WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Ethics are about making choices that may not always feel good or
seem like they benefit you but are the "right" choices to make. They
are the choices that are examples of "model citizens" and examples
of the golden rules. We've all heard the golden rules: Don't hurt,
don't steal, don't lie, or one of the most famous: "Do unto others
as you would have done to you." These are not just catchy phrases;
these are words of wisdom that any productive member of society
should strive to live by.
In our personal lives, most people try to do exactly that. Ethics
are thought of by many people as something that is related to the
private side of life and not to the business side. In many
businesses, having ethics is frowned upon or thought of as a
negative subject. This is because business is usually about doing
what's best for number one, not about what's really the right thing
to do. You probably are already feeling uneasy just reading this.
A GOOD EXAMPLE
Take ENRON, for example. Were the actions of ENRON's CEO's a good
example of ethics? No. But, what they WERE was a CLASSIC example of
was two things: One, those actions displayed how ethics were not
used in any way. Two, their actions painted a grim and realistic
picture of what can happen when ethics are neglected. Had ethics
been considered in the first place by the leaders of the company,
there would have been no scandal. If ethics were used on a daily
basis in every company, there would never be scandals.
Martha Stewart comes to mind when speaking of ethics. Again, there
is a feeling of uneasiness when dealing with this topic. But, why is
it like that? Ethics are supposed to improve our lives and invoke
good feelings. Perhaps the reason ethics is such a sore subject is
because they are so often poorly used, if used at all.
A NEW WAY
Ethics are making a comeback. To begin with, more and more
corporations and businessmen and woman are now realizing that ethics
aren't checked at the door when entering the workplace. Ethics have
every bit as much a place in the public as they do the private. How
is it there should be separate sets of ethics, depending upon
whether it is your personal life or your work life? The answer is
that there shouldn't be a separate set and in light of recent events
that we see on our television sets as of late, more and more
companies are realizing this fact.
Some companies are incorporating ethics into their training. It is s
subject that can go hand-in-hand with business and when employees
and CEO's alike understand what ethics are about, business can
improve. Not only will the community take note of the ethical nature
of a business but also so will customers.
Periodic reevaluations are suggested in ethics training as well,
since times change many things that some would never consider
ethical or non-ethical. For instance, when the first computer hacker
to send a work into a university computer system crippled the entire
network that the system was a part of, including that of public
utilities – simply because he could do it – a question of ethics is
hard to pose. Computers were new, at the time. And, no one had ever
been able to do such a thing before. With new times comes new
technology and new ways of doing things. Ethics will still play a
part of it all and refreshing ethics training only re-strengthens
what has already been learned, when new ages come about.
In the end, it's all about what a person understands about ethics.
Many university curriculums are now heavily applying the teaching of
Ethics and for good reason. Young minds will take this information
into the workforce and understand that ethics need to be applied
there as well as in the private sector. Corporations will be able to
avoid embarrassing scandals that are presented all over national
news. Small business will be able to keep and attract more clients
and customers. Negotiations between businesses could be accomplished
with more consideration for the other company in mind, which would
only help both.
Above all, a high level of ethics in your business should be in
place at least for the customers. If anything, it is the customer
that should be considered the most when it comes to ethical business
practices. In the long run, a company will reap great profits from a
customer base that feels it is being treated fairly and truthfully.
Click Here for a selection of video programs on ethics.
You may use this article in your personal or business newletter, ezine or webpage as long as you give credit to Justin Tyme and provide a link to: Ideas and Training.
Workplace Ethics is a subject that we have all heard of. In fact,
the subject of Ethics in general is something that most people are
familiar with. And, what is commonly understood about ethics is
there are ethics and then there are workplace ethics. What most
people don't realize, however, is that there is no such thing as
workplace ethics; ethics are the same, (or, should be) whether in
the workplace or in personal life.
About the Author
Myron Curry is President and CEO of BusinessTrainingMedia.com a
leading provider of workforce and business development training
programs designed exclusively for corporate deployment. Myron has
over 20 years of successful management experience with leading
fortune 500 companies and has written numerous articles about
workforce management issues. You can contact Myron at:
myron@business-marketing.com or visit his company's website
http://www.businesstrainingmedia.com.
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