few of my favorites that have assisted me with my enlightenment.

A whole consciousness of self-help and personal development has become available to the masses. Bookstores and coffee bars are now as popular as some of the old traditional night spots, and we now have access to coaches and mentors to be emotionally, financially, and spiritually fit.

People now realize that they are responsible for their own empowerment. They see that assuming responsibility can bring them prosperity and allow them to become more and to do more. For this to happen, people have to have belief in themselves and grasp the idea that they can control their lives. In our me-too, microwave, lottery-mentality society very few people ever put the proper thoughts and proper actions together at the same time to provoke the results they deserve.

Plain and simple, most people don’t believe they deserve prosperity and abundance. They want, wish, like to, if only, pray for a miracle, and most of all want for change to happen. Sorry, it doesn’t operate that way. Too many people tiptoe quietly to their graves looking back only to say – “I wish I would have!”

Still, don’t lose heart for it can officially become “Now O’clock” at any minute. There are 86,400 seconds in every single day; 1,440 minutes, 24 hours, one day, one week, one month, one year, one lifetime. We can change at any moment. Is it hard or is it easy? You are one thought away from success or one thought away from failure. It is a choice we have the opportunity to make every single day.

I believe God wants us to be rich, prosperous, and free. God did not create fear, it is manmade. Fear overrides most people’s dreams and objectives. Most people aren’t even able to identify what they are afraid of. All they know is they are struggling just to keep up with the other sheep in the pasture.

You have to get past the thoughts that money is bad and will somehow taint you. Abundance is natural and spiritual. Money will not deprive you but could actually enlighten you. Many of the great teachers have given credence to the idea that abundance is spiritual and that it is the power of your thoughts that creates abundance for you.

If you are wealthy more often than not you will be dispersing your money commercially and charitably, supporting many people around you and adding to the velocity of overall wealth. There are literally trillions of dollars passing about electronically on any given day, and those signals are literally passing by you at all times.

If you stop and think about it, there are millions of dollars flowing through your body at the moment. Imagine making a slight flick of the wrist in order to stop some of that money in transit so it sticks with you. A flick of the mind is a flick of the wrist.

Money can be good – greed is not good. There are no reasons why you can’t be very rich, very rich in fact, and still be a very valuable generous spiritual person with a huge heart and compassion for everyone.

Jeffery Combs is an internationally recognized speaker, trainer, and author committed to assisting people with personal growth and development.

He can be contacted online . Jeffery & Erica Combs host The More Heart Than Talent Mindset Conference each and every January to assist you to create quantum leaps to success in your enterprise by bringing world-class speakers and personal development experts together in an inspiring and empowering 3 day forum EVERYONE can afford to attend!