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Truth Or Truthyness - The Domino Effect - Business Ethics Start With
Category: BusinessWork 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
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
Tags: common sense, energy, ethics, honest, integrity, peace of mind, transparency, truth, truthyness