Protecting one’s frame of mind as it pertains to unethical behavior and job security, now exist in the past while major organizations and firms are maximizing their efforts to restore employees and consumers confidence and trust, by implementing a fresh clean slate integrating corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Rodrigues (2006) ethical analysis on corporate social responsibility highlights the ethical and moral issues on decision-making and behaviour (Rodrigues, 2006).

In retrospect, ERON executives, one of the largest corporate organizations fell without mercy in December 2001 leaving no financial return for their long-standing employees. Enron employees blanketed their trust in an organization expecting to live comfortably throughout with their retired savings, 401(k) investments. Yet, they were ousted unexpectedly, just as their leaders. Baucus & Baucus (1997) states “”illegality takes money from strategic investments, hurts a firm’s image with its stakeholders…”" (Elkins, 1976). According to CBC News (2007), A British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) panel reports Eron executives relegated a carefully planned “”massive fraud”" on British Columbia residents (see it here). These facts substantiated that Eron Mortgage Corporation, Eron Investment Corporation, Capital Productions Incorporation, and Eron Financial Service Ltd. raised $240 million from investors by lying to them.

According to Rodrigues (2006) the mainstream of corporate social responsibility is to contend with intricate issues, such as environmental protection, human resources management, health and safety at work, relations with local communities, and relations with suppliers and consumers (Rodrigues, 2006). The assumption of CSR is that organizations can be trusted to address, on their own, any problems their operations may cause, without being bound by laws and regulations (Rodrigues, 2006).

References:

AmeriPlan Health (2007). click here.

Baucus, M.S. & Baucus, D.A. (1997). Paying the piper: An empirical examination of longer-term financial consequences of illegal corporate behavior. Academy of Management Journal. Briarcliff Manor: 40(1), 129,23. Retrieved October 16, 2007, capella.edu.

Brooks, D.A., & King, C.L. (2007). Civil service reform as national security: The homeland security act of 2002. Public Administration Review, 67(3), 399-407. Retrieved October 16, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database.

Eron Mortgage Executives. (2000). Retrieved October 16, 2006, from this website.
.

Rodrigues, M.C. (2006). Corporate social responsibility and resource-based perspectives. Journal of Business Ethics. Dordrecht: 69(2), 111. Retrieved October 16, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database.

Judith is pursuing her doctoral degree in Management of Nonprofit Organizations while attending Capella University. She has received her MA in Pastoral Counseling from Ashland Theological Seminary. Judith is a single-divorced parent of three teenagers, and is self-employed as a Consultant.

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Tags: unethical, behaviour, workplace, examples, legal

When I was building the new website for my speaking services, I wanted some references and quotes from people who knew me. I wrote to one of my previous managers and asked him to write me a short paragraph or two for my site. This is part of what he wrote:

“He realized that work is not just a place to do a job, but it is also a place where a group of people are more or less forced to spend a lot of time together. He did everything he could to make the job more fun and if possible, to bring a smile to anyone he encountered during the course of the day. He always understood that clients and coworkers are first of all people with the same problems and needs that everyone else has.”

From that statement, I have taken my title for this article, “”Coworkers Are People Too!”".

I have always felt very strongly about the way people treat other people. In fact, I believe that the vast majority of problems in our work places today are because people have the greatest lack of respect and concern for other people.

You may question that statement; “”How could just the way people treat their coworkers cause the majority of problems for a company?”" Well, when employees treat others with disrespect, with anger, and act as weasels, they make the working environment harsh and uncomfortable. When workers feel uncomfortable and upset with others, they end up hating their jobs. What happens when people hate their jobs? There are several results that can be directly attributed to this:

• Good workers will be more apt to leave and look for employment with other companies where the working environment is better.

• Employees who have bad attitudes will be rude to clients and customers.\

• They will feel less willing to cooperate with other employees, causing disruption of work.

• Bad attitudes spread. One rotten apple soon spoils the entire bunch.

So, does this mean we’re just supposed to sit there with a smile on our face and let people walk all over us while we say; “”Have a nice day!”"? No, that’s not at all what it means. We can be firm in our opinions, do our best job possible, say “”no”" when necessary, and still be nice and friendly about it.

The story is told that Jefferson Davis once asked General Lee for his opinion about a certain confederate officer who was under him. General Lee gave nothing but glowing reports about that officer’s actions and work. Later, one of General Lee’s assistants expressed his surprise at the General’s comments. “”That officer says nothing but bad things about you!”" said the assistant. General Lee replied; “”President Davis wanted to know my opinion of that officer’s abilities, not that officer’s opinion of me!”"

That is the hardest part about treating others kindly and with respect. There are always those who are such lousy workers, who lie, cheat, and steal their way through the company, that they don’t deserve to be treated kindly. But life isn’t really about getting what you deserve. Life is what YOU make it.

Let’s look at this from a hypothetical perspective here. Suppose a coworker says something bad about you, or “”steals the show”" on a project you worked hard on. Our first tendency is to get mad and think we have to get even. So, when our big moment comes along, we take our chance and retaliate for what they did to us. Then, they are mad at us, and are looking for a way to get us back for our retaliation.

Then, suppose we’re meeting with some managers and one of them mentions an open position, and says that he is thinking of offering it to that person. We know that person would be great in that position, but we’re mad at them, so we offer some excuse why they shouldn’t get the position. The manager offers the position to a person less qualified, and they take it.

A major client calls with a problem, and the person less qualified isn’t able to handle the pressure, and they make the client mad about something, and the client takes their business elsewhere. Several thousand dollars are lost, just because we were mad at another coworker.

While as I stated, that was just an illustration, it is not at all unthinkable or impossible. And as long as there are people, there will be those who act with disrespect and rudeness to others. However, if we would just stop and think for a moment before we act in those ways, we’d save ourselves and our companies a lot of unnecessary trouble.

In today’s society treating others with kindness doesn’t come with any regularity. People are so wrapped up in their own little worlds, they don’t have the time or the care for others. It is really a sad situation for our corporations and places of employment to be in. We spend 8 or more hours a day, 5 days a week with these people. If there was just an atmosphere of kindness and respect in that office or workplace, what a difference it would make in people’s lives.

I don’t really think many people stop and think about the results of their actions and the way they treat other people. Like so much in today’s world, we are focused on “”instant”" action. All we care about is what is right now, not thinking about how that instant action may affect other reactions down the road.

And then, there are thousands who have never considered putting others first in their work or in any part of their lives for that matter. They don’t realize the value and importance of such a way of living. Sure, it doesn’t come naturally at all. We are pretty much programmed to put ourselves first. Our focus is mainly on I, ME, MINE. What a vast difference it would make in our companies and work environments if we started putting others first, and we stopped for a second to think before we say something or act a certain way.

One important thing to remember is what has been called “the Golden Rule” – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That applies to all of us whether we are a janitor, a secretary, a manager, or a CEO, the way we treat others will affect not only our own lives, but the lives of many people. It kind of has a “trickle-down” effect. If we ruin someone’s day, they will be more apt to ruin someone else’s day. If we brighten someone’s day, it will have the same effect. So, remember, attitude is everything, and treat others with kindness and respect.

In his 35 years with the United Nations system, Kofi Annan has come to be known as an evenhanded man with an ability to see parts and the whole at the same time. It is this quality that makes him one of the more popular executives in the United Nations. He recalls an unforgettable lesson learned in Ghana at age seventeen: One day our headmaster walked into the classroom and put up a broad sheet of paper with a small dot in one corner. “Boys,” he asked, “what do you see?” All of us shouted in unison, “A black dot!” Then he said, “So not a single one of you saw the large white sheet of paper? Don’t go through life with that attitude.”

So, stop looking at the negatives in everything, and start focusing on the positives. Thank your fellow employees when they help you., buy lunch or something for someone who does a good job, show some courtesy and respect, and go out of your way to be kind. Remember – coworkers are people too

Joshua Goodling is a terminal cancer survivor, author, speaker, and the founder of this site.

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Tags: ethics, workplace, business, training, leadership,

“Dilemmas that require an ethical explanation are quite common at work. Both employers and employees have to face dilemmas in an organization. Conflicts are bound to arise when an organization has people who are diverse in nationality, age, education, race, religion, sex, socioeconomic status and employment experience. The most common ethical dilemmas at work include power, authority, confidentiality, honesty and loyalty. While resolving these dilemmas, both the employer and the employee have a different perspective.

Employers are often found to be stubborn. According to them, their actions are in the best interests of the organization and are according to the legal code of conduct in the company. Employers never tend to disclose the reasons that lie behind their behaviors. However, they need to develop the skills and experience required for tackling ethical dilemmas. They should assess the situation while taking a neutral stand. Analysis would be proper if they are able to locate the root cause of the conflict. Decisions should be taken after consultation with the affected parties. The consequences of the decision should be analyzed and explained to the management.

The perspective of the employees in an organization is always in a dilemma. The employee does not even know how to work since organization beliefs and values are often kept confidential and are not revealed to the employees. However, it is the responsibility of employers to clearly describe the goals, objectives of the organization to the employee if they are expecting to create a harmonious and acceptable working environment. Employees should be trained to resolve conflicts.

Check Out More Articles :

Student Cheating & Moral Dilemma – Cheap Quick Easy Dinner Recipes here.

Recipes For Making Hot Chocolate Mixes – Holiday Gift Food Baskets, click this link to read more about this topic.

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Tags: ethical, dilemmas, workplace, list, problems

“When visiting China, whether it’s for business, pleasure or for both, you will want to take the time to brush up on Chinese etiquette before you go. If you’re going to China for business, here are a few important facts about handing your business cards out to prospective clients and business associates.

• When handing someone your business card, make sure you’re handing it to them with both hands and be careful to face the writing toward the person you’re giving it to. Follow with “I’m pleased to meet you.”

• When receiving a business card do not place it in your pocket or purse immediately, this is considered very rude.

• If you know a couple months ahead of time you’re going to China, it’s a good idea to get your business cards printed in English on one side and Cantonese or Mandarin on the other.

• If seated at a conference table, place your business card in front of you on the table. This shows respect to all who are there.

• Use simplified Chinese characters for China and not classical characters from Hong Kong and Taiwan, there is a difference. Remember too that China is the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan is the Republic of China.

• Business gifts are always reciprocated, not to do so is bad etiquette.

When you take the time to learn a little something about the people of the country your visiting it will save you much embarrassment and keep you from offending someone. This is especially important when doing business with people from different countries. If your traveling for pleasure, you need to know how not to make those from different cultures uncomfortable, even when you think your doing something generous like giving a gift. Below are a few helpful tips about giving gifts to the Chinese.

• Chinese people are required to refuse a gift two or three times so be persistent but gentle. Also be sensitive to genuine refusals.

• Never ever give cash.

• Don’t be too cheap when choosing your gift. You will be seen as an “iron rooster,” i.e. getting a good gift from you is like getting a feather out of an iron rooster.

• If possible, give gifts in pairs since Chinese philosophy believes in balance.

• It’s proper to give gifts for celebrations, thanks for assistance given and even to soften up for future favors.

• Never give a gift for no reason, or “just because.” It’s considered offensive and in bad taste. A witness should be present also whenever giving gifts.

• When receiving a gift from the Chinese, do not open them unless they insist that you do so.

Shirley Tan is the owner of My Business Gifts (see here), known for their unique and superior quality business gifts at bargain prices was started in 2006 to offer high quality gifts for businesses and corporations at affordable prices.

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Tags: business, ethics, workplace, code, professional

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

“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.

“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 know few people who are really happy with the way things are going in America. Most think we need a fundamental change in direction. Some think the problem is with government, some think it’s immorality. I think it’s ethics – a severe dis-connect between the values we claim to believe when we’re in church on Sunday, and the amount of abuse we are willing to tolerate when those values are violated by ‘the system’ where we work during the week. It’s a spiritual problem.

We really don’t need pastors to be out in the street or in the face of all those unbelievers out there. All we really need is pastors who aren’t afraid of their congregations and who will challenge their people to “”Take Their Conscience To Work”" – and hold them strictly accountable if they don’t.

What most of us don’t understand — or refuse to believe — is that WE ARE DOING THIS TO OURSELVES. The IRS doesn’t send an agent from Utah or WashDC to harass us and steal our stuff. They have a local office, and a sheriff, and a judge, etc. etc. These local people are members of our churches, or neighbors, maybe even members of our families. The places where they work run because WE staff the offices and ‘turn the wheels.’ If all the ‘behind-the-scenes’ people, the clerks and so forth, simply REFUSE to participate in illegal activities, the whole process stops. True, it will tend to stop quicker if the judges and our elected officials stop their state-sponsored terrorism against us (is there any rational person who thinks the IRS is not a terrorist organization?), but if every Christian finally decides to just do what’s right, the system will grind to a halt.

But we don’t. We Christians continue to function and give our little daily pushes to the wheels of tyranny because we say, “”I’m not really doing anything wrong. I just _______ (open the mail, answer the phone, administer the network, take out the trash, etc.) If our duties, as menial as they might be, were not essential to the functioning of the business or office, our jobs would be eliminated. If immorality, societal decay, socialism and tyranny are being promoted in any way by the business you are in, you are contributing to it.

So I think “”Take Your Conscience To Work”" should become a rallying cry of all freedom-loving people. Let’s truly integrate our Christian principles in our life’s work and refuse to do anything that contributes to the further decay of our culture. The problem isn’t Mexicans coming over the border, or megalomaniacs in DC. The problem is that we each, in our own little ways, contribute to tyranny every day. Why? Because ‘we need the money,’ and if we don’t perform, we don’t get paid. And if we are willing to be slaves to mammon, we will get just what we deserve.

Perhaps this is why neither Jesus, nor John the Baptist, nor Paul railed against the oppressive Roman government. They each realized that the empire’s engine of oppression could only operate with local support. So instead of decrying ‘the government,’ John specifically addressed the agents through whom tyranny was exercised: “”Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”" “”Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”" (Luke 3:13-14) No railing against “”the system”" and no attempt to change policy or politics. Just do what’s right.

Jesus also dealt with the tax system when He called Matthew: “”Follow Me.”" (Mark 2:14) That was it; one less tax collector for the people to deal with. What will happen if every Christian in the government decides to truly follow Christ, instead of just paying Him lip-service on Sunday? And what would happen if, as I suggested previously, the pastors would hold their members accountable for seven-days-a-week discipleship? Jesus saw two clear and exclusive loyalties: God and Mammon. It’s gotta be one or the other; can’t be neither and can’t be both.

Paul said, “”Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hand the thing that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.”" (Ephesians 4:28) We all know (or sure should by now!) that the mis-applied ‘income’ tax is simply theft. Those who promote it and those who benefit from it are stealing property. Again, Paul does not rail against ‘the system’ but rather simply tells Christian participants to drop out of it.

Most Christians I’ve met are too immature to understand the power of this sort of obedience, even though Jesus Himself explained it in clear terms in Matthew 16:19. Your un-Christian neighbor wants to be ‘just as good as a Christian’ (is supposed to be) but doesn’t want to get involved with church, religion, or (God forbid!) obnoxious Christian people. Still, the standard is set by the people of God. When we quit trying to tell the world how they should live (self-righteousness or holier-than-thou, both nauseating to Christ) and start living as we ought, we will raise the bar and set the standard to which the culture must rise if they want to be ‘just as good as a Christian.’

It’s really no more complicated than that. As long as we’re content to gather in our little buildings and sing our little songs and have our little Bible studies, the world and the culture will remain unchanged. As long as we continue to ROT as we pretend to be disciples and are really just compliant cowards, our culture will continue to deteriorate. Chuck Missler has pointed out that “”faith is not belief in spite of the evidence. It is obedience in spite of the consequences.”"

When we start taking Christ seriously and we take our Biblically-informed consciences to work: when we refuse as a matter of faith and obedience to participate in any way to the further destruction of our culture, THEN we will start having an impact.

The longer we wait, the more expensive it will be.

The author is a transition and self esteem coach living in Raleigh, North-Carolina. Strategies and resources are available here

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Tags: ethics, workplace, work, business, office

“Having what is called a high work ethic is a good thing. Yet, sometimes, due to the workplace and life, these ethics and supporting personal core values face continued challenges. For example, have you had any of these thoughts:

1. Why should I work my buns off because John comes in late, leaves early?
2. Hey, it is 4:59pm, I need to get off the phone with this customer?
3. Did you hear about Mary’s encounter with HR?

Work ethics take a beating every day because not everyone has the same standards or personal core values. Yet, you are expected to deliver the same exceptional performance regardless of the environment.

To help you stay the course, consider these three capacities: Goals, Attitudes, and Self Leadership Skills.

Goals help to close the gap between where you are now and where you wish to go. When you utilize a proven goal setting process that includes having written goals, you truly do not care about John coming in late because John is not part of your goal.

Our work ethics are really attitudes toward performance. These habits of thoughts actually drive our behaviors. If you have a great attitude of always delivering outstanding customer service, you will stay on the phone even if it is 5:15 to help that customer.

Finally, strong interpersonal skills or what I call self leadership skills keep us focused. We make good decisions about whether we engage in gossiping about another employee’s behavior. Our communication skills are consistent with our work ethics and core personal values. Self leadership skills are truly about leading ourselves first before we can lead others.

Keeping strong work ethics is a challenge. By using goals, attitudes and self leadership skills should make that challenge just a little easier.

Simply speaking, leaders are readers. If you enjoyed this article, you may find this free online email course M.A.P. for Success of interest Source
Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith, The Business Coach Source to explore everything from how my solutions double results to articles and resources including the Simply Speaking series.

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Tags: work, workplace, policy, ethics, personal

Where are First Generation Hispanic workers?

Well you will see a lot of them working in the field or outside in the hot sun. Why do they do this kind of labor? Good question, the answer to that is easy. First Generation Hispanics are willing to do the jobs that no one else will do. That of course is not to say that others will not do it, but these workers have no choice because this kind of labor does not need a W-2, you just work for a days pay. They provide excellent services and they do the best work. They will work until they are about to pass out. The sad thing is that many companies in America will take advantage of these workers.

Since a lot of First Generation Hispanic workers, not all, do not have a social security number they will work for a days pay. These workers get paid daily as supposed to receiving a check every two weeks or every month. These workers are constantly looking for work. You will see them in the Southern part of the United States waiting on corners or close to high traffic areas waiting for contractors to pick them up to do work. Most of these workers will specialize in some kind of work for example, a welder or a carpenter. Since they don’t speak fluent English it is difficult for these workers to negotiate prices with contractors so they usually do work cheaper, faster, and better than the normal worker in America.

Visit this site for more information about this topic.

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Tags: workplace, ethics, work, workers, ethical

With the advent of the Internet, everything from personal relationships to business has become ‘global’ for all intents and purposes. Today, you can talk to people across the world just as easily as if you were talking to your next door neighbor. Businesses can exchange documents of all sorts with the push of a button – without having to wait days, and often weeks, for those documents to be delivered by hand. We are global, and this has had a profound effect in the area of business ethics.

What we must realize is that what may be deemed ethical in our own country is not necessarily deemed as ethical in another country. This often makes conducting global business quite hard. At one time, because we did not have the Internet, it was more of a question of not accidentally disrespecting on another’s customs and traditions. However, today, there is much more at stake. You must also not trample all over another businesses – or countries – ethical code, while you remain true to your own businesses or country’s ethical code.

The first step is to understand business traditions and customs in the country that the business you are dealing with resides in. Hopefully, they will do the same for you, making an effort to learn about your business traditions and customs. Next, you need a way to clearly communicate. In this area of the global marketplace, hiring the services of a talented translator is essential. You need to clearly know what they are saying, and they need to know what you are saying as well. Don’t rely on your one semester of a foreign language from high school to get you through this.
Global business also has a profound effect on your employees. For example, if you do business with a foreign country that only keeps regular business hours – in their time zone – one or more of your employees will need to be available for telephone calls and such, when it is convenient for the foreign company. Are you expecting your employees to be in the office to field those calls or to conduct those teleconferences at midnight, and expecting them to clock in bright an early the following morning? That is not very ethical.

Another area that has become a growing concern when it comes to global business and ethics is reporting income from foreign countries. If your company makes a sale to a company in Canada, for example, that sale will not be reported to the IRS in the United States by the company that you made the sale to or Canada’s government. It is not, by anyone’s standards, ethical not to report that income to the IRS yourself.

In many countries, bribing officials is a part of doing business. However, this does not make the practice ethical, and experts advise business owners to instruct all of their employees that such practices will not be tolerated when conducting global business – or even when conducting business in your own country.

Global business is seemingly easy with the use of the Internet, but in the grand scheme of things, when you start looking at what is and is not acceptable or expected in foreign country, in terms of ethical business practices, one must use a great deal of caution.

This and other topics that deal with corporate communications, business to customer relationships, and sales training through Collective Vision are just some of the topics discussed.

And now I would like to offer you one of my book chapters absolutely free. You can get instant access here

From Jed A. Reay – The Communicator/Connector and Visionary Master Sales Trainer.

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Tags: business, ethics, workplace, code, professional

How many of us remember our failures more than our successes? My own divorce, the time I didn’t get a research grant, the last job that I was fired from (come to think of it, there were some other messy situations that I still recall), the I time I rear-ended someone on a slippery freeway. The list goes on and on. You could say that I have had a full life.

Those of us in technology are fond of the line from the Apollo 13 book and movie: “failure is not an option.” Back then, it was something to revel in, a bunch of NASA nerds working around the clock to figure out a strategy that would save the three astronauts’ lives and get them back to Earth safely. It was a good story then, and still is.

But I wanted to talk to you today about a somewhat different point of view, that failure is an option, and in fact, those of us that fail frequently are better for it. The trick is to think of each failure as a learning and growth opportunity, especially how you can learn to triumph over your own business adversities. Easy to say now, especially as these failures are illuminated in the dim light of my faded memories, but still. This isn’t a new concept. For example, Jeff Atwood in his blog, Coding Horror, says, “Fail early and often.” And Mitchell Ashley in his blog says: “If you aren’t seeing some failures along the way, it’s a pretty good idea you’re not stretching, challenging and really going for it. You’re probably believing in your own assumptions and plans too much Other people have called this concept rapid prototyping: put something together quickly, barely working, to show your customers or clients. Then, based on this feedback, you go back and make small changes, get more feedback and sharpen your ideas. And really, when you go back to our childhood, this is how we all learned a new skill, whether it is in playing sports, mastering the piano, or whatever.

We took small steps, saw what worked and what didn’t, and learned from our mistakes. The hard part is to figure out the right feedback loop so that you aren’t micro-managing everyone. This isn’t good either: you have to give people the responsibility to make their own mistakes, so that they can really learn from them. I got to witness this first hand this past weekend. I was attending a professional speaker-training workshop, and got to see first-hand how really good speakers can still fail and how they can tune their craft. It was like drinking from a firehose, but extremely worthwhile as I try to move into that orbit. Part of the notion of frequent failure has to do with corporate culture, and the acceptance by management of a certain level of risk. After all, who wants a bunch of employees that don’t produce? The other thing to figure out the right amount of freedom to try out new ideas and experiment, and to make these adjustments without a particular timetable or schedule of “deliverables.” This is the philosophy of many innovative companies. For example, last week I met Keith Sawyer, a professor here at Wash U. His Group Genius book talks about the culture at WL Gore (the makers of GoreTex and other products less famous). Employees have ten percent of their time that isn’t allocated for particular billable projects. They are free to experiment and fail, as long as the other 90% is actually producing results. This is how they come up with some of their most profitable products, and failure at Gore is tolerated within this guideline.

So really, why I can understand why NASA says that failure is not an option, because after all they were talking about actual lives at stake, what we are usually dealing with in our lives is a bit less critical and threatening. Instead, may I suggest a replacement motto, on the order of “Failure is not an only option, but should always be encouraged.” Now I am not talking about promoting your least productive employees. What I do mean is that you want to give your self the permission to fail, and in doing so foster innovation in your company and make you a more agile business. But unlike the astronauts, by making it easier to fail you can avoid the bigger mistakes, and make smaller steps towards progress. Start thinking about promoting the culture of frequent failure at your shop. It is the first step along the path towards being more innovative and agile. And if you are looking for some inspiration, it is worth renting the Apollo 13 movie if you haven’t seen it in a while. David Strom is a noted speaker, author, podcaster and consultant who has written two books and thousands of magazine articles for dozens of IT publications such as Computerworld, eWeek, Baseline Magazine, Information Week and Information Security magazine. His blog can be found here

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Tags: business, ethics, professional, workplace, corporate

In a world where crime is a constant and fraud is done everyday, we long to find people that we can trust and opportunities to work together where we do not feel threatened or scared of the outcome possibilities. As a business owner, we want to put our best foot forward and ensure that our clients see us as being “different from the others” in one way or another. Having integrity in your business can set you apart from the pack very quickly.

There are many ways to show your customers that you have integrity. Here are just a few of them:

1. Be passionate about your business. It is important that we are in a business or career that we love in the first place, if you are, it makes it easier to show your passion. So, do a heart check before going into any given business opportunity and make sure that you can be truly passionate about it, so that the passion you have will shine through to the customers.

2. Be upfront. Share information with your customers or clients from day one. Do not withhold information from them because you are afraid you’ll loose a sale, or not make as much money in the end. You need to want more than anything, to do what is right, not only for you but for your client as well. Withholding the truth will only serve you poorly in the end.

3. Appreciate your clients. Showing appreciation can go a long way in helping your customer to see that you are genuine, and can be trusted. Give your customers extra to show your appreciation, not to bribe them into doing more for you, or spending more money with you. Just give back to them to show that you are grateful for their business and loyalty.

4. Be personable and available. You might be the boss, the head honcho, or the CEO, but that does not mean that you should hide away in your office never to be seen by anyone but your employees after all the clients and customers are gone. You want to be seen by everyone as someone who truly cares, you want to be available to help meet the needs of your clients. Availability to others also shows your integrity.

5. Take responsibility for your mistakes. Let’s face it we all mess up. We are not perfect and we will make mistakes. When you do take responsibility and try to make things right. Your clients will appreciate you for it and will be more likely to forgive your mistake than if you tried to cover it up and not tend to it.

These are just a few of the ways that you can show integrity in your business on a daily basis, helping others to trust you with their time and their money.

Alyssa Avant is a Christian speaker, writer and business owner. Her Writer for Hire business provides articles and content to online entrepreneurs and business owners. Contact Alyssa for your writing needs here

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Tags: article, ethics, social, work, workplace

The recent news revealing that Gov. Spitzer of New York engaged in unlawful activities once again shows that ethics for many is for others and not for their selves. This individual was known for his high ethics specific to the behaviors of others. He forced many to resign and yet he was still in office.

What is interesting is to listen to everyone’s comments such as in Europe this would not be a big deal to this one it is his private life. NOTE: America is not Europe.

Elected officials give their pledge to uphold American laws. Yes, this incident involved his private life, but the news suggested that he was violating the law (innocent until proven guilty) that he had pledged to uphold. Also, there appears to be some critical and questionable financial dealings that may reach into his public life.

When we have elected officials to chief executive officers behaving unethically, how can we ask others especially employees to young people (future employees) to behave with high work ethics and to have personal responsibility and accountability?

Ethics is not a one-time thing. Having established non-negotiable behaviors is critical to each person’s success be it in business or in personal life. Individuals take their personal lives, their personal experiences and therefore their personal ethics into each and every position or role that they hold during their lifetime. All interactions are based upon personal ethics.

Now is the time for a business for review its values statement within its strategic plan. Are these values or ethics being consistently demonstrated by everyone? Do you need to have a review of what is acceptable behaviors and what is not acceptable behaviors?

For example, are your people timely in returning phone calls? Yesterday, I heard from a business associate who complained that she called someone who asked her to call and 3 days later she still hasn’t heard from this company. The failure to return phone calls is not a time management problem as many allude to, but rather an ethics problem.

When you as an individual business owner to C Level executive to professional sales person demonstrate your ethics for all to see, you will be recognized as someone who can be trusted. And, remember, people do business from people they trust

Is your leadership contributing to poor work ethics? Take this FREE leadership audit to help you identify your leadership skills.

Are you building a high performance culture? Take this FREE customer loyalty audit.

Leanne Hoagland-Smith, chief customer officer with locations near Chicago & Indianapolis helps organizations through business coaching training services to return to the purpose of business that being building ravings fans while increasing productivity and profitability.

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Tags: business, ethics, psychology, standards, workplace

Talk to any business owner to C-Level executive and somewhere in the conversation there will be either a direct or indirect reference to work ethics. For the result of poor business work ethics is continually affecting the business from productivity to customer loyalty to profitability.

Yet, when I ask the following question:

Do you believe that your employees come to work to directly mess up your day, tick off your customers or negatively affect your business?

I always receive the same answer from business owners to C-Level executives to department managers, No! So, my simple little brain begins to think then what is the real problem here? Is it poor work ethics or poor leadership. This thought process has allowed me to look at poor work ethics from an entirely different lens.

The other day I listened to a CEO of a mid size company share with me in great detail about an employee who for over one year failed to turn in his expense report. This performance failure affected everybody down stream specifically the financial department who could not accurately report all costs and where necessary bill those expense costs to the clients.

Bottom line this refusal to comply was creating affecting customer loyalty both externally and internally. External customers were not getting billed and loyal internal customers knew that this person was not being held accountable because the behavior continued for over a year.

Then I was asked what did I think about this situation? My response was “To whom did this individual report? This is a leadership and management problem first.” Upon seeing the look in the CEO’s face, I realized the non-complying individual directly reported to this CEO. Unfortunately, the CEO believed the problem to be one of poor ethics on part of the employee and truly did not want to take ownership of the problem.

This story was not the first time that I have heard or observed poor work ethics as a symptom of poor leadership within management. When employees are not held accountable for the results of their actions even though they do not directly intend to mess things up, the overall performance of the organization dramatically suffers.

When management fails to take action, they begin to establish a habit of thought, an attitude and more important an underlying belief that this behavior is acceptable. Years ago I wrote an article about work ethics really being attitude of performance. Today this is even more true than ever before.

If management truly wants a high performance culture, where consistent positive work ethics are demonstrated each and every day, then these individuals must become leaders first and managers second by the following:

* Communicating the statement of core values clearly
* Explaining completely as to what the core values mean in daily behaviors
* Securing agreement to adhering at all levels to those core values
* Accepting the responsibility to address the failure to adhere to those core values (accountability)

By taking such action, then management can truly look at work ethics from an individual perspective because organizationally there is alignment between the core foundational statement and the desired results.

Is your leadership contributing to poor work ethics? Take this FREE leadership audit to help you identify your leadership skills.

Are you building a high performance culture? Take this FREE customer loyalty audit.

Leanne Hoagland-Smith, chief customer officer, with offices in Chicago & Indianapolis, helps organizations through business coaching training services to return to the purpose of business that being building ravings fans while increasing productivity and profitability. She can help you double your business results and establish your competitive advantage.

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Tags: article, ethics, social, work, workplace

“Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It’s off to work we go!” Like the words in the Disney cartoon melody, every day people merrily trek to a job they apparently enjoy. Are these people misguided social dwarfs out of synch with the rest of the workforce? Well, these people are for real – another “Urban Legend” bites the dust! Even though we often give lip-service to the “work ethic,” it really does exist and it is stronger than one might expect. Frank Lloyd Wright, the famous 20th Century architect, stated, “I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen.”

The “work ethic” is personified by those who have found work that provides both a service to society and personal satisfaction. It is their passion – their life “calling.” One’s calling can follow any career path – writer, accountant, missionary, teacher, auto mechanic, carpenter, cook, social worker, attorney, or brain surgeon. It takes commitment and hard work, but you enjoy it and it feels like the right fit for you. You may actually become so intensively involved and committed that your “calling” becomes “one” with the company or organization’s mission.

Encompassing centuries, this commitment and dedication to hard work has been exemplified in such societies as the Amish, Mennonites, Hutterites and the Shakers. The Shaker phrase attributed to Mother Ann Lee, the founder of the Shaker sect: “Put you hands to work, and your hearts to God,” encourages a simple life of hard work and spirituality. We might also identify with Ben Franklin as another example who espoused his philosophy of avarice and strong work ethic.

How could this concept of a work ethic develop and endure in a society where the concept of “entitlement” now seems to be so prevalent? The roots begin with Max Weber (V ber), one of the leading founders of modern sociology, and his renowned work on modern social science, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. In the 1930s, after the book was translated into English, the U.S. workforce began its on-going love affair with the “Work Ethic” – a social trait that would become the backbone of American enterprise and world leadership.

The arduous work of capitalism, according to Weber, is closely associated with intrinsic Protestant religious beliefs and behavior. Only in the West has rationalization in science, law, and culture developed to the extent where political, technical, and economic conditions depend on highly trained government officials. He further states, “However, all the peculiarities of Western capitalism have derived their significance in the last analysis only from their association with the capitalistic organization of labor.”

Historically, certain Protestant denominations had a strong influence on the members’ development of business acumen and the ethic of hard work. These Protestants developed a sense of economic rationalism that emphasized diligent and dedicated work. Each and every Sunday, Methodist and Presbyterian ministers extolled the virtues of the “Work Ethic” to their congregations through lengthy and tedious sermons.

According to Weber, the following traits characterize a strong work ethic:

ª FOCUS ON WORK – We know how precious our time is and that it is limited. We must have a passion and strive for excellence in our work. Work time should be used efficiently and wisely with a desire to make money as a fruit of our labor and not spend it irresponsibly.

ª UNPRETENTIOUS AND MODEST – We should act and dress appropriately – dress should not be flashy to attract attention or cause distraction to others.

ª HONEST AND ETHICAL: One should possess and exhibit strong ethical beliefs, and a moral code of behavior, i.e. The Ten Commandments. To do the “right thing” when no one is watching.

The power of a free labor force has made capitalism a very powerful force in our society. Riding high on the wave of post WWII patriotism and intense business competition, we became rightfully proud of our fast-growing economy and the image of hard working Americans. We take pride in who we were and what we produce as a nation. The greatest and most successful nation on earth! Although the original religious aspects eventually faded, the “Work Ethic” is firmly entrenched as a powerful and valued American social trait.

Unquestionably, we do not desire a workforce dominated by mindless “robots” even with a good work ethic. We need innovative thinkers and committed leaders that can guide us through the 21st Century and beyond. It is essential that we continue to build a strong labor force committed to an indomitable “Work Ethic” – workers that are honest, ethical, and rational.

We also need leaders that will not be afraid to work and who will take the responsibly to guide new projects and develop employee potentials to exceed projected goals. We need people passionate about a mission. A good “Work Ethic” is essential to a strong economy, and a strong vibrant society.

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Tags: article, ethics, social, work, workplace

7. You’re much more likely to build a lasting business, and build it more easily

6. When your customers trust you, they come back again and again

5. It’s much easier to build joint-venture relationships that can exponentially grow your business

4. When your customers fall in love with the way you do business, they start recruiting other people to do business with you–they actually become your unpaid sales force

3. Your business will be worth far more when it’s time to sell it

2. If you tell only the truth, you don’t worry about being caught in an embarrassing and profit-killing lie

And the number one reason…

You never have to worry about seeing your picture on the front page, in handcuffs

Action Steps:

1. Measure the impact of any action on all stakeholders: customers, employees, suppliers, neighbors

2. Always tell the truth

3. Sell only products that you can fully stand behind

4. Buy a copy of the award-winning book Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First, which tells you in 160 pages exactly how to translate your high ethical standards into bottom-line dollars. This book has been endorsed by some of the top names in marketing, including Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup series, won an Apex Award, and has been re-published in India and Mexico. Visit the site

5. Show your commitment to ethics by signing the Business Ethics Pledge, with signers in 30 countries, and take advantage of the resources available to you as a signer (signing also earns you a discount on the book, as a way of saying :”thank you”).

Visit this site to read more about this topic

Marketing consultant/copywriter Shel Horowitz is founder of the international Business Ethics Pledge campaign and author of seven books including the Apex Award winner Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First. This article may be reproduced without charge as long as this blurb (including the URLs) is included and that edits are approved by the author.

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Tags: business, corporate, ethics, training, workplace

“Our offices handle many different areas of law. One area in particular is Employment Law. Employment Law is one of the most difficult and complex areas to handle.

An area I have come across lately is employer retaliation against an employee. Below is a brief summary of what retaliation is. This will help you in picking the right person to handle your legal issues. If the person you speak to does not know the elements of retaliation watch out. They may not understand the complexities of this tough area of the law. This brief summary will help either employers or employees in understanding Retaliation.

DEFINITION

California law prohibits an employer, labor organization, employment agency or person from discriminating against any person because that person has opposed any discriminatory practice.

The Fair Employment and Housing Act proscribes retaliation more broadly than discrimination. The general prohibition against discrimination extends only to discrimination “against the person in compensation or in terms, conditions or privileges of employment.” In contrast, the prohibition against retaliation states simply that an employer may not “discriminate” against any employee who opposes discrimination.

To establish a prima facie claim of retaliation under the Fair Employment and Housing Act, a plaintiff must show that he engaged in a protected activity, his employer subjected him to adverse employment action, and that there is a causal link between the protected activity and the employer’s adverse action.

The California statute prohibiting retaliation discrimination is the Fair Employment & Housing Act (FEHA). CAL. GOV’T CODE §12900 et seq. The FEHA’s federal counterpart is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 42 U.S.C. §2000e et seq.

THESE ARE THE ELEMENTS YOU NEED TO PROVE IN WORK PLACE RETALIATION

PROTECTED EMPLOYEE

An employee is one engaged by an employer to do something for the benefit of the employer or a third person. CAL. LAB. CODE §2750.

EMPLOYER, LABOR ORGANIZATION, EMPLOYMENT AGENCY, OR PERSON

The FEHA prohibits an employer, labor organization, employment agency or person from retaliatory discrimination.

ADVERSE TREATMENT

An employer may not discharge, expel, or otherwise discriminate against a person who has opposed discriminatory practices.

RETALIATORY INTENT

The plaintiff must show a causal link between the employee’s opposition to a discriminatory practice or activity and the adverse action of the employer.

EXHAUSTION OF ADMINISTRATIVE REMEDIES

Before filing a complaint for retaliation under the FEHA, the employee must first exhaust available administrative remedies by filing a charge with the California Department of Fair Employment & Housing.

SO WHAT ARE YOU ALLOWED TO GET IF YOU CAN PROVE RETALIATION?

• Back Pay

• Front Pay

• Emotional Distress Damages

• Attorneys’ Fees

• Punitive Damages

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS (SOL)

A plaintiff must file a discrimination charge with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) within one year from the date of the most recent act of discrimination. CAL. GOV’T CODE §12960. This period may be extended for up to 90 days if the plaintiff did not learn of the discrimination within a year of its last occurrence. CAL. GOV’T CODE §12940. The employee must file a civil lawsuit within one year from the date that the DFEH issues a “Right-to-Sue” notice to the employee. CAL. GOV’T CODE §12965(b).

The Law Offices of Paul P. Cheng is a full service firm with its main location in Pasadena, California. Paul Cheng is a master communicator and has lectured to thousands of individuals in many different areas of the law. His goal is to empower the public by giving them the basic legal knowledge to achieve their goals. To get to know Paul P. Cheng go to this site.

When we started Fathom Corporate Training, we searched high and low for a name befitting our firm. So many ideas can surface when undertaking these types of endeavors. Sometimes though, we have a hard time simply deciding what to order on the restaurant menu. Trying to make the right decision can become an obsession. We turn in circles trying to make perfect decisions, but we really don’t have all the information to do that. Recently I had a revelation. I woke up with a clear understanding and realization of how much time I have wasted in my life trying to make that “right” decision. While my life has gone pretty smoothly, I have indeed sacrificed. I have sacrificed precious time trying to make these types of perfect decisions. Time is something we can’t get back. I now remind myself every day that “right” does not exist. There will always be a “left” staring you in the face so that you inevitably will ask yourself, “I wander if I should go that way?” When the fear of the unknown and indecisiveness comes up because of a new fork in the road we must realize a couple things:

1. We don’t know the future.

2. There is no right way.

There are many different roads to getting there and because there is no way to know what roadblocks may be ahead, it may be time to simply choose. Ultimately, you’ll get where you’re going and feel more productive and efficient. Or, you may discover a new way of getting things done that you could have never planned for. Go ahead, step into the unknown. And remember, we are all whistling in the same darkness!

What about procrastination? Do you procrastinate? We all do to some degree. If getting a project started in the perfect way or at the “right” time is holding you back, your procrastinating. One key to stopping your procrastination is to first know when your doing it. We all do something different when we procrastinate. Do you find yourself running lots of errands. Sure, your getting lots done, but what? Most of us are very efficient, but not effective. What’s the difference? Doing the most in the shortest period of time is called efficient use of time. Effective use of your time means getting the right things done. Things that will lead you to accomplishing your most important life goals. It’s seems easier to go to the store or watch TV than to start on something that feels threatening, such as an important project. So simply get started. Just remember the Spartans if the project is too large and feels overwhelming. When facing the ruthless Persian army and outnumbered by thousands, the 300 brave Spartan soldiers felt completely overwhelmed. With one simple question, the Greek leader of the Spartan army broke down the massive task at hand. “Can each of you slay 3-4 more Persians today than you did yesterday?” They agreed that they could. And they did, one at a time!

John Males spent 10 years on the management team of Continental Airlines in sales and marketing, taking part in what is recognized as the largest and most significant corporate turnaround in American business history. Used in case studies worldwide for its exceptional business practices, the firm continues to rank on the Fortune 100 “Best Companies to Work for List” and as one of the most globally admired firms. John Males brings expertise to clients facing critical challenges in the areas of management, sales and branding. His customers include some of the world’s most successful firms and recognized brands. He can be reached here

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Tags: business, corporate, ethics, training, workplace

Years ago, when earning my Masters, I came across What to Do If You’re Riding a Dead Horse?”and put it into one of those save files. (The source was unknown.)

1. Buy a stronger whip.
2. Change riders.
3. Declare, “This is the way we have always ridden this horse.”
4. Appoint a team to revive the horse.
5. Ignore the dead horse. . . . What dead horse?
6. Create a training session to improve your riding skills.
7. Outsource contractors to ride the dead horse.
8. Appoint a committee to study the dead horse.
9. Arrange to visit other sites to see how they ride dead horses.
10. Harness several dead horses together for increased speed.

Native Americans simply answer this question with one word – dismount.

Yet, in business, when we are supposed to actively pursue all qualified prospects because of our commitment to our ethics and customer service, many times we, as sales professionals, business coaches and business owners, continue to ride dead horses. This behavior is very expensive because it wastes our time.

During the last several months, I have had to dismount numerous times even though doing so might be perceived as poor customer service. However, a professional and ethical business sales person should never ride a dead horse.

What continually surprises me is the number of people who call, leave their name, leave their phone, leave the purpose of their call and then when you call back within a couple of hours, they never return the call. For me, many of these calls are from realtors who say that they will get back to you in less than 24 hours. Maybe they should add the clause only if you are a potential prospect!

Then when you catch them doing your due diligence of making the contact, they ask you to call back at another time. You understand because everyone is busy and so you call back at the appointed time. Again, you leave another voice mail because they are not there.

The lack ethics is demonstrated by through this incredibly poor professionalism. When I tell someone I will be around to take a call, I am always available because I respect his or her time. Never do I “blow off” the call. If another call interferes with the anticipated call, I end the conversation as quickly, ethically and professionally as possible. If the caller left a voice mail, I immediately return the call before taking any other calls or appointments.

One hears adults talking about the poor work ethics of young people. I believe in some cases that these same adults need to look in the mirror at their own ethics and professionalism.

So take action right now and update your voice mail if you tell people that you return calls in 2, 4 or 24 hours. Your actions of not calling back are much more about your lack of ethics and poor professionalism than the person calling you.

Remembered, how you felt when people wasted your time by not returning you calls or taking your calls when they promised to be available. And more importantly, you never know what that person might say to someone else who just could be your next client.

Do you want to learn more about how to get to where you want to be? I have just completed a FREE 7 lesson on-line email course. Sign up here to begin to Build M.A.P. (My Action Plan) to Success.

Leanne Hoagland-Smith, M.S. is a speaker and Indianapolis business coach & Chicago business coach who has written hundreds of articles with a focus on improving individual and organizational performance through excellence in leadership to executable strategic plans.

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Tags: workplace, ethics, business, training, professional

Work environments can be very challenging, balancing the internal personnel with all the external customers and suppliers. Everyday you’re putting yourself on the line for that company’s benefit, but are you working with ethical people? When you look at companies that inflate their sales, provide information that’s inaccurate to stockholders, or cover up problems that are harming their employees, consumers or the environment; who’s responsible and who pays the price? Enron, Tyco, WorldCom and Adelphia are examples, where dishonesty was the tool of greed that committed fraud.

Distorted facts are not always obvious at first, but when fraud and deception are the reflection, that mirror image will haunt you. Arrogance and manipulation dictate with double standards like, ”do as I say, not as I do.” This inconsistent behavior results in hypocrisy that causes so much underlying hostility in our society. Every time someone misrepresents the facts, the mind does a double take on what’s real and what was said. It’s similar to keeping two sets of books, the correct version and the bogus set which causes internal stress that increases with every lie told. Think about the person that is always blaming others for their issues and has numerous excuses why goals have not been accomplished. Their derogatory words are constantly shifting blame away from themselves, towards others. But when you listen closely, you hear the contradictions. Verbal clutter causes congestion by those that like to create chaos to either cover their tracks or spin you around so you lose track. When transparency is missing, so is the truth.

Do you have the ability to see through the individual facades that are speaking or do you just take words at face value? When you listen and wonder, “can I believe what they’re saying,” that gut instinct is telling you, “”some thing’s wrong.”" Words can be truthful and positive or dishonest and rude. Our mind comprehends honest information with clarity and our sense of being feels good about the interaction. When it doesn’t make sense, that’s when the conversation is filled with excuses and /or contradictions, waving that red flag of deception. The short-term gain received from dishonesty is a fraction of what they really want and they don’t hold onto it for very long, cause it was not theirs to begin with. How many times can someone lie to you before they’re not worth your time? When people fall backwards to create more lies and cover ups, that’s when logic goes out the window. It’s similar to listening to music that has annoying distortion, you don’t want to hear it, so you tune it out. When you value integrity, you have a clear sense of pride and respect. Those values echo in everything you do and relates to your success on a daily basis. Decisions are prioritized by keeping the big picture in perspective, thinking through intentions and understanding how your choices effect everyone involved. The realization is the incentive, the more things we do right the first time, the less time we spend fixing mistakes.

Training for the gold in any business requires consistency, determination and integrity. Words create the path our actions take and it starts with every CEO and supervisors at every level; professors, teachers and parents, setting the example that perspective should always be objective and clarity comes with verifying the information. Be the catalyst that you want your associates to be and train them on how to make appropriate decisions by keeping goals in perspective. Using our mind in a positive constructive way, sequences our brain with finding real solutions that benefit everyone involved. When you’re working with people you trust, the foundation is strong and the accomplishments will exceed expectations.

There are no degrees of honesty, you either are or you’re not. Truth stands the test of time and doesn’t need excuses. We become more in-tune with detecting when someone is bending and weaving reality by taking the time to listen. When you hear conflicting information, bring both people together in the same room. It’s amazing how often the story changes, when they’re sitting across from one another and you can hear who alters their version. Don’t give dishonesty an easy road to take because you assume. We gain a panoramic view with much clearer awareness when we take the time to verify.

Our conscience is our guide when we do the right things for the right reasons and we truly care about the people involved. Give yourself some checks and balances like “would I want my mother or brother to see what I just did on the morning news?” Try visualizing the possibilities, evaluate the situation, think about the outcome and the consequences your actions will cause before making your choice. We choose our direction by the decisions we make, it can be peaceful or problematical.

Peace of Mind comes with knowing the truth and that compliments the best qualities we see in each other. Be true to yourself, so you can see and hear the truth in others. We can’t expect more from someone else, than we do from ourselves. This consciousness holds the greatest value, when we know for sure whom we can trust. If there’s any doubt in your mind, take the time to clarify. It’s your life, your future and your company’s stock prices. The truth has a way of making us stronger and keeping us real, so our mind can focus on what’s important and we can be most effective.

Excerpt from the new book Peace of Mind coming out early 2008

Susan Elaine Wheeler’s fascination with human nature started at a very young age, always asking the question why. Why do people do the things they do? Studying the cause and effect of our personalities and environments determine our behaviors and the decisions we make. Susan’s career successes include owning her marketing company AMPS, doing National Sales, creating Professional Accounts in Hollywood and this year starting a new company, Creative Perspective Solutions. CPS working with individuals and companies that want to accelerate excellence by maximizing their potential through effective communications.

(c) 2007 Creative Perspective Solutions

Visit Susan’s website to learn more about her.

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Over these past years one matter which has caused me great concern and which I have attempted to address is CORRUPTION.

When driving into Bethlehem leading a Pilgrimage I asked the Arab ‘Palestinian’ driver where all these new luxury houses came from and he replied – “From Gaza money”. And yet, the European Union and other Donor Agencies continue to give Aid in cash to Gaza and West Bank communities – where corruption is excessive – and to other nations too where sums of money appear to disappear!

Having investigated the financial sources for the luxurious new homes in Bethlehem and on the Gaza waterfront – and knowing that certain concerned leaders have requested that Aid be given in the form of materials for particular projects, such as drains – it will take someone with true grit and courage to say, “This is now what is going to happen.”

Morals affect morale much more than is realised.

Some years ago when twenty-two billion dollars were unaccounted for in Russia, financial advisers in Moscow appealed to the International Monetary Fund and The World Bank not to send more money.

I have written to The World Bank and The International Monetary Fund regarding this very matter and received bland replies.

But government agencies continue to send financial aid to areas where they know it will be squandered.

When someone comes to my door asking for money for a meal, I never hand over cash. If the caller thinks my cheese sandwiches and coffee are insufficient, I have an arrangement with a local restaurant, where the hungry man can have a substantial nourishing meal. I go and pay the bill the following day.

When a man asks for money for the train or bus to travel home following his relative’s funeral, I take the man to the train or bus station and buy the ticket. Surprisingly, the desire to travel frequently disappears.

No – I have seen money make its way to the nearest supplier of alcohol. I learned that lesson fast.

If such a simple convention can be applied in mini-micro-economics, why not in macro-economic dealings? Now – do not tell me it cannot be done – it can!

If there is anyone reading this short article who is able to do something practical about this most serious issue please arise, stand up, and raise this matter, so that the poor are no longer abused and so that the corrupt ‘leaders’ will no longer be able to line their very deep pockets and fill their ample bank accounts with money which should have been used in other ways.

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: ethics, workplace, law, legal, corruption

As the tight economy has reduced business activity and limited resources, I’m also seeing an accompanying new trend in behaviors.

* Variations of that ever popular lie: “The check’s in the mail” is being used with greater regularity. With that, there is an accompanying trickle down effect as one unfulfilled payment promise leads to another at the victim vendor and another at the next.
* More pressure is being placed on sales people to misrepresent the facts (the legal definition of fraud) to get the business.
* Corners are being cut and some are over promising and under delivering with both our external and internal customers.

It seems that more people are willing to compromise their integrity for the sake of the quick fix while using tough times as an excuse. Is it valid? Or are they digging themselves an even deeper hole? In this environment we will all be regularly tempted or urged to compromise our integrity. As you are tested, remember… Never has an effective leader ever said… “When the going gets tough, the tough waiver on their commitments.” Damage Control

The solution is so simple, yet too often lost on otherwise intelligent people. For those who have already fallen into the trap, here is my simple four step plan…

1. If you can’t “do what you say”, STOP saying it!

2. Buck up and tell the truth.

3. Admit that you were wrong and make a promise that you can keep.

4. Then keep it like your reputation depends on it.

Your Tough Time Opportunity At things get tougher and as fewer people and fewer companies keep their promises, there is an opportunity for you to gain the rewards offered by taking the high road. As the high road increasingly becomes the road less traveled, consider the rewards available for taking this route. Our integrity is NOT measured by what we do when life is good. Its about how we behave when no one is looking and when keeping your promises becomes more challenging.

A reputation takes a lifetime to build and can be destroyed in an instant.

The next time you’re tempted by short term gains to act contrary to your words, ask yourself…

* Is that short term gain really worth the risk? Is it ever?
* Am I really digging myself a deeper hole?
* Might I take this opportunity to differentiate and distinguish myself by taking the high road?

Tom Lemanski is the President and founder of Vista Development, a boutique strategic development firm serving metro Chicago, IL. Tom has served as business catalyst and executive coach in over thirty different product and service industries. Visit the website

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Tags: ethical, challenge, business, workplace, public

Has honesty in business become a thing of the past? With so many people shifting to the internet, many are starting to ask this question as they fall prey to the dark side of the internet. The internet has a bad reputation and it constantly lives up to the billing. As people look for solutions to their problems, many end up investing their hard-earned money in “Get Rich Schemes” and then find out that they’ve been duped.

The so-called bargain wasn’t a bargain after all. Some will just shrug off their bad experiences as look at it as a lesson learned but for others, their dreams are dashed and all they have left is an empty wallet. While still others, run and tell there friends they got ripped-off and by whom causing a viral rift, giving marketers a bad reputation.

Collectively, as internet marketers and online business owners, we need to clean up our acts and bring old fashioned business ethics into the picture. If your definition of profit is only income or money, maybe ethics are not needed. But businesses can and should be more that just for money. Profits yes, but profits can be more that just financial. What about the value we can provide for our customers and our employees?

It’s all about CHARACTER. Reputation is what people think of you but CHARACTER is what you are. For goodness sakes, don’t leave your character at the front door of your business. Bring it inside with you.

Here are 7 ways in which you can bring ethics into your business:

1. Serve your customers well by providing great value and by giving them convenience. Give them fair prices, high quality products and services, and in return, they will reward you with their respect and loyalty.
2. Treat your employees well. If you have employees, pay them a good salary and provide benefits that can better their lives. Be kind, considerate, and grateful to them because they truly are your best assets.
3. Tell the truth. Be honest even when others may not be. Don’t worry about what others may or may not be doing but rather focus on what you’re doing.
4. Provide great customer service. Not only does this meet their needs but is also helps your business earn public trust. Remember, happy customers are repeat customers, and they are your best revenue generators.
5. Don’t participate in “Black Hat” practices. I’m amazed at the businesses that continue to use spamming to sell a product. Maybe it’s because it still works to a degree. But so many people are turned off by the practice, that you’re probably turning more customers away than you’re getting. Wouldn’t it be better to have a customer for a lifetime than to have tricked someone into a one-time sale.
6. Be respectable to your competitors. Look at them as motivation to do better. In an effort to make yourself look good, you can choose to either knock down your competition or build yourself up. The latter will serve you better.
7. Build a win-win situation for all. Building your business on a rock solid foundation of honesty makes so much business sense. Your customer gets what they want and you get a happy repeat costumer that will go out and tell his/her friends about you. You’re building great relationships and also a great reputation.

By conducting your business in an ethical and clean manner, you’ll sleep better at night knowing that you’re doing things right. You’ll have less stress knowing you’re running your business with high ethics.

So, what will it be for you? Will you play it clean, or deal dirty? The choice is up to you. I know what I’m going to do. Want to join me?

Wayne Kirby is a veteran online entrepreneur with over 15 years experience in launching and growing businesses. Wayne is a multiple six-figure earner and has a MBA Degree – with an emphasis in Marketing and Finance. Get insights into his current mentoring program and how he can help take your online business to the next level, visit this website

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Tags: ethics, workplace

Wealth in the new regime flows directly from innovation, not optimization; that is, wealth is not gained by perfecting the known, but by imperfectly seizing the unknown.”

Kevin Kelly

One question that comes to mind is “Why should we distinguish organizational values from personal values?” Let’s take a closer look. Over the centuries, philosophers and researchers have examined the various aspects of values and ethics. Our investigation today will take us on an ethical journey that will help understand how to improve the integrity of 21st century organizations as well as leaders.

Are we in a new era of corruption by senior leaders? Have you noticed all of the leadership scandals? You have high profile CEOs. You have government officials. You have celebrities. What are the results of these bad behaviors? People become less trusting of organizations and people. How can organizations exist when the leader-follower relationship is broken? According to one poll, 45% of the people give Congress poor marks for its honesty and ethics. How can intelligent and powerful people get in so much trouble?

In recent history, political strategists have shifted their approach for dealing with political scandals before the public. The most prevalent method is for a political figure to “get in front of the story” by voluntarily disclosing as much information as possible and by projecting an image of total cooperation with legal and media inquiries. This strategy goes along with denouncing questions as politically motivated, providing little information and praying that the storm will pass over.

Ex-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay took a similar approach when he discovered he was tied to the lobbyist Jack Abramoff scandal. Recently, evidence suggest that politicians are better off just hunkering down until it is over. This strategy is based on the belief that the public has a short attention span or memory. If a politician carries on with his duties, he can overcome any negative baggage. Examples of this approach can be found with prominent Democrats and Republicans as well the White House.

For example, President George Bush and the White House came under investigation in the Plame case in 2003. Senior White House officials faced legal and political scrutiny for leaking the identity of the covert CIA operative. The White House took no personnel actions and said nothing publicly. It appeared to have worked.

During the Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal, President Clinton used the hunkered down approach. Polls taken during the time suggested that most Americans concluded that Clinton probably lied; they considered the matter a private one for family.

Clinton knew if he had acknowledged the affair in 1998, the political uproar would have driven him from office. Clinton explained in 2004, “I think the overwhelming likelihood is that I would have been forced from office…” Hunkering down does work. Unfortunately, this unethical behavior will continue unless citizens demand more. Lead, character does count.

References:

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

Draft (1995). Organization Theory and Design. New York: West Publishing Company.

Harris, J. (April 12, 2005). In recent scandals, a rethinking of capital’s conventional wisdom. Washington Post.

Ethics Quality.com (n.d.). Cultural Management Essentials. Received on October 30, 2006, from http://www.ethicsquality.com/culturemgt.htm.

Kern, C. (2003). Creating and Sustaining an Ethical Workplace Culture, Pepperdine University.

King, S. (2006). The Moral Manager. Public Integrity. 8(2), pp.113-133.

Koch, W. (December 11, 2006). Washington scandal eating up public trust. USA Today.

Kouzes, J. & Posner, B. (2003). Credibility. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Kowert, P. (2001). Leadership and Learning in Political Groups. Governance: An International Journal of Policy and Administration. 14(2). pp.201-232.

Kurtz, R. (2003). Organizational culture, decision-making, and integrity, Public Integrity. 5(4). Pp.305-317.

Miller, W. (2001). Responsible Leadership: Base Your Leadership on Spiritual Roots. Executive Excellence. 18(5).

Nelson, M. (1994). Why Americans hate Politics and Politicians. Virginia Quarterly Review. 70(4), p.636, 18p.

Psychology Today. (1993). Decision making: How presidents think. Pg 8.

Reave, L. (2005). Spiritual values and practices related to leadership effectiveness. The Leadership Quarterly. 16(5), pp. 655-687.

Yukl, G. (2002). Leadership in Organizations. Delhi, India: Pearson Education, Inc.

© 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 four books, including More than a Conqueror: Achieving Personal Fulfillment in Government Service. Do you want to improve your life? Do you want to make better decisions? If you answer “”yes,”" then go to the ‘master decision-making’ website

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Tags: unethical, examples, article, workplace, behaviour