If You Have Integrity, NOTHING Else Matters. Amen.
If you have integrity, nothing else matters
Written by Harvey Mackay
In our country, and indeed all over the globe, we are facing so many crises that we hardly know which one to address first.
But one issue that is rarely identified as a real crisis, which I believe is at the root of so many of these other problems, is a crisis in integrity.
Pluck a few events from the headlines: the housing crisis precipitated by bad loans based on false information … the rogue UBS trader who lost $2 billion of his company’s money by making unauthorized trades … the government officials who never pay their taxes until they get caught … identity thieves … I could go on and on.
Our culture seems to accept that some people will just behave badly and we should put up with it.
No, we shouldn’t.
We need to draw the line somewhere. We should be able to expect people to live up to reasonable standards. We have an epidemic of blaming others for mistakes, or worse, attempting a cover-up, rather than taking responsibility and swallowing a few bitter pills. We need to teach kids that their actions have consequences, and then apply those consequences.
And we need to be prepared to forgive those who are truly sorry for their behavior, and not just because they got caught.
Does that sound terribly old-fashioned? I think it should never go out of fashion.
As I have said so many times before: If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.
Assuming the leadership of an organization understands the importance of integrity, the next important decision involves the quality of the people who are hired to work for it.
Many years ago, when I was hiring employees for my fledgling envelope company, I would check references and ask around for information that would influence my decisions. As tempting as that sounds, in In this environment, it is foolhardy. Responsible companies need to perform background checks to expose red flags that aren’t clearly evident.
I have recently begun working with Merchants Information Solutions, which helps companies with background screening and identity theft solutions. The Merchants’ Integrity Test is designed to help companies avoid high-risk hires by highlighting potential problem areas, like criminal behavior, lying, hostility and substance abuse.
Tests like these are not expensive ($10 to $20 each). Considering the damage a bad hire can do to your company and your customers, it’s a bargain. Consider this scenario: An employee who has access to corporate or client credit information, and chooses to steal that information, could cost the company much more than the actual money stolen.
Recovering from an ethical breach sucks the energy out of the most successful operations. Overcoming mistrust and rebuilding relationships is a costly, time-consuming process. Often, the road to restoring confidence is marked with detours and occasionally a dead end.
I am encouraged by the buzz I’m hearing from my colleagues who are returning the topic of integrity to the forefront of their business conversations.
At the recent Integrity Summit 2011 in Phoenix, whose participants spanned the spectrum in business enterprises, every speaker echoed the same message: Integrity is an essential component of a successful company.
And, I would add, a successful individual.
Written by Harvey Mackay
In our country, and indeed all over the globe, we are facing so many crises that we hardly know which one to address first.
But one issue that is rarely identified as a real crisis, which I believe is at the root of so many of these other problems, is a crisis in integrity.
Pluck a few events from the headlines: the housing crisis precipitated by bad loans based on false information … the rogue UBS trader who lost $2 billion of his company’s money by making unauthorized trades … the government officials who never pay their taxes until they get caught … identity thieves … I could go on and on.
Our culture seems to accept that some people will just behave badly and we should put up with it.
No, we shouldn’t.
We need to draw the line somewhere. We should be able to expect people to live up to reasonable standards. We have an epidemic of blaming others for mistakes, or worse, attempting a cover-up, rather than taking responsibility and swallowing a few bitter pills. We need to teach kids that their actions have consequences, and then apply those consequences.
And we need to be prepared to forgive those who are truly sorry for their behavior, and not just because they got caught.
Does that sound terribly old-fashioned? I think it should never go out of fashion.
As I have said so many times before: If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.
Assuming the leadership of an organization understands the importance of integrity, the next important decision involves the quality of the people who are hired to work for it.
Many years ago, when I was hiring employees for my fledgling envelope company, I would check references and ask around for information that would influence my decisions. As tempting as that sounds, in In this environment, it is foolhardy. Responsible companies need to perform background checks to expose red flags that aren’t clearly evident.
I have recently begun working with Merchants Information Solutions, which helps companies with background screening and identity theft solutions. The Merchants’ Integrity Test is designed to help companies avoid high-risk hires by highlighting potential problem areas, like criminal behavior, lying, hostility and substance abuse.
Tests like these are not expensive ($10 to $20 each). Considering the damage a bad hire can do to your company and your customers, it’s a bargain. Consider this scenario: An employee who has access to corporate or client credit information, and chooses to steal that information, could cost the company much more than the actual money stolen.
Recovering from an ethical breach sucks the energy out of the most successful operations. Overcoming mistrust and rebuilding relationships is a costly, time-consuming process. Often, the road to restoring confidence is marked with detours and occasionally a dead end.
I am encouraged by the buzz I’m hearing from my colleagues who are returning the topic of integrity to the forefront of their business conversations.
At the recent Integrity Summit 2011 in Phoenix, whose participants spanned the spectrum in business enterprises, every speaker echoed the same message: Integrity is an essential component of a successful company.
And, I would add, a successful individual.
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