With the continuously surfacing scandals in Corporate America, the idea that any form of ethics exists in business is suspect. We are also seeing similar situations within the ranks of government and religious leaders. And, the lack of ethics is not confined to America. It’s global!

By definition, ethics reflect the type of morally permissible standards of conduct a group places upon themselves. It is basically a contract with the society an entity serves. Greed, the desire for power, and blind ambition are some of the factors that have all but eliminated ethical standards. We have lost our conscience. It seems that anything one can get away with to reach their defined pinnacle of success is becoming more and more acceptable.

But the truth of the matter is that a society without rules is a society that is on the brink of chaos and self destruction. Likewise, a society with the wrong kind of rules will ultimately suffer the same fate. Now I’m not sounding the doomsday bell. We still have much residual ethics left in the world to overcome the current trend. But, like a natural resource, our supply is getting lower and we must reverse this downward spiral otherwise a valuable fabric of human society will disappear.

What about you? Do you have your own personal code of ethics that form the core of your decision making process? Allowing a small slip today, without a checks and balance system, can ultimately lead to a major spill. Bad habits start small and can quickly grow into an unethical monster. Without conscience serving as a standard of measurement, ethics disappear.

Once we could say that a strong religious orientation was a good standard to govern our ethical conduct. But today, when religious zealots kill in the name of their god, they taint the idea that religious beliefs always produce ethical behavior. Patriotism was once considered a driver of ethical behavior. In my lifetime, I have witnessed a sharp decline in the loyalty to the American ideals of yesteryear. We now have leaders in America speaking out against these ideals almost to the point of being treasonous. These are scary times.

Call me a sentimentalist or a fool but I believe that eventually good triumphs over evil. The lackluster presence of any kind of ethical standards simply means that the effort to turn the direction of our global society must be increased. There has always been unethical behavior in the world. Apathy and acceptance of behavior blatantly unethical must be replaced with a commitment to return to sound principles of conduct. As a starting point, let me suggest that if we simply all began to follow the mandates of the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule, we’d be very much on the path of corrective action.

Start with yourself. Hold “”you”" to high standards and morally sound ethical principals centered on the eleven rules just mentioned. By your example, others will begin to see the soundness of your actions. Your life can affect the life of friends and family. Don’t underestimate the power of one. Make a difference by teaching the world to return conscience to decision making.

The next time you face a particularly difficult decision, try answering these questions:

* Can I share my decision with everyone?

* Is it legal?

* How does the decision make me feel about myself?

* Who does this decision negatively impact?

* Why am I making this particular decision?

* Have I clearly defined the problem requiring a decision to be sure I’m addressing the correct issue?

* Does this decision serve the company or me personally?

* Is the decision based upon facts consistent with fair play?

* Is the decision consistent with organizational values and culture or my own personal system of ethics?

* Is the decision fair and balanced to those it impacts?

The answers to the above list of questions will clearly identify the ethics of a decision relative to your own personal standards. By being very clear on our five to ten core values, we establish the ground rules for running our life. We know when we act contrary or incongruent to our values. Ignoring this feeling usually gets us in trouble. Most understand the difference between right and wrong. They just choose to follow wrong!

Some Final Thoughts on Ethics

Everyone has moral autonomy. We have the power to make individual choices, important to us, as we move through life. Choices are based upon the personal set of values we’ve established as rules for how we will live our life. Most understand that all choices are not necessarily ethical. But most know when such choices are made.

Whatever ethical standards we’ve established for ourselves are with us twenty-four hours a day. There is no different set of business ethics. Our personal ethics come to work with us.

We need to be more keenly aware when we have ethical lapses and continuously strive to make them less frequent. Life is not perfect and we are not perfect. Placing a high moral standard to govern our actions is the right thing to do. The question to answer is, “Do we have the moral courage to do so?”

Billy Arcement, MEd.,-The Leadership Strategist, is a seasoned professional speaker, author, facilitator and coach. Learn more about his services at his website

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Tags: ethics, decision, making, ethical, leaders

“Every month, for that matter every week, without fail, an indictment or an announcement about a prison sentence makes the news in a dramatic fashion. Now is no different. What is different is a trend that should capture attention – especially to those who might consider the gray area of ethical choices.

The Wall Street Journal reports, “On Monday, former Adelphia Executives John and Timothy Rigas reported to the federal prison in Butner, N.C. John, Adelphia’s founder and his son Timothy, Adelphia’s former chief financial officer, were convicted in 2004 on multiple fraud charges, but had remained free on bail while appealing their convictions. John has been sentenced to 15 years, Timothy 20. Here’s the story from the Washington Post”

Twenty years and fifteen years, count back and ask yourself where you were fifteen and twenty years ago, then think to now. For these men, that’s the time that they will serve in Federal Prison for their actions. For those reading, do no misinterpret my comments, I am not expressing an opinion on the fairness of the sentence or the crimes they committed. That judgment is certainly not up to me. Rather, just think about the consequences from the choices they made.

In the case of the Rigases, the eldest 82 and the youngest 51, they lived lavish lifestyles but will find the end of life dramatically different. Prison is not “club Fed.” There is no club to it. The consequences of their choices mean that, no only does their life change, but the lives of those they touched do as well. Certainly, shareholders of Adelphia (the company they are convicted of defrauding) have suffered financially, but likewise, their families will have their lives changed in unexpected ways.

The elder Rigas is reported to have cancer. What a potentially dramatic end to life to find that one’s death occurs in prison. The likelihood that an 82 year old man will survive 20 years in prison is unlikely. Needless to say, his grandchildren will be affected along with other members of his family.

Likewise the New York Times reports, “Sanjay Kumar, former chief executive of Computer Associates, now known as CA Inc., began serving a 12-year prison term yesterday for his role in a $2.2 billion accounting fraud at the software company. Mr. Kumar, 45, reported to a federal prison in Fairton, N.J., said Mike Truman, a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He will serve his sentence at a minimum-security federal prison camp there.

Mr. Kumar pleaded guilty in April 2006, two weeks before his trial was to begin, to charges including conspiracy, securities fraud and obstruction of justice stemming from an accounting scandal that cost CA shareholders more than $400 million. When he pleaded guilty, Mr. Kumar admitted that he had improperly booked software license revenue to meet Wall Street profit targets and then lied to investigators about it.”

In my opening I made a comment about the “gray area” of ethical choices. Some would argue that there is no gray. Yet, those in the business community are called upon daily to make decisions regarding business activities that, upon review, could be called into question. Over the years I have seen many restatements of financial information, due to better information, or a change in interpretation. So what is “gray?”

Interesting, but just a week or so ago, I had the privilege of speaking to a group on the subject of ethics (something I enjoy doing – by the way, I’d consider it a privilege to speak to your organization!). But, back to the subject, during that presentation the group was presented with several situations where “ethics” may be called into play. The result was fascinating. Among a group of professed ethical people, there were no clear answers.

So what does that have to do with prison sentences for folks judged to be guilty of various crimes. Perhaps nothing or perhaps everything. From my own experience as an otherwise ethical person, my first venture into clearly unethical behavior didn’t start out as a blatant unethical choice. Rather, I dipped my toe into the “gray area” of ethical decision making thinking that there was no consequence. At first there was none – at least none that I could discern. But, every choice has a consequence.

The Rigases and Kumar are experiencing that today, even as you read these words. They will be counted six times per day. They will be known as a number. They will be fed what the inmates cook at a time dictated. They will be expected to work for some nominal amount per hour (I earned 12 cents per hour). And, they will quickly come to understand being disconnected from society – there only connection being mail and collect calls from pay phones. There life has changed as a result of their choices.

Every choice has a consequence! Do your employees make the best choices for your company – or for themselves? Most organizations are vulnerable to unethical activities at any level. The message, I share as a keynote ethics speaker, crystallizes, for those who hear, the critical importance of making the right choices and the positive results that can follow…a must for those who want to promote individual and organizational integrity in the workplace.

Chuck Gallagher is an international speaker and author who shares his life experience in a way that is meaningful for his audiences. As an Ethics Keynote Speaker he shares insights into Ethical behavior and Fraud Awareness. For information on Chuck’s presentations or how to subscribe to his free ezine…visit this site.

If you feel that your organization can benefit from straight talk about success, choices and ethics…visit my website.

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Tags: decision, making, ethics, choices, consequence

“Most people and most businesses are devoted to doing the right thing. They are trying to deal with their customers, their vendors, their community, the environment, their investors and lenders all in a fair and ethical manner. If that’s true how come all we ever hear about are the Enrons and Adelphias? And how come TV shows, movies and literature always depict business as a dog-eat-dog world?

With many years as a journalist and marketing communications practitioner behind me, I see a simple answer to this paradox. Good news is not news. Drama about good guys is not as interesting as the scoundrels. Occasionally there’s someone like George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life who comes out on top. But even that took divine intervention.

The truth is most folks are out there doing what they can to do the right thing even though they are not at all sure they are in the majority. Make no mistake; there are those who cut corners everywhere. And we have all been tempted to cover up our mistakes for one reason or another. But the vast majority are trying to take the high road.

Take heart. There is a new movement afoot to spread the news that following the highest ethical standards is the best route to higher profits. The evidence is mounting that those companies that follow an Ethical Business Model make more money that those that choose less savory alternatives.

Think about it, it makes sense. As my daddy used to say, “Wouldn’t you rather do business with an honest business?” Wouldn’t you rather do business where the employees look forward to coming to work every day? Wouldn’t you rather do business with a company that helps out in the local community? That treats the environment like a fine watch. Of course you would. Sure you have to make money, but that comes naturally when you do the right thing.

It can pay off big time. The companies that follow this path stand to make many times the profits enjoyed by those who don’t. Does doing the right thing insure success? Of course not. You still have to work hard, and you have to be lucky. But all things being equal on those counts, you will make a lot more money by doing the right thing.

In my new book, Play Nice, Make Money, I trace the history of companies built on this principle from the 1700s right up to this year. I use history and current case studies on both good guys and bad guys. And I show solid research to back up my position.

Join the revolution, recognize that we are a majority. Stand up for what you know to be right and what you believe in. Living the ethical life is a lot more fun and everyone needs to understand that, especially young people entering the business world. The rewards are many, and one of them may be financial.

Bill McKibben is the author of Play Nice, Make Money Check it out here. He is the Senior Partner, Ethics Practice, of the Great Lakes Group.

The purposeful choice to pursue creative thought as we seek greater understanding of ourselves, our associations, and our world is foundational to the development and ultimately, the establishment of our personal values and ethics.

Judicious, strategic thought processes enable individuals to realize the qualities within themselves as well as areas that need eradication or improvement. “A person’s attitude toward himself has a profound influence on his attitudes toward God, his family, his friends, his future, and many significant areas of his life.” (Institute,1986) God tells us in II Corinthians that we are “epistles…known and read by all men.” It is through clear understanding of the facts, principles, and concepts presented in God’s Word that one can manifest the person God declares him to be. If I were to be the only book that an individual might read, it is my sincere desire that they will read Jesus in me.

God calls His children to prepare their minds for action (I Peter 13:1), to purpose to increase in knowledge and wisdom (I Peter 15), and to do so with gentleness and respect. God summons us to critical thinking, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and correctly handles the Word of Truth.” (II Timothy 2:15) Utilizing the tools of critical thinking; observation, remembering, wondering, inquiring, interpreting, evaluating, and judging, we align ourselves with the mandates of Scripture in every context of our lives. God said in II Timothy 3:16 & 17 that, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The decisions I make in my personal, professional, organizational, and civic life are scrutinized under this biblical lens.

Many thoughts run through a young mother’s mind the moment she gives birth and the doctor declares, “It’s a boy!” My very first conscious thought was, however, not so typical. I replied to the Lord as He impressed upon me His plans for my son, “Oh no Lord, I don’t want him to have to face the ravages of war. Please God, spare my son from such misery”. Throughout Jeremy’s growing up years God confirmed His calling for my son. Trusting God implicitly, I surrendered my son to Him.

It takes a purposeful study of God’s Word to truly come to know Him in all that He is. He is the Creator of sunsets and of hurricanes. He is the Creator of majestic mountains and of tidal waves. He is Sovereign, Holy, God Almighty, Creator, Redeemer, most loving and most terrifying. Jeremy called me from Colorado State University one evening just prior to his junior year. He informed me he was going to enlist in the Armed Forces. I disclosed to him that I had always known. I assured him that God would protect him. Thirty days later, the World Trade Centers and the lives of many innocent victims were destroyed. God, in His sovereignty created my son for such a time as this.

Throughout the tumult of war I had to continually guard my heart from fear. My son’s wife spent much of the time during his deployment with our family. She was reading the living book God had provided, page by page, chapter by chapter. Had she found evidence of Jesus amongst the pages?

Stuart C. Gilman, President of the Ethics Resource Center (ERC) stated in speech delivered May 6, 2004 at Tranparancia por Colombia’s Annual General Meeting:

A strategy based on integrity holds organizations to a more robust standard. While compliance is rooted in avoiding legal sanctions, organizational integrity is based on the concept of self-governance in accordance with a set of guiding principles. From the perspective of
integrity, the task of ethics management is to define and give life to an organization’s guiding values, to create an environment that supports ethically sound behavior, and to instill a sense of shared accountability among employees. The need to obey the law is viewed as a positive aspect of organizational life, rather than an unwelcome constraint imposed by external authorities.

To be truly effective, ethics must be an integral part of the organizational culture. What then, are the character qualities that define and support ethically sound behavior? I have taught ethics values in my home, Sunday School classes, sales training courses, leadership development courses, and to those I have mentored. One of the most effective strategies for defining and understanding personal and professional ethics is to define each desired quality and then to follow with its antonym.

Attentiveness

Attentiveness is intentionally observing, listening, speaking or behaving toward someone that shows them you accept and value them. It is also being aware of trends, the competition, shifts in the economy, changes in the organizational climate and other factors that could impact your organizations future.

I exemplify attentiveness when I:

Adjust my schedule to accommodate the needs of those I am serving. Consistently follow through with what I have promised.Apply the resources I have in a creative way to overcome obstacles and
provide solutions.

Synonyms: conscientious, thoughtful, considerate, proactive, self-less, thorough

Antonyms: inattentive, inconsiderate, ignorant, insensitive, reactive, self-absorbed

Grace

Grace allows individuals to dream, plan, and take calculated risks in their personal and professional lives without criticism or judgment.

I embrace grace when I:

Allow others the freedom to fail forward, without admonishment, in order that they may effectively learn valuable life lessons necessary for future achievement.

Demonstrate unconditional acceptance.

Withhold discipline when discipline is warranted, but compassion would be the better teacher.

Synonyms: benevolent, courteous, empathetic, generous, just, merciful, patient

Antonyms: arrogant, callous, critical, discourteous, inconsiderate, legalism

Integrity

Integrity is the distinguishing characteristic of purposely acquiring and steadfastly adhering to a set of high moral or professional principles. It establishes an organizational foundation built on the cornerstones of personal and collective accountability, mutual respect, open and honest communication, and credibility. It prevents an organizational identity crisis.

I demonstrate integrity when:

My attitudes, words, and actions consistently reflect my values. I incorporate ethical practices in myself, family, community, and my profession. I devote my energy and resources to furthering the organizational goals and objectives of my employer. I promptly and resolutely confront unethical behavior.

Synonyms: accountable, honorable, principled, righteous, steadfast, tenacious, truthful

Antonyms: immoral, deceitful, devious, dishonorable, fickle, unreliable, unscrupulous

I have purposefully chosen to pursue creative thought to seek greater understanding of myself, my
associations, and my world. It has been foundational to the development and ultimately, the
establishment of my personal values and ethics. Through judicious, strategic thought processes I
recognize the qualities within myself as well as areas that need eradication or improvement. My personal and professional code of ethics are one in the same. They do not reflect the way I perceive myself. They

reflect the way God perceives me; that I might be an “epistle…known and read by all men.” It is through clear understanding of the facts, principles, and concepts presented in God’s Word that I can manifest the person God declares me to be.

Reference Page

Auxillium West. (2002, August 19) Effective Organizations: Organization Development

Retrieved August 31, 2004 from www.business.com

Department of Institutional Research and Effectiveness. (2004, March) University of

Phoenix Fact Book 2004. Phoenix, Arizona.

Gilman, S.C. (2004, April 6). Private Sector – The Co-Responsibility in Building

Integrity. Ethics Resource Center 2004-05 Speech ID: 855. Retrieved July 28,

2004, from the website

Victoria Krayna BSB/M; MM Founder/President of Life-staging by Victoria

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Relationship Coach Perform personal, partner, and relationship profiles to define problem-areas. Provide guidelines, action steps, time-tables, and accountability for sustainable change. If you have been placing your focus on real and/or perceived limitations instead of the education, skills, aptitudes, passions and experiences God has gifted you with, then it’s time to explore coaching with Victoria.

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Tags: ethics, decision, making, ethical, standard

Most people would agree that decision making has never been more challenging, quite simply because more information does not make the decision better. Knowing what information to trust does. Business decisions today demand a balance of intuition and logic. The blend is best captured by what Malcolm Gladwell referred to as thin slicing… the art and science of thinking without thinking.

Making business decisions in today’s complex environment demands a level of attunement and trust in your intuition that calls for a pretty high level of self-awareness. Without that the signals come and go and you are left none the wiser. It is way too easy to dismiss the ‘soft skills’ to be dismissed as too much woo-woo. Right now, without the ‘soft skills’ the dots just do not get connected.

In decision-making and in ethics, self-awareness is the foundation for seeing the context with the widest and clearest lens possible, the underlying forces impacting direction, the web of people who are affected, and the dynamic in its entirety.

For someone with a high level of awareness, the map is before them at all times.

Areas of power and turf overlaps are clear and recognized along with what is driving the division. Reality has a sharper and clearer focus. The invisible forces that drive temptation no longer escape detection. You know when you are leading yourself into temptation and you know there are alternatives to choose from. This does not make you immune to making mistakes, but you do know why you made them. This learning can be immediately applied which is much less painful than repeating the same mistakes over and over again.

Ethical breaches demonstrated by Enron, WorldCom are bigger, more complex examples of the same kind of behavior seen when CEO’s or executives deceive boards on uncomfortable truths. In The Five Temptations of a CEO Patrick Lencioni named “”the desire to protect the status of career, the desire to be popular, the need to achieve certainty – make correct decisions, the desire for harmony and the desire for invulnerability”" as the pit traps for executive success. You will note that every single one of those temptations is also a pit trap for ethical breaches.

Clearly there is more to resolving the situation than just becoming more aware. Systems, procedures and totally outmoded business models hold a part of the responsibility. Obviously these can not be addressed until they are seen, noticed and the connection to results has been made.

Personally and professionally, it starts with awareness. Awareness is the information-gathering stage, and it normally begins when you notice something is seriously wrong with the picture-either within you or in the environment. Once you notice, you simultaneously open a window to question and understand. Questions reveal understanding and understanding brings clarity. Clarity is looking through the window defogged by assumption, desire, or need.

In gray zones, the advantage of being aware is even more magnified. Shades of gray can often have ethical and moral implications that you really want to know about. Not knowing about them can put you in the headlines or in jail. Without being able to see what put you close to the delicate line, you cannot see the line; much less know when you are standing on it.

So what gets in the way of this clear-seeing awareness?

* Ego: The need to feel separate from others. Your entire self-identity is based on who you are in relation to others.
* Misuse of Power: The desire to use the power of your position to serve yourself.
* Righteousness: The need to be right all the time; rigidity.
* Judgment: Too much judgment makes learning a risk-taking venture, and vulnerability a personal-safety issue rather than a springboard for strength.
* Unconsciousness: Walking around in a fog, being unaware of what is going on around you.
* Closed-mindedness: Not being receptive to information that informs who you are in that moment-and not wanting to know.

Dr. Charles Ehin in an article in Baseline named seven indicators signalling when an executive is out of touch. All of them source back to self-awareness. The indicators include:

* being clear on the personal lenses and filters used to navigate life,
* reliance on tried and true principles that ignore the current reality,
* the degree to which you rely on doing what has worked before without noticing it is no longer working, and
* the inability to be aware of when change has happened.

You can not change what you can not see.

Most of the indicators named, refer to the personal and professional need for external validation, rather than an intrinsic sense of security, identity and emotional self-knowledge.

The need for outside validation when making ethical decisions creates the shoreline where your relationship with yourself confronts your ability to be true to yourself. The capacity to be aligned starts with being aware of who you are and what your place is in the world. With the clarity that comes from constantly upgrading your self-awareness you can much more readily see when the cultural or social context is driving your personal integrity or whether you are holding the wheel.

©2007 From InSight to Action Publications – Dawna H. Jones – Evolutionary Provocateur. To access other information at no charge visit this site. Dawna H. Jones has spent 25 years helping companies and their employees expand insight and foresight to achieve higher levels of performance. Committed to doing whatever it takes to spark profound, lasting change in teams, organizations – or within oneself – she constantly pushes the edge to merge science, metaphysics, human and physical dynamics to optimal advantage. She can be reached at 1.866.605.0880.

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Twenty-one years ago I made a choice. At the time it seemed so simple and insignificant. I sat there with three questions as I pondered the “opportunity”: Who would know? Who would care? And the cost – what cost? Little did I know at the time that every, literally every, choice has a consequence. That is a universal law – a spiritual law – that governs us all…just like gravity.

Anyone that knew me, at the time, would have said that I was basically an honest and ethical person. I was respected in my community, a community and civic leader, active in my church, serving as music director. No one, not even I, would have suspected that ten years later that I would be an inmate in Federal Prison.

Have you ever found yourself over-extended? I did and I admit that I liked that lifestyle. The only problem was my bank account couldn’t support that lifestyle. This became the groundwork for the seed to be planted.

Throughout our lives, in fact many times during our lives, we are faced with temptations. It is not the temptation that’s the issue; it’s how we respond to it that defines us. In my case, I was more concerned with maintaining the illusion of success than I was with my own honesty and integrity.

After one Christmas, some twenty years ago, I received a call from my local banker, who said, “Chuck, we noticed that you’re behind in your house payment. Is their problem?” Now, being a successful tax partner in a CPA firm, I certainly did not want to appear to be incapable of managing my own money. So, of course, I suggested that his records were wrong and asked him to check again. The reality was, however, I was behind.

I had a problem. I needed money! Then, it hit me. I was the trustee of a trust. Why not borrow money from the trust? So, I put on my trustee hat. I looked at myself and said, “Don’t you need to borrow some money?” And as I took my trustee hat off, I replied, “Why, yes I do.” And with that little interchange, I stole money from the trust and changed my life forever. I planted the seed into the groundwork I laid.

Have you ever had one of those moments in your life, when you wish you could just rewind the tape? You wish you could just do it over? That was one of those moments. The fact is, when you make a choice, you have to accept the consequences. By my choice, I set the consequence in motion.

Therefore, I called the banker back, and apologizing profusely said, “My wife pays the bills. Considering this was our first Christmas with our new son, she must’ve just overlooked the house payment. I’ll make sure you receive it today.” Of course, I took the stolen money and made the payment.

Three months later, I paid back the trust. I convinced myself that it was just a loan. Unfortunately, I found out it was easy. Nobody was the wiser. It was easy to take money, in order to maintain the illusion. Thus, over the next several years, I took more.

Ten years later I found myself an inmate in Federal prison. I was reaping the consequences of the choices I made. From that first experience, I set into motion an outcome that would define my life forever. The following is an excerpt from my prison memoirs. Perhaps it can give you a glimpse of the reality of consequences one might face.

October 7, 1995. It’s Saturday morning and I just had my first prison visit. As I walked out of the visitation room, several of the inmates were standing outside near the make shift barbershop. Buck was standing there, so I stopped. From that vantage point, inmates can see their loved ones leave.

I can’t begin to describe how moving this experience was. Loved ones waving to the inmates, children hollering – “I love you Daddy,” inmates waving in return. Buck said this was the saddest time for him. He saw his family leave, as I saw you leave. I choked back tears then, but feel the depth of emotion now.

As I write this now, I would prefer to be away from here. How precious is freedom, and how much we take it for granted. There is wonderful humanity here — truly fine people, who made the wrong choice. Still, by the grace of God, I am protected. I have clothing, shelter and food.

We all seem to keep up this tough façade — I guess it’s a form of protection. But deep down, there’s a level of sadness. Many have it worse than me. For now, I need to get outside. I know some changes are taking place. And yet I feel I have a long way to go.

Now, 2007 some twenty years after the crime and eleven years since I’ve seen the inside of a prison, I know the law of reaping and sowing in greater detail. I sowed the wrong seeds and reaped, what most would describe as, a negative harvest. Yet, over time I have seen the law applied in more positive ways than I can imagine.

Today I am planting good seeds. Through accepting responsibility and living an ethical life, I have been given a second chance. I am blessed to serve as a Sales Executive in a Publicly Traded Company; teaching many people how to improve their lives through success in sales. Likewise, through my efforts in speaking, various groups allow me to share my direct experiences of reaping and sowing – therefore, providing a framework for their personal growth.

We all will eventually reap what we sow – that is a spiritual truth. The question is, will we enjoy the consequences of our choices? And believe me, there are always consequences to every choice we make.

Chuck openly shares the experiences of his life through his keynote address: Success Beyond Illusion or Ethics: Negative Consequences – Positive Results.

On a crisp October day in 1995, Chuck Gallagher took 23 physical steps… opened a door… and began a new experience that was life-changing. Gallagher explores that experience and the success that followed… while involving the reader in ways that could be life-altering for them. Gallagher captures the heart of the audience in an honest way that deals with human emotion. For information on Chuck’s keynotes and workshops go to this site

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Ken Blanchard

Corporate executives appear to be faltering and need help. Scandals grow larger and more intensive day-by-day for organizations. Some people may proclaim that a highly respected consulting firm can get this job done. Executives only need to hire a good consultant, and the ethical issues will disappear. By being an objective party, a consultant can evaluate an organization and provide them new insight on organizational behavior.

In this line of reasoning, consultants become the executive’s moral compass; they serve in this role to produce ethical people at all levels. Unfortunately, given most consultants’ power position, this would not be the case for most consultants. Consultants are paid on a fee basis. Some work for unethical organizations. How does a consultant deal with an unethical client? Consultants have little formal organization power. Draft, organizational behavior guru, argues that expert power is derived from a person’s higher knowledge. Ciulla, author of Ethics: The Heart of Leadership, explains that all leaders bring a certain agenda to the table based on their value systems. Organizational leaders listen to consultants if they’re highly respected.

Fortunately, a consultant’s role can serve as a preventive and remedial action for management. In profit-making, Brown-Volkman, management consultant, argues that successful businesses stay positive. Consultants can use their influence for good. They can model high moral integrity. A consultant’s level of influence on customer values is a sliding scale on his or her expert power. If a consultant is highly respected, organizations may listen more about their ethical shortcomings. However, there’s a mental breakdown. Although the consultant’s influence is limited, he or she must always maintain their ethical standards. In bad situations, it is better over the long-term to just get out. Therefore, good consultants can make a difference by their moral conduct.

References:

Brown-Volkman, D. (1995). Four Steps to Building A Profitable Business. New York: iUniverse.com Publishing Company.

Ciulla, J.B. (1998). Ethics: The Heart of Leadership. Westport, CT: Praeger.

Draft, R. (1995). Organization Theory and Design. New York: West Publishing Company.
© 2006 by Daryl D. Green

Daryl D. Green has published over 100 articles in the field of decision-making (personal and organizational), leadership, and organizational behavior. Mr. Green is also the author of two acclaimed books, Awakening the Talents Within and My Cup Runneth Over. For more information,visit his website.

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In case you haven’t caught up to the latest of the environmental catch-phrases, “Green Supply Chain” is a relatively important concept that everyone will eventually discover. We live in the early side of the environmental project, and it is common to find businesses ramping up to offer “Green Products” and “Green Services.” Green is, after all, a marketing concept as well as a environmental issue. So, we find a bevy of businesses selling Green believing that they are environmentally conscious as well as reaching out to a growing market of buyers.

What is under developed in these newly-christianed, Green businesses is the follow through that asks whether they are committed to buying and hiring Green in their business dealings. This often creates an unseen and embarrassing realization that their Green commitment is superficial. The Green Supply Chain concept is really part of the greater sustainable issue. Sustainability seeks to create a deeper and more complete cycle of Green actions. The Supply and Demand principles require that every seller needs buyers, and every buyer needs sellers. Consumerism is the yang of the vendor’s ying.

Green Supply Chain, therefore, asks for the commitment to include more than representing your business or product as Green, but that your business also prioritizes Green purchasing when possible. It won’t happen in a single decision, but it will happen in a progressive series of Green decisions. The Green Business League is a national association of Green businesses who have the fundamental commitment to “Buy Green, Hire Green.” This mentality will drive the businesses who wish to sell Green because the buying piece is being promoted.

The Green Business League also certifies Green Businesses through a point-earning system that requires more than paying for a membership in a name-sake-only listing. To Green the Green Business certification, a business must earn points through Green improvements to their business and by purchasing from other Green Businesses. This is certainly a step in the right direction. This program also allows a kind of Green networking to occur where it is easier to find a certified Green Business by providing a league of Green businesses that are ready to sell and buy with other Green businesses.

Beware of the Green hype, also known as Greenwashing, as many businesses try to add a Green branding of their own creation to their marketing efforts. The word “Green” is an unregulated word that can be appropriated by any eager marketing-minded person. The validity of their claims and hype may not be honest, and many consumers will one day have a bad taste in their mouth having been fooled by this practice. The Green Business League acts as an independent third party to encourage fair play and fair business among Green businesses. Ask the businesses that you do business with if they are Green Business Certified, and if not, ask them to start the certification process because your company intends to follow the sustainable practices of the “Green Supply Chain” program.

Learn more about Green Business Certified at Green Business League, find a Green Consultant at Green Consultant Directory

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Tags: ethics, decision, making, ethical, good

“Ethics in professional accountancy are of utmost importance. Now as the business and financial world is adopting international accounting and auditing standards, it is becoming all the more necessary to adhere to certain Code of Ethics prescribed by international and national accountancy bodies. Before arguing in favour of the topic, let’s have a look at some basic concepts:

Profession

A profession is an occupation that requires extensive training and the study and mastery of specialized knowledge, and usually has a professional association, ethical code and process of certification or licensing; for example engineering, medicine, social work, teaching, law, finance, the military, nursing and Accountancy etc. Classically there were only three professions: military, medicine and law. Each of these professions holds to a specific code of ethics and members are almost universally required to swear some form of oath to uphold those ethics, therefore ‘professing’ to a higher standard of accountability. Each of these professions also provides and requires extensive training in the meaning, value and importance of its particular oath in practice of that profession.

Accountant

Practitioner of Accountancy is known as Accountant. Qualified Accountant, Accountant, Professional Accountant or Accountancy Practitioner is a legally certified accountancy and financial expert. Accountants not only work in public practice but many of them are working within private corporations, in financial industry and in various government bodies. Accountancy (profession) or accounting (methodology) is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities, lenders and other stakeholders and decision makers to make resource allocation and policy making decisions.

Like many other professions there are many professional bodies for accountants throughout the world. Some of them are legally recognized in their jurisdictions such as British qualified accountants including Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA or FCCA), Chartered Accountant (CA, ACA or FCA), Canadian qualified accountants such as Chartered Accountant and Certified General Accountants (CA or CGA) and American qualified Accountants such as Certified Public Accountants (CPA) etc. Some other statutory and non-statutory accountancy qualifications are Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Associated Cost and Management Accountant (ACMA), Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) etc.

In Pakistan, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan is the sole professional and accountancy body with the right to award the Chartered Accountant designation. ICAP is the member of IFAC (International Federation of Accountants, IASB (International Accounting Standards Board), Confederation of Asian & Pacific Accountants (CAPA) and South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA). The members of ICAP have reached to 4,089 as of March 1, 2007 data.

Role of Professional Accountants:

Accountants are independent business advisors. Accountants can offer an extensive range of services. Accountants can be registered auditors, can set up client’s accounting systems, can be an advisor on tax planning, or a detector of frauds and embezzlements, can do budgeting and financial statement analysis, advise clients on financing decisions, provide specialist knowledge and can help maintaining an ethical environment.

After discussing the basic concepts and role of professional accountants we are in a better position to ponder on what professional ethics is and why it is important in the field of accountancy.

Definition of Ethics

The word ‘Ethics’ is derived from the Ancient Greek word ethikos; means customs and habits. A major branch of philosophy which is the study of values and customs of a person or group and covers the analysis and employment of concepts such as right and wrong, good and evil and do’s and don’ts.

Code of Ethics:

In the context of a code adopted by a profession or by a governmental organization to regulate that profession, an ethical code may be styled as a code of professional responsibility, which may dispense with difficult issues of what behaviour is ‘ethical’. A code of ethics is often a formal statement of the organization’s values on certain ethical and social issues relating to the profession and practice of the professional knowledge. This also includes the principles and procedures for specific ethical situations.

Ethics in Professional Accountancy:

The general ethical standards of society apply to people in professions such as medicine, law, nursing and accountancy etc just as much as to anyone else. However society places even higher expectations on professionals. People need to have confidence in the quality of the complex services provided by professionals

Ethics in accountancy profession are invaluable to accounting professionals and to those who rely on their services. Stakeholders including clients, credit grantors, governments, taxation authorities, employees, investors, the business and financial community etc perceive them as highly competent, reliable, objective and neutral people. Professional accountants therefore, must not only be well qualified but also possess a high degree of professional integrity. Because of these high expectations, professionals have adopted codes of ethics; also known as codes of professional conduct. These ethical codes call for their members to maintain a level of self-discipline that goes beyond the requirements of laws and regulations. Each of the major professional association for accountants has a code of ethics.

As mentioned earlier, professional accountants can be of two types. One who work in firms or independently run those firms that provide accounting, auditing and other advisory services to clients; these are called public practitioners. Others are those who are employees of organizations and may serve as internal auditors, management accountants, financial managers and financial analysts. Regardless of the role of accountants, they are adhered to code of ethics which are applied to their professional conduct although there are some special provisions for those in public practice [Reference: Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants-International Federation of Accountants (IFAC)].

International Federation of Accountants-IFAC:

The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) is a federation of all accountancy bodies throughout the world. All the major international and national associations like ACCA, AICPA, ICMA, ICAP, IASB etc are all its member organizations. The mission of IFAC, as set out in its constitution, is “the worldwide development and enhancement of an accountancy profession with harmonized standards, able to provide services of consistently high quality in the public interest” [Ref: Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants-IFAC]. In pursuing this mission, the IFAC Board has established the IFAC Ethics Committee to develop and issue, under its own authority, high quality ethical standards and other pronouncements for professional accountants for use around the world. The Code of Ethics establishes ethical requirements for professional accountants. A member body or firm may not apply less stringent standards than those stated in this Code.

The objective of setting this code of conduct is to harmonize these standards and practices on a global perspective. Public can only trust these highly professionals when it is made mandatory to observe and follow strict regulations and codes throughout the world. A professional accountant is required to comply with the following fundamental principles mentioned in this Code of Ethics:[Ref: Section 100.4 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants]

· Integrity: A professional accountant should be honest and straightforward in all professional and business relationship.

· Objectivity: A professional accountant should not allow bias, conflict of interest or undue influence of others to override professional or business judgments.

· Professional Competence & Due Care: A professional accountant has a continuing duty to maintain professional knowledge and skills at the level required to ensure that a client or employer receives competent professional service. A professional accountant should act diligently and in accordance with applicable technical and professional standards when providing professional services.

· Confidentiality: A professional accountant should respect the confidentiality of information acquired as a result of professional and business relationships and should not disclose nay such information to third parties without proper and specific authority unless there is a legal or professional right or duty to disclose. This information should not be used for personal advantage by professional accountant.

· Professional Behaviour: A professional accountant should comply with relevant laws and regulations and should avoid any action that discredits the profession.

Code of Ethics defined in ‘Members Handbook’ for members of ICAP Pakistan is in conformity with:

· IFAC Code of Ethics and International Auditing Standards

· International Accounting Standards

· The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan – ICAP

· Relevant legislation

[Ref: Members Handbook-ICAP]

This Code of Ethics has discussed in detail the role of Chartered Accountants in given situations. For example there are clear directives on prohibition of acceptance of gifts, long association with clients, advertising of firm’s name exceeding prescribed limits, holding client’s monies for no sound reason, disclosure of client’s records (except ones that are allowed), acceptance of fees offered by client which is less than that prevailing in market etc.

After discussing in detail the importance of ethics in accounting profession, we are to conclude the topic with this final note that accountancy as a profession is acceptable and relied upon only when ability to exercise professional judgment based on a foundation of ethics; broad but deep technical excellence and strategic awareness are exercised by a professional accountant. Only then general public can trust the integrity of this profession.

The Author is an ACCA student and is working for United Nations Population Fund

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Ponzi schemes are hot and even it’s illegal they always will be hot. If you go to some online forums on how to make money online you will see members posting threads promoting ponzi schemes and even the so called hyips are most of the time a ponzi scheme.

No matter what they have told you the creator of a ponzi scheme doesn’t care about your profits. Most people are running ponzi schemes to make some quick bucks from theirself.
I’m sure you have already seen high yield investment programmes where they promise you that they are a team of expert traders making five percent daily or even more. And the fact is that some people actually do believe, even the programme has no proven track record, that their money is traded as it should be. If you see some posting on a forum “earn money fast without doing any work” than you could say almost sure he/she must be promoting a ponzi scheme.

What exactly is a ponzi scheme

Ponzi schemes or pyramid schemes has nothing to do with investments, business or sales. Simply because they don’t trade your money or they don’t sell you anything. The fact is that a ponzi scheme uses the money of new investors to pay out old investors. Some ponzi schemes are surviving a few weeks and some of them even a few months. But this is for sure they all go die after some time. Why? Because mathematically it’s impossible to find new investors.
Or sometimes the legal authorities find out the ponzi scheme and close it.

Charles ponzi: The godfather of ponzi schemes

Charles Ponzi was not the first who created a ponzi schemes but actually he was one of the first people that created a fraud scheme on such a large base. In 1903 Charles Ponzi emigrated from Italy to the United states. He has worked on a post office and studied at the university of Rome, although studied is not a good word for Charles it was more a vacation.

Without almost any money he arrived at the United States and did some jobs there. Four years later he moved to Montreal where he worked in the Banco Zarossi. Zarossi the owner gave a six percent interest on bank accounts. But Ponzi discovered that Zarossi used the money from new client to pay out old client. The scheme failed and Zarossi escaped to Mexico. Ponzi stayed even in prison for fraud for some years but in 1911 he was released. After the war he started his scheme based on postal reply coupons and promised his clients a return of their money in a short time frame of 90 days. His own company called the Securities Exchange Company was a fact. He had a lot of agent that were working for him and in 1920 he had accumulated millions of dollars, a very large sum of money for this time. I think it is no surprise to you that Charles Ponzi lived very luxuriously.

But people were asking questions about his company after an unsuccessful lawsuit.
The Boston Post wrote some negative articles about his company. But however the newspaper offered Charles Ponzi five thousand dollars for his story and it became a headline. However a few days later federal agent closed down his company. On august 13 1920 he was arrested but however some people protested strongly, no wonder at all some of them had invested millions of dollars. He went to jail and stayed there to 1934 after he was released he was deported to Italy. Ponzi spend the last years of his live in poverty and in 1948 he died.

Frederik is an online marketer who blogs about affiliate marketing, adsense and adwords. In his blog he gives out some good tips that you can pick up to improve your businesses.

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“Never get in the way of a customer who wants to buy something!”

It’s practical advice, don’t you think? After all, if they’re making it easy for you to profit, why slow them down?

Only a fool would do that, or so it seems.

For instance, in the car leasing business, there are some clients who want to have cloth seats, believing them to be cheaper, and perhaps more comfortable than vinyl or leather.

But on many models, having cloth seats actually makes leases much more expensive, because frighteningly few want to buy a used Cadillac with anything other than leather beneath their derrieres.

So, if the expected resale value is less, then the monthly lease payments go up.

Clearly, if the customer is driven by a need to save money, ordering cloth, is outright foolish, but the customer, particularly one waving cash in your face, is always right, isn’t he?

Does the seller have a duty to set him straight, to try to talk him out of his choice?

If he does, might it be risky? Could he lose the sale, entirely?

What, exactly, is the ethical obligation of a salesman when a customer wants to buy the wrong thing?

If he really wants it, can it ever be “wrong?”

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He is headquartered in Glendale, California.

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The loss of employee privacy rights in the workplace is a growing concern among employees, attorneys, and civil libertarian groups. Although employers in banks, telecommunications, securities exchange, in hi-tech industries, and in other workplaces justify using video surveillance in the workplace to monitor employee behavior to chiefly promote safety, improve productivity, and stop theft, protecting employee privacy must be a top concern. For if the courts find that the employer’s surveillance methods are less than fair, that firm may find itself knee-deep in lawsuits that could have been prevented.

Employers install hidden surveillance cameras for many good reasons (preventing theft, promoting productivity or protecting employees) that in some cases will intrude upon employee privacy. Legal observers and human resource specialists who study workplace privacy believe that employee privacy intrusions are more common than previously observed, and that they will increase every year.

According to a 2005 survey conducted by the American Management Association, more than half of the companies surveyed use video monitoring to prevent theft, violence and sabotage (51% in 2005 vs. 33% in 2001). In addition, the number of companies that use video surveillance to track employees’ performance has also increased, with 10% now videotaping selected job functions and 6% videotaping all employees. Among firms that use video surveillance, 85% notify employees.

As more and more employee groups become aware of how they are being watched, the more likely they will take their employers to court.

These are the four main types of court-upheld privacy violations that could occur in stores, factories and offices and the first type is directly related to video surveillance.

• Intrusion upon seclusion which includes invading worker privacy in bathrooms and changing rooms

• Publication of private employee matters

• Disclosure of medical records

• Appropriation of an employee’s likeness for commercial purposes

In addition, video surveillance must be limited to visual images and cannot include audio in order to comply with federal and state statutes.

Employers need to be proactive and aware of these four privacy violations so that their employees’ individual rights are respected and protected.

How to achieve balance between monitoring and intruding upon employees

First, the employers need to clarify what privacy rights employees are guaranteed and what constitutes an invasion of privacy. Then, employees must be notified in writing that surveillance will be conducted and they should also sign a waiver verifying that they know they may be monitored.

Management must define what is acceptable supervision versus “snoopervision” and that includes not videotaping showers, restrooms, changing rooms, smoking areas, and employee lounges. These are places specifically for employees’ personal comfort, health or for safeguarding their possessions. However, employers must also be sensitive against using video surveillance in other areas where employees might takes breaks.

Employers must be fully aware of the privacy risks associated with videotaping employees so that the likelihood of litigation is reduced. Companies should also nurture a workplace environment where employees can voice privacy or security concerns in confidence with management without feeling that their conversations are being monitored. In short, if employers choose to use video surveillance in the workplace, they must adhere to written privacy guidelines that will keep employees secure and that will also respect their privacy.

Copyright © 2005 Evaluseek Publishing.

About the Author
Alice Osborn is a successful freelance writer providing practical information and advice about video surveillance and related topics. Her numerous articles include tips for saving both time and money when shopping for video security products; equipment reviews and reports; and other valuable insights. Learn more about wireless home security systems or video security systems for business when you visit here today!

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Tags: ethical, frameworks, making, moral, problems

Changing the driving force upon which business decisions are based is crucial in order to not only restore ethics in business but to truly improve the lives of those whom they were meant to benefit: executives, employees and consumers. After all, weren’t business activities meant to improve the state of existence of human beings on this planet?

So what is this driving force that I am referring to? Well its the “fear of not surviving”. You thought I was going to say something like “the profit motive” didn’t you? Well the latter tends to derive from the former. Hence I would prefer to look at the deeper issue.

Is anyone surprized that the current state of business decisions and activities is ruled by this emotional factor? If you are an executive and look deeply within yourself I think that you will likely recognize it operating and living within yourself and also the CEO’s of many major corporations.

What impact does having such a force inside one’s self likely to have on that individual? Well if its powerul enough, and it can be quite powerful, as you can determine for yourself by recalling the last time you felt its effects operating, it can literally cause you to entertain decisions that could potentially undermine your self esteem, your integrity and the integrity of your organization.

For instance, when needing to survive at all costs becomes the main agenda then one’s health, one’s compassion for others and one’s personal and relational needs become distant and unimportant matters in one’s mind. So when this happens, what happens to you?

Well just think about it. Where are you without your health, without your family and frends, without the very thing that makes you a human being “the experience of the love in your heart”? Well you are essentially dead! Yes, even if you are still actually walking around you most likely feel, if you have the courage to feel what you feel, quite empty inside. That emptiness is a sign that “you are not present” to any great extent inside that body of yours. That’s what empty means!

So if you follow me so far, this fear of not surviving is paradoxically killing you, isn’t it? Additionally, if you wish to recognize it, it’s also making everything you are trying to accomplish rather meaningless because if you aren’t present then how are you possibly going to benefit from any outcome of your decisions? Well you’re not!

So how does one get out of this trap? Well it’s about re-establishing the courage to live and work from the deep core values that make you who you are, a human being. If you are having trouble remembering what these are you may wish to visit the web site link below in my bio.

Dr. Nick Arrizza is trained in Chemical Engineering, Business Management & Leadership, Medicine and Psychiatry. He is a Key Note Speaker, Author, Stress Management Coach, Peak Performance Coach & Researcher, Specializes in Life and Executive Performance Coaching, is the Developer of a powerful new tool called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) that helps build phyiscal, emotional, mental and spirtual well being by helping to permanently release negative beliefs, emotions, perceptions and memories. He holds live workshops, international telephone coaching sessions and international teleconference workshops on Physical. Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Well Being. Personal Website

“With over ten years behind me since I walked into Federal Prison, I can clearly see the effects of the choices we make. We can wander in the illusion of life and think that we have eluded the consequences of our choices, but those consequences are inescapable. Whether in our personal life or in business, the choices we make on a daily basis will always have a consequence.

Don’t mistake, however, the word – consequence. Consequence doesn’t carry with it an emotional outcome of good or bad. Consequence is just the outcome. Whether it is good or bad depends on the choice made and how the recipient feels about the consequence. Let me give you an example from a perspective that looks back over some time.

The day I walked through those prison doors was clearly one of the worst days of my life. I can’t begin to describe how low, unworthy, and valueless I felt as I took on my new identity. I went from being what some folks would describe as “somebody” to being what most would call a “nobody.” I was effectively the lowest of low in our society. Yet, looking back over my life since then, I found that this was one of the most valuable experiences of my life. Not only did I learn many valuable lessons that have been life changing, I’ve also found that sharing these lessons have been beneficial to others.

One of the greatest gifts we can give to others is to help them along their journey. Afterall we are souls having a human experience.

The following is my journal from the first day after my admission into Federal Prison. Perhaps the insight will help others. Read it and see where it takes you.

October 3, 1995.

I’ve been here less than 24 hours and understand that I will have time for reflection. I also now appreciate a good mattress! Sleeping on a 4-inch thick plastic mattress stretched across metal bars is not very comfortable. Should I expect more? This is prison.

As a new inmate there is nothing to do. I need to concern myself with something, but what — I have no idea. For now, I’m writing to my children. My first letter from prison, and I feel sad. I know will be amazing how much they will grow during my absence. It’s clear to me, that no amount of money can replace the loss that I feel right now.

It’s been less than 24 hours and I have never had so much time to do what I want and the lack of freedom to do it. What I want is what I can’t have.

It’s 9:10 p.m. My cellmate, Buck, and I have just had an interesting conversation. It took some time for Buck to ask me what I was in for. Still being concerned about self-preservation, I told him I was a thief. He asked me what I stole? I said, “money.” He asked, “how much?” And a sternly as I could muster a response, I responded, “Is it really important how much?”" We both seemed to understand that we were here, for reasons beyond what appeared on the surface. The amount was irrelevant. What was significant was what we did with the time we were given.

As we experience life daily, know that we are all more than what we seem and that each experience that we encounter in life has a purpose and meaning. We may not know at the moment what the meaning is or what value it brings. Make no mistake, meaning is there, we just have to look deep to find it.

As you read these articles, which include Lessons from Prison, you may find that you want to know more. Two specific results, which came from this experience, are the establishment of the Choices Foundation, a non-profit organization and a book that will be published in the late spring of 2007 – Success Beyond Illusion. The Choices Foundation funds educational scholarships for underprivileged youth and speaking to youth in High Schools, Churches and Universities about the effects of the Choices we make. If you would like to schedule a presentation for your organization, contact Chuck Gallagher here.

Whether the choice you make deals with your spouse, your family, business associates or people seemingly unknown to you, you do have an impact and your choices do have a consequence. In today’s society we seem bombarded with the effects of ethical choices and are reminded that bad choices = negative consequences. For information on how this message can be shared with your group go to this site.

Chuck Gallagher is a successful sales executive, business entrepreneur, and professional speaker with humble beginnings: he was raised by a single parent in the projects. He has led a $25 million sales region with 100 sales representatives and started his own training business with projects in 30 states. Gallagher currently helps corporate employees realize the ramifications of their ethical choices. Through his own choices, Chuck learned this lesson the hard way.

In the middle of a rising career, Gallagher lost everything because he made some bad choices. He has since rebuilt his career and his life back to immense success. With more vulnerability than the average keynoter, Gallagher shares with his audiences his life journey, the consequences of his bad choices, and how life gives you second chances when you make the right choices.

For information on booking Chuck Gallagher as a speaker for your event or conference go to his site.

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Tags: making, decision, ethical, marketing, moral