OCMetro Business - (Ethical Edge Letters on Integrity)

The Ethical Mind seeks long-term gain.

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:40:00 GMT

Ethical Edge Letters on Integrity inspiring ethical excellence

INTEGRITY’S COMPETITIVE ASSET: MANAGING CONFLICT

“What kind of person, worker citizen do I want to be?” – Howard Gardner

In his seminal work, "Frames of Mind," written in 1983, Howard Gardner presented research into the theory of multiple intelligences. In the March 2007 issue of the Harvard Business Review, Gardner spoke about his continuing work, distinguishing five types of cognitive minds, the most refined of which Gardner described as the Ethical Mind.

The Ethical Mind thinks with the mission of long-term gain. Can the Ethical Mind have its central place in business, where short-term gain seemingly drives bottom-line decision-making? Gardner asks two compelling questions: (1) What if businesspeople were constrained (guided) by a code of professional ethics? (2) What if every executive and manager took the equivalent of the Hippocratic Oath, vowing to never do harm, to act for "the good" of customers and shareholders?

Managing conflict. This is the work of leaders of integrity as they maneuver in the challenging, oftentimes chaotic waters of "make the sale; close the deal" while seeking to be hold fast to long-term values-driven undercurrents.

Gardner poses his question and provides counsel to leaders who seek to apply Ethical Mind clarity to conflicted business thinking.

1. Take time to step back and reflect upon the nature of the work.

2. Undergo positive, periodic inoculations, focused on rethinking what are we doing and how are we doing it.

3. Use observation as a strategic action especially in difficult times.

Mission Integrity Action

As a business leader, you can use the tool of observation as an integrity catalyst. Be attentive this week with yourself and colleagues for telltale signs of conflicted organizational thinking identified by the George S. May Co. These five statements are integrity-breech indicators:

1. Nobody will care.

2. No one will know.

3. I don’t have the time.

4. That’s close enough.

5. It’s not my job.

Appreciating you on the ethical edge!

Russell Williams,
founder/president
Passkeys Foundation/Ethical Edge
ethicaledge.org

Who is the choice-maker?

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:41:00 GMT

Ethical Edge Letters on Integrity inspiring ethical excellence

INTEGRITY’S COMPETITIVE ASSET: MANAGING CHOICE

“You always do what you want to do. This is true with every act. You may say that you had to do something or that you were forced to, but actually whatever you do, you do my choice. Only you have the power to choose for yourself.”
– W. Clement Stone

Who is the choice-maker? Stone, one of the 20th century’s most inspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders, answers that question: No matter where an individual is placed on an organizational flow chart – in the mailroom or the boardroom – each individual has the opportunity to become the choice-maker. This individual, managing his or her influence for good, keeps focused on a personal and professional mantra: I choose to stand in the center of my thoughts, feelings and actions.

In "Ethics 4 Everyone, The Handbook for Integrity Based Practices," Eric Harvey and Scott Airitam present 50 ways to walk integrity’s talk. Here are three nuggets from the handbook:

1. Honor your promises and commitments: Am I doing what I said I would do?

2. Set the example: Seize the opportunity to lead and mentor others by your personal actions.

3. Celebrate integrity: Look for every way possible to make a big deal about integrity choices.

These three nuggets highlight that integrity choice-makers are agents of virtues-driven leadership. Cathleen Sullivan, an ethics coach for business, wrote in an American Management Association article on becoming a model ethical decision-maker, “If you want people to know how serious you are about ethical conduct, adopt the old adage, 'show, don’t tell.'”

Mission Integrity Action

Every choice-maker adopts a common motto to put into practice the “show, don’t tell” adage. Here is the motto: Nothing ever happens to me. Everything always happens through me.

This week place at your desk a one-page, two-column T-Chart. Title column one: Happening to me. Title column two: Happening through me. As you face challenging situations, conversations, decisions, problems, decide where do you place the challenge: column one or two? Wait until week’s end to review. What integrity problem-solving thought patterns are evident?

Appreciating you on the ethical edge!

Russell Williams,
founder/president
Passkeys Foundation/Ethical Edge
ethicaledge.org

Integrity’s restoration renews trust

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:35:00 GMT

Ethical Edge Letters on Integrity inspiring ethical excellence

INTEGRITY’S RESTORATION: TRUST

“The buck stops here.” Harry Truman

When our 33rd president placed a sign on his Oval Office desk with these words, they became famous. For Truman, the words communicated to everyone that he knew one thing about his new job: He was America’s final and ultimate big decisions problem solver! He understood his fundamental professional responsibility.

"The buck stops here" offers strategic clarity that motivates and moves individuals to restore integrity in their personal and professional relationships. Integrity’s restoration outcome is always renewed trust.

Integrity’s renewal embraces positive action, not critique of the failings of others. When Bernard Madoff made off, we understandably judged and condemned, asking ourselves: Who can we trust? Competent, self-directed professionals do not simply stir the pot of cynicism. Rather, the bad behavior of others serves as the gateway for self-reflection. In turn, self-reflection always poses a question: What does this behavior, incident, problem that I am hearing, thinking, talking about have to do with me and my influence for good?

Self-reflection is a power point to mobilize integrity’s daily work. Self-reflection looks at what is concealed, hidden, below the surface. The Josephson Institute of Ethics, one of the nation's premier voices in ethics education, provides an annual opportunity for Americans to experience integrity’s restoration efforts with its Personal Integrity Assessment. The platform is an excellent self-reflection tool promoting personal and professional awareness on integrity action. The following are four questions from the 2009 survey. As you read each statement, observe how you strongly agree, agree, disagree, or disagree strongly:

1. One has to lie or cheat occasionally in order to succeed.

2. People who take ethical shortcuts are more likely to succeed than those who don’t.

3. I am satisfied with my own ethics and character.

4. I am more ethical that most people I know.

Mission Integrity Action

This week, use these four questions to stimulate integrity’s self-reflection power point. These questions are measurements of integrity’s restoration work you can use to shape self-trust and trustworthiness.

Appreciating you on the ethical edge!

Russell Williams,
founder/president
Passkeys Foundation/Ethical Edge
ethicaledge.org

Integrity moves on personal initiative

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:51:00 GMT

Ethical Edge Letters on Integrity inspiring ethical excellence

INTEGRITY’S COMPETITIVE ASSETS

"Integrity and firmness are all I can promise. These be the voyage, long and short, never shall forsake me.” George Washington

Washington’s words were compelling and relevant then. They remain so, today. It was early April 1789 when the 57-year-old president-elect wrote to his friend, John Knox, commenting about the task that was set before him as he assumed the presidency of a fragile republic. His mission? Integrity!

Few American professionals are called to national leadership, but all professionals are called to their own Integrity Mission at home, at work and in the community.

Integrity’s mission in America is timeless and timely. It moves on personal initiative. It functions as the compass of our performance character to indicate whether we resonate with True North clarity in our relationships with family, friends and co-workers.

Integrity’s mission is never complete. Some days, we fail. Other days, we soar. In the last 18 months, our national collective psyche has taken a deep breath as we have watched, listened and talked about the seismic tremors in our economy and society that are seemingly endlessly propelled by integrity’s vanishing act on Wall Street, Main Street and in the corridors of Congress.

Integrity’s personal influence for Good is the daily vitamin for the societal angst we feel. Influence is about an individual’s personal choice to act as the daily decision-maker who aspires to standards of performance character, based on a rock-solid foundation that knows: Whether I meet my personal standards, I continuously re-commit myself to get back up on my horse of integrity and ride!

The 2010 Letters of Integrity column will explore the seven performance character integrity assets that provide the standards, the framework, the structure for saddling up daily. The Integrity Assets focus on seven personal and professional self-management skills. Together, they serve as the compass we carry to ride with integrity daily, oftentimes succeeding, other times failing, but always pointed in the direction of self-trust and trustworthiness at home, at work and in our communities.

Mission Integrity Action

As I pursue a productive week, I hold an Integrity Mission question in the background of my awareness. I carry the Integrity Mission question everywhere I go. The question: Are the actions I take today moving me forward on my Integrity Mission or causing me to stumble?

Appreciating you on the ethical edge!

Russell Williams,
founder/president
Passkeys Foundation/Ethical Edge
ethicaledge.org