Pan Trinbago has been secretly conducting a Poll

Justifying unethical behaviour WILL hurt your business

Thursday, September 27 2012 - TRINIDAD NEWSDAY

WHEN it comes to ethics, we are almost always able to identify unethical behaviour.

There are myriad examples of unethical business behaviours that we either witness or hear about on a daily basis. Some common examples include:

• Manipulation of financial reports with an intention to lure more investors

• Invoice fraud where customers end up paying higher amounts for a product or service so that employees can get “a commission”

• Sharing a company's confidential information with competitors or using it for one’s own financial gain

When we think about unethical behaviour these are the examples that come to mind and the ones that cause us to shake our heads and point fingers wondering “how on earth could he or she do THAT?” What we spend little time considering is our own unethical behaviors.

The dictionary defines unethical as not conforming to approved standards of social or professional behaviour. Interestingly bestselling author Dan Ariely tells us in his new book The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty – “Most of us think of ourselves as honest, but, in fact, we all cheat. From Washington to Wall Street, the classroom to the workplace, unethical behaviour is everywhere. None of us is immune, whether it's the white lie to head off trouble or padding our expense reports.”

I don’t think that is a shocking revelation but what we do is make excuses to justify our own behaviour and in many instances would not describe ourselves as unethical. The web site for the Holistic Education Network Tasmania, Australia shares “Conscientious people sometimes separate ethics into two areas: private and public. Fundamentally decent people thereby feel justified doing things at work that they know to be wrong in other contexts.”

Here are a few justifications as listed on www.hent.org:

“I was just doing it to prevent you from being hurt” — This is a primary justification for committing “little white lies” or withholding important bits of information in personal or professional relationships. Consider the perspective of the people lied to: If they discovered the lie, would they thank you for being considerate or would they feel betrayed, patronised or manipulated?

“I’m just fighting fire with fire” — This is the false assumption that promise-breaking, lying and deceit are justified if other people are doing it to you.

“It doesn’t hurt anyone” — This excuse falsely holds that one can violate ethical principles so long as there is no clear and immediate harm to others. Examples are: Asking for or giving special favours to family, friends or public officials, disclosing non-public information to benefit others, using one’s position for personal advantage.

“Everyone’s doing it” — This is a false “safety in numbers” rationale that assumes that just because many people are doing something it is universally acceptable.

“It’s OK if I don’t gain personally” — This justifies improper conduct done for others on the false assumption that personal gain is the only test of ethical behaviour.

“I deserve it” - People who feel they are overworked or underpaid rationalise that minor “perks” are fair compensation for work done. This is also used as an excuse to abuse sick time, insurance claims, overtime, personal phone calls and personal use of office supplies.

If you’re still in finger pointing mode and thinking as you read every example that you know one or two people “doing dat” let’s take a closer look in our own back yard:

Are you a man or woman of your word? There are many ways that you could spin it but it boils down to this: Do you do what you say you’re going to do? And if you don’t – do you hold yourself accountable? Again we all like to think that we are our word but actions often do speak louder than words. “I’ll email you that by lunch time tomorrow” and then three days slip by before you do or “I’ll be there at 5 pm sharp” but you arrive 25 minutes later.

In his blog, author of Little Things Matter Todd Smith tells us why our word matters. “…honouring your word plays a powerful role in how you are viewed by others. In the longer-term, it also plays a large part in how you view yourself. And, quite frankly, it dictates whether you are a person who is respected and accepted or disrespected and scorned. It’s ironic that although nearly everyone will admit to valuing the importance of keeping your word, fewer and fewer people actually do it…While honouring your word does include big things like marriage and business agreements, it also includes the little things you say you will do — such as calling when you said you would, remembering to let your neighbour’s pet in as you promised, and getting the report turned in on time.

Just as there are benefits to doing what you say you will, there are repercussions when you don’t. When we allow ourselves to back out of our commitments, it usually results in guilt and time wasted in our attempt to avoid those we’ve let down. I’ve learned it takes more time and emotional energy to circumvent or repair a damaged relationship when we’ve shirked a commitment than it does to keep it!”

It’s easy not to keep your word. You can justify that if it’s just a small issue that the people you made a promise to won’t remember what you said or promised. But is that really important whether they remember or not? You remember so do what’s right even though no one’s looking or may ever know about your “minor transgression.” In her book 20 Things I’ve Learned As An Entrepreneur, Alicia Morga tells us this in her first chapter called Your Word “…every time you fail to follow through, no matter how small the commitment or how invisible the consequences, you are chipping away at who you claim to be.”

You’re chipping away at yourself AND hurting your business!

Giselle Hudson is a speaker, author, Business Performance Improvement Consultant and Coach, helping business owners and independent service professionals find their own profitable rhythm of execution. If you believe you are underachieving in your business, that you’re much smarter than your results are showing and that your current performance isn’t living up to your potential then email me at possibility2profit@gmail.com for your FREE copy of “How to Get into the Rhythm of Consistent and Profitable Results.”

Replies

odw September 16, 2018 at 9:38am

Looking BACK as we move FORWARD...

Question, did that marketing professional happen to be associated with Cambridge Analytica???

Cambridge Analytica-linked firm 'boasted of poll interference'

The company that became Cambridge Analytica boasted about interfering in foreign elections, according to documents seen by the BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-43528219

SCL also claims that ahead of the elections in Trinidad and Tobago in 2010, it orchestrated an "ambitious campaign of political graffiti" that "ostensibly came from the youth" so the client party could "claim credit for listening to a 'united youth'".
Cecil hinkson September 16, 2018 at 4:24am

This post had no merit then, It have no merit now.
Claude Gonzales September 16, 2018 at 12:14am

AQUIL ARRINDELL: Yuh late for THE DANCE, boy!!!

Since 2012 I telling BEVERLEY she CANNOT WIN!!!

And I didn't even have MY CRYSTAL BALL then and I was sending BEVERLEY back to to TOBAGO to plant PIGEON PEAS!!!

So I doh know why yuh thinking that I just wake up and get ah VAPS!!!

Dey say that youth is wasted on the young

And Gregory Lindsay say that you vex with me because I old and healthy and strong
- Aquil > Claude Gonzales September 16, 2018 at 7:40am
  
  Pal I did know that you and Mrs. Beverley have all that history.
  
  so, after your post last night, i thought i could of change your mind a little.
  
  but as old people say "little indian boy, mind your business and hush your mouth when big talking".
  
  so i driving in my lane from now on.
  - Aquil > Aquil September 16, 2018 at 3:48pm
    
    Correction - i did NOT know*
natasha campbell October 5, 2012 at 9:46am

the devil is busy ,, and really article is just a way of politics trying to get dirt out ..... where has the fairness gone too all who is for diaz well if you have seen change in pan well may the lord be with you,,, but i don't.. we just need a good president that cares about pan and not there pockets or schemes, so be it man or woman we just finally need change for ther better not worst .
Gregory Lindsay September 29, 2012 at 8:03am

Justifying unethical behaviour WILL hurt your business

Thursday, September 27 2012 - TRINIDAD NEWSDAY

WHEN it comes to ethics, we are almost always able to identify unethical behaviour.

There are myriad examples of unethical business behaviours that we either witness or hear about on a daily basis. Some common examples include:

• Manipulation of financial reports with an intention to lure more investors

• Invoice fraud where customers end up paying higher amounts for a product or service so that employees can get “a commission”

• Sharing a company's confidential information with competitors or using it for one’s own financial gain

When we think about unethical behaviour these are the examples that come to mind and the ones that cause us to shake our heads and point fingers wondering “how on earth could he or she do THAT?” What we spend little time considering is our own unethical behaviors.

The dictionary defines unethical as not conforming to approved standards of social or professional behaviour. Interestingly bestselling author Dan Ariely tells us in his new book The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty – “Most of us think of ourselves as honest, but, in fact, we all cheat. From Washington to Wall Street, the classroom to the workplace, unethical behaviour is everywhere. None of us is immune, whether it's the white lie to head off trouble or padding our expense reports.”

I don’t think that is a shocking revelation but what we do is make excuses to justify our own behaviour and in many instances would not describe ourselves as unethical. The web site for the Holistic Education Network Tasmania, Australia shares “Conscientious people sometimes separate ethics into two areas: private and public. Fundamentally decent people thereby feel justified doing things at work that they know to be wrong in other contexts.”

Here are a few justifications as listed on www.hent.org:

“I was just doing it to prevent you from being hurt” — This is a primary justification for committing “little white lies” or withholding important bits of information in personal or professional relationships. Consider the perspective of the people lied to: If they discovered the lie, would they thank you for being considerate or would they feel betrayed, patronised or manipulated?

“I’m just fighting fire with fire” — This is the false assumption that promise-breaking, lying and deceit are justified if other people are doing it to you.

“It doesn’t hurt anyone” — This excuse falsely holds that one can violate ethical principles so long as there is no clear and immediate harm to others. Examples are: Asking for or giving special favours to family, friends or public officials, disclosing non-public information to benefit others, using one’s position for personal advantage.

“Everyone’s doing it” — This is a false “safety in numbers” rationale that assumes that just because many people are doing something it is universally acceptable.

“It’s OK if I don’t gain personally” — This justifies improper conduct done for others on the false assumption that personal gain is the only test of ethical behaviour.

“I deserve it” - People who feel they are overworked or underpaid rationalise that minor “perks” are fair compensation for work done. This is also used as an excuse to abuse sick time, insurance claims, overtime, personal phone calls and personal use of office supplies.

If you’re still in finger pointing mode and thinking as you read every example that you know one or two people “doing dat” let’s take a closer look in our own back yard:

Are you a man or woman of your word? There are many ways that you could spin it but it boils down to this: Do you do what you say you’re going to do? And if you don’t – do you hold yourself accountable? Again we all like to think that we are our word but actions often do speak louder than words. “I’ll email you that by lunch time tomorrow” and then three days slip by before you do or “I’ll be there at 5 pm sharp” but you arrive 25 minutes later.

In his blog, author of Little Things Matter Todd Smith tells us why our word matters. “…honouring your word plays a powerful role in how you are viewed by others. In the longer-term, it also plays a large part in how you view yourself. And, quite frankly, it dictates whether you are a person who is respected and accepted or disrespected and scorned. It’s ironic that although nearly everyone will admit to valuing the importance of keeping your word, fewer and fewer people actually do it…While honouring your word does include big things like marriage and business agreements, it also includes the little things you say you will do — such as calling when you said you would, remembering to let your neighbour’s pet in as you promised, and getting the report turned in on time.

Just as there are benefits to doing what you say you will, there are repercussions when you don’t. When we allow ourselves to back out of our commitments, it usually results in guilt and time wasted in our attempt to avoid those we’ve let down. I’ve learned it takes more time and emotional energy to circumvent or repair a damaged relationship when we’ve shirked a commitment than it does to keep it!”

It’s easy not to keep your word. You can justify that if it’s just a small issue that the people you made a promise to won’t remember what you said or promised. But is that really important whether they remember or not? You remember so do what’s right even though no one’s looking or may ever know about your “minor transgression.” In her book 20 Things I’ve Learned As An Entrepreneur, Alicia Morga tells us this in her first chapter called Your Word “…every time you fail to follow through, no matter how small the commitment or how invisible the consequences, you are chipping away at who you claim to be.”

You’re chipping away at yourself AND hurting your business!

Giselle Hudson is a speaker, author, Business Performance Improvement Consultant and Coach, helping business owners and independent service professionals find their own profitable rhythm of execution. If you believe you are underachieving in your business, that you’re much smarter than your results are showing and that your current performance isn’t living up to your potential then email me at possibility2profit@gmail.com for your FREE copy of “How to Get into the Rhythm of Consistent and Profitable Results.”
- Pan Times > Gregory Lindsay September 29, 2012 at 5:49pm
  
  Mr. Lindsay -- please do not post articles from other publications in their entirety in the forum. A couple of paragraphs and a direct link to the article is allowable. This avoids copyright issues. Please delete and re-post segments from this article, with a link directly back to it so members may read it if they wish.
  
  When Steel Talks
  - Gregory Lindsay > Pan Times September 30, 2012 at 4:47am
    
    Very well. Thank you
- Cecil hinkson > Gregory Lindsay September 29, 2012 at 11:46am
  
  Gregory, I read somewhere you said that you are not seeking any office in PT, if so then I hope you will do all you can to see the right person get the job. I think you will be an excellent addition to making of a new PanTrinbago.

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