October 2007
You are currently browsing the articles from written in the month of October 2007.
My concern this evening is about a growing trend online - and I’m wondering “just because you CAN, should you?”
This week has seen the launch of several major marketing programs by major players. These guys (and gals) have magic fairy dust surrounding them, literally everything they touch - and throw out there - turns to gold… for them.
Now that in itself is not a bad thing. I’m all for free enterprise 
The problems I’m wrestling with tonight are small potatoes I’m sure to the guy pulling in literally millions.
The thing is… I get phone calls ALL the time from people who’ve tried this and that on the net. People of limited means - financially - yet those same people still strive to discover something that will truly work for them. Help them make their mark on the internet.
Enter the newest “launched” products.
Some are extremely useful, heck maybe all of them are, and for the most part many are affordably within the means of the average marketer.
My dilemma harkens back once again to the phone calls I receive. I’ve literally heard from hundreds of people who have spent thousands upon thousands of dollars scarfing up this program and that program. With still nothing to show.
Let’s face it… if you know how to write good sales copy, and you team up with the right individuals, the skys the limit on what you can get people to buy… and spend. Even if YOU SHOULDN’T!
I’m just praying to the force this evening that every would-be marketer who jumped on the various bandwagons today was given the time to speak one on one with the other guys on the other end. The guys raking in the BIG bucks.
Did they take the time to PREQUALIFY their buyers? I doubt it. Should they, when you’re selling pie in the sky, anyone can do this, types of programs? YES!
I’m not badmouthing what’s out there. I’m sure the time and effort to develop the product, hype the media, and get the crowds coming compensates for most costs.
The thing is though… while the THING itself may be better than sliced bread any day, after one spends the HUGE bucks to get it is the buyer aware that 10 to 1 he or she (the buyer) does NOT have the list the big guy(s) have… it’s the LIST that pulled the sales. It doesn’t matter what you just bought, if you have no list you will have to spend more money to see if you can recover your costs. So many who truly should not have bought will have to incur even greater debt trying to justify what they just did… A truly vicious and unnecessary cycle if responsibility is shouldered by all.
FACT:
Once hundreds or thousands of dollars are shelled out, without the benefits of these hugely responsive lists, more often than not the buyer is left holding basically a big expensive bag of nothing.
It’s going to cost even MORE money to advertise (since he or she doesn’t have the same high pulling lists). Were these buyers qualified, financially, to purchase? God I hope so…
Watching people spend money when they are hanging on by a thread at home with kids to raise and food and shelter to cover… and still being bamboozled to add even MORE debit to their credit cards on a HOPE… it just wrings my heart.
I truly hope that if you DO make the financial commitment online that the ones behind each and every program will continue to BE THERE for you. I hope they make a true commitment to make sure all these “money back guarantees” never have to happen.
I’d love to see hundreds of thousands of “NOBODIES” make it big online. I’m also just afraid that it very rarely happens 
I DO hope I’m WRONG!
Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Theresa Cahill is the owner of My Wizard Ads, Online Advertising Co-Op, a true one-stop spot for ezine ad advertising, solo ads, targeted traffic, and more!
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on October 27th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on ethics.
Due to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations of 1991, several companies comply with the requirements which requires that companies implement a code of conduct, have high level oversight, provide ethics training to their employees, establishing the companys ethical cultures as well as make periodic assements of the effectiveness of the program. An amendment of the Act in 2004 prescribed much stricter guidelines as well as emphasising the need to create a legal as well as ethical culture for businesses.
Benefits of Ethics Training for Employees:
Ethics training for employee programs are part of all companies as they provide insights for liability protection as well as improve employee morale, their retention is also positively affected by these programs. Ethics are very important for a business as it helps to determine how your company is percieved by others. If your company has a reputation of being ethical and reputable employees as well as customers and collegues will feel proud to be associated with your business, not the same scenario if your ethics and reputation is bad.
Ethics training for employees programs have to be carefully structured taking into consideration and setting standards for ethical behaviour in your company and what you want the training to accomplish. Companies have to make ethical training mandatory for all employees setting a good example that no one is above the law. The ethics training should help the employees become familiar with the companys code of ethics, know more about decision making using ethical models. Good ethical training provides training covering five basic aspects of ethical training, responsibility, respect, fairness, honesty and compassion. Compliance laws and other topics such as using internet, computers only for company related work and not misusing these resources, about work place romance etc. are an itregral part of the training program.
The training has to provide information regarding reporting ethics violation to specific personnel and reassure them that offenders will be punished severely. This will inhibit the employees from giving into temptation to violate ethical code of the business. The most successful ethics training programs are in house training programs as it helps boost employee morale. These training needs to be an ongoing continuous program and employees must be aware of the ethical code always. Training should be provided in areas such as keeping confidential information safe, how to take the right decisions when there is a conflict of interest, personal versus business etc.
When the ethics training for employees is carefully planned and executed, the employees will have a clear idea of the companys code of ethics as well as being intimidated with punishment techniques for those guilty of violations. Thus, ethics training for employees is an integral part of any training program provided to employees.
There are firms that offer their help and products to help new businesses function smoothly and efficiently.
Alexander Gordon is a writer for http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com - The Small Business Consulting Community. Sign-up for the free success steps newsletter and get our booklet valued at $24.95 for free as a special bonus. The newsletter provides daily strategies on starting and significantly growing a business.
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To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on October 27th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on ethics.
Discrimination against older workers is out there, and none of us will ever know (for the most part), whether we were discriminated against because of our age.
During my many years on this planet (60), I’ve never gave any thought to ageism. But, years ago, I couldn’t understand why I was having so much trouble finding work…including temporary work. During my entire lifetime, I have had no use for racists and bigots, so the issue of ageism never crossed my mind.
Then one day, I read an article in the local newspaper about the subject of ageism. It said that discrimination against older workers was the number ONE COMPLAINT at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). And, the article went on to say that complaints were rising at a rate of 15% per year over the past three years! At this time, I was over 50 years old, and after I read this article, I started to pay more attention to the subject of ageism. And, that’s because I had to find a better paying job!
A few months later, I read another article that came over the Internet, and was written by a writer at a business magazine. It gave some frightening numbers, with respect to discrimination against older workers. It said that a survey was conducted by an employment agency, who specializes in recruiting and placing executive personnel. Their survey showed, that an incredible 88% of those over 40 who responded, felt they had been discriminated against when it came to getting a job! And, a chilling 92% of those who already had a job…felt they had been discriminated against, when they were up for promotion! The question was asked in the article, “Could boomers be discriminating against other boomers?
Anyway you slice it, these are terrible numbers! So, after I saw these numbers, I sat up and took notice! After I read the two articles, I began to think back, as to how ageism could have been one of my problems in my job search. Over the past decade, I have been laid-off from SIX jobs…all for legitimate reasons like companies closing or moving; defense cuts; the economy and so forth. I have never been let go because of poor attendance or an attitude problem. Over the years, I’ve just had my share of bad luck!
My first job lay-off came, when I worked for an engineering company, where I had worked for over ten years. This company also moved out of town and was eventually eaten by a bigger fish! This lay-off happened when I was in my late forties. After working several months as a temporary employee, I got a job, which lasted about four years, before the company closed…and, another lay-off! It was about this time that I really started having trouble…not only finding a regular job, but getting temporary assignments as well. This period of time was a very difficult for me!
After I lost my third job, and like many others, I had to work as a temporary employee, until something permanent came along. But, what will always amaze me, is the fact that I had to sign up with 24 temporary agencies…that’s right…24 temp. agencies to survive! As I said earlier, I didn’t give ageism a thought, but after reading the two articles, I had to wake up and smell the coffee and get my head out of the sand!
Of the 24 agencies I signed up with, only 12 of them ever called me for work, and those assignments were only for a few days…never any long-term assignments. And, never did I get any Temp-to-Hire jobs either! The sign-up dates for most of these agencies had gone back three to five years…and NOTHING…NO CALLS! Even if I called in available every week, I GOT NO CALLS!
After the 9/11 crisis, is when things really got bad for me, with the economy almost falling apart! At that miserable time, I had to start living off credit cards to pay the rent; buy groceries; buy gas, etc. I called the agencies twice a week, to get on the “available list,” as my life headed downhill fast! Being as naive as I was at that time, could it be true that people would discriminate against me and others? Later, I would find this to be true, as this horror story would unfold!
One day in October, I was called by a temp agency to go work at a printing company, which was to be a three day assignment. I took it because there was nothing else! This is where I got the answer to the possibility about ageism, and how it affected me, etc. The answer came in about three months when this assignment was over!
The three days was to have ended the assignment on Friday afternoon, and the supervisor came to me and asked if I could come back the next week, and I said yes. They had me all over the production floor, helping other regular employees. The following Friday came along, and the same thing happened…I was asked to come in the following week.
This went on for THREE MONTHS…as I was asked to come back week after week. The job started in the middle of October and ended in the middle of January. I worked the day shift; the swing shift; overtime; on week-ends; came in at 3:00 in the morning to get special orders out, etc. So, I did everything they asked me to do! This was a temp-to-hire position, meaning that after a certain period of time working there (usually 60 days), I would be eligible to be hired on, and I was happy about that!
So, after three months of being called back to the company, my work record would speak for itself, which was very good. As it turned out, when this job was over, I could either get hired on as a regular employee by the company, or there would be another assignment waiting for me by the temp agency! But, it was not to be! After the assignment was over in January, this is where I can really point the finger to ageism! I was NOT hired on by the company, despite my good record as a temp and perfect attendance for over three months. (They hired someone off the street)
After the printing company job, I got another assignment elsewhere. But, just to do a little experiment on the subject of ageism, to satisfy myself, I called the temporary agency, who sent me to the printing company. I called in (available) every week, for about three months…AND, I NEVER HEARD FROM THE TEMP AGENCY AGAIN!
I’ll give you an example of a scenario that may happen, at a temporary employment agency. Three people call in available for work…and all are qualified to do the job…one is 25 years old; another is 35 years old, and the third is 55 years old…who do you think is going to get the job? I can assure you that it’s not going to be the 55 year old! I’m pretty certain of that! So, why did I get the job at the printing company? Because the job was supposed to be for only three days, and there was probably nobody else around they could send…so they sent me! (it’s called left-overs!)
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, I KNEW THAT AGEISM PLAYED A PART IN MY DOWNFALL!
Because of so many job lay-offs, I had worked as a temporary employee longer than I would have liked. And, as I thought back at some of the incidents that happened during this long period of time, at the companies, as well as at the temp agencies, I could tell that ageism played a part, and I would never know by who; where, and I would never be able to do anything about it!
Because of my experiences, I prepared about a 30 page booklet about my work history, that went back about a decade. In the booklet, I talked about how the temporary industry has grown, and the government has to be more watchful as to what’s going on. I hand-carried the booklet to the EEOC downtown, and guess what? I never heard from the EEOC concerning the matter!
* * *
A few years ago, I saw an interview on television with three of the writers of the popular M.A.S.H. series of the 1970’s. The show was quite popular and ran for over ten years. In the interview, the writer’s said they would not put down (on their resumes), the fact that they were writers on the M.A.S.H series, because, in doing so, would date them! Isn’t that terrible? At the time of the interview, these writers were all in their early 50’s. Do these writers think that leaving off the credit from their resumes, was going to help? Make them look younger? Change their appearance? Get them another job writing? This is silly!
Bigotry in this country is doing well and fine, in my view, and, there’s not much any of us can do about it! If I were a writer on a popular series, and was in my early fifties, I would flip-off the bigots and find something else to do with my life!
Discrimination against anyone in this country, is a big black eye for America! In other countries, the elderly are respected and revered. In this country, many of the elderly are called names, put out to pasture and forgotten! In many cases, not even their own kids want them, because they’re a burden, which is appalling! And, the numbers on senior abuse continues to rise, which is another black eye for America! It’s a shame that bigots exist anywhere in America, and especially in the work place, where it is important for all of us to make a living!
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To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on October 27th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on ethics.
Flower Sour: Cupid, Chemicals, and Corporate Social Responsibility
A few days ago I had one of those random conversations that sets the brain blazing down a hundred different paths almost immediately. The topic was DDT, and how that chemical was bought and sold with impunity in Latin America years after it had been banned in the United States for causing serious health and environmental problems.
In the beginning it was the wonder chemical of yore. From getting rid of vermin, to use as an agricultural pesticide, to eliminating malaria, the new potion apparently knew no bounds. Soon however, nasty little pieces of evidence cancer, birth defects, and environmental hazards started to spring up against the wonder chemical. Consequently, during the 1970s and 1980s, agricultural use of DDT was banned in the US and most developed countries.
However, it would seem this urgent health and environmental update somehow bypassed Latin America and some other parts of the world. In countries like Ecuador and Colombia, DDT and similar derivatives remain in active use especially for agricultural purposes. All this despite the 2001 Stockholm Convention calling for the elimination of such persistent organic pollutants in agribusiness.
DDT and other such persistent pollutants are just that persistent. In human and other animal life, they cluster in fatty areas and proceed, nonstop, to erode the system from within. And this is just the proverbial tip.
Marketing and selling chemicals in developing countries, where public awareness of negative effects may be lower, is irresponsible, to say the least. And obviously certain businesses thrive by courting governments that are either more susceptible to manipulation or prone to allowing the unchecked commercialization of such hazardous products.
The ongoing side effects from the continued use of such chemicals in Colombian and Ecuadorian floral workers headaches, nausea, impaired vision, asthma, stillbirths, congenital malformations, miscarriages are graphic and constant reminders of the blatant sociopolitical and economic double standards at play in our current global dynamic.
Sneaky history. It almost impressive the way it keeps recycling itself. Well, at least we cant call it unsustainable.
Columbia is the second largest flower producer in the world. Two-thirds of all fresh cut flowers sold in the United States come from Columbia. Dole, the leading producer of fresh fruit and vegetables, is also one of the largest flower producers in Latin America.
Doles official CSR report reads like a dream. That is, until you consider the fact that Columbian and Ecuadorian floral workers, many of them women, are exposed daily, to some of the most toxic chemicals available. Or unavailable about a fifth of these chemicals used in the greenhouses are either banned, or not registered for use in the US or Canada for various health reasons. Dole has agreed to participate in an environmental standards program, but the question is whether the affected governments have any real monitoring systems in place.
The promotion of agribusiness should not come at the cost of human health, environment, or wildlife survival. This should be the business bottom line. However, looking at the plight of flower workers in Columbia and Ecuador, this common sense goal starts to look more like a foolish dream.
Is a rose just a rose anymore? I would argue with the bard. It would seem that its thorns are more the norm in certain parts of our world.
Jane Esi Hagan is the Corporate Engagement Liaison for First Peoples Worldwide, where she works to facilitate equitable and sustainable development initiatives for Indigenous Peoples. She holds an MA in International Affairs, with a specialization in Spanish/Latin American Studies from American University in Washington, DC.
Ms. Hagan is a passionate advocate for socioeconomic justice and equity. She has a varied and diverse interest in various international affairs issues including corporate social responsibility and international human rights.
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on October 27th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on ethics.
Many companies claim to be committed to diversity, but private carrier Pepsico has proven their desire for a diverse employee base. With the progression of globalization in the world, Pepsi continues to embrace and value diversity in customers, suppliers and employees. If you are interested in driving in a private fleet that respects a diverse work force, Pepsico is the private carrier company for you.
Pepsi truck driving requirements include a minimum age of 21 years, a CDL license, and a clean driving record going at least three years back, because safety is a top priority of any company, especially when it comes to vehicles. Pepsi truck drivers should be able to act professionally with customers, safely lift 40 pound loads throughout the workday, and promptly and accurately maintain Pepsico standards.
As a diverse employer, Pepsi has been recognized repeatedly for its work force which is not only diverse but also quite accomplished and successful. Pepsi is regularly recognized for minority, multicultural and female business opportunities in such notable publications as Fortune, Latina Style, Minority MBA Magazine, the American Advertising Federation Center on Multiculturalism, Div2000, the Womens Business Enterprise National Council and diversityinc.com. These awards include The 50 Best Companies for Minorities, Corporate Mosaic Award, Top 50 Companies in Diversity, Americas Top Corporations for Womens Business Enterprises, Hispanic Corporate 100, and 50 Best Companies for Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics.
Worth Magazine, OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration), and other organizations have also recognized Pepsi for their generous contributions to communities and for safety.
A truck driving position at Pepsi offers many opportunities, not the least of which being to work for a company that Fortune named the #3 American Most Admired Companies List for Beverages.
Find a trucking job for a Private Carrier at fullfleet.com
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on October 26th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on ethics.
This article relates to the Ethics in the Workplace competency, commonly evaluated in employee surveys. It gives examples of how employees and customers consider ethical behavior and sound values an integral part of your organization. This competency covers a variety of topics like customer treatment, employee professionalism, and expected/acceptable organizational behaviors. At a high level, this competency will investigate the standards by which your employees treat your customers, co-workers, and the organization itself.
This short story, Work Ethics and the Customer, is part of AlphaMeasure’s compilation, Tales from the Corporate Frontlines. It provides a view from the customer’s side of the counter that might inspire you to rethink the old phrase “the customer is king”.
Anonymous Submission
I work in a back office environment. The front lines of customer service are far away, so I don’t think much about the ethical matters involved in providing good service.
All of that changed recently, when I found myself on the customer side of that check out terminal (formerly known as a cash register), and in dire need of help.
I was shopping for a USB computer keyboard to attach to my computer. I needed that type, and only that type, and I needed it that very day. I visited four different retail stores, all large chains, and had four noteworthy experiences that left me thinking about ethical behavior.
On he first visit, I asked an obviously available (he was playing a video game) sales person how I could tell the difference between PS2 and USB port keyboards as the display models cords were embedded into the rack. His response was -” I just know from working here”. Okay. Not unethical, but not helpful either. Well, which one is cheapest, I asked. He showed me a $70 keyboard. I left the store.
At the next stop, I saw no keyboards, so asked a sales person (once she was off the telephone making plans for the evening.) “Oh, she said, the only ones we have come with the computers.” I thanked her and went home. The rest of this odyssey would have to wait.
At home, I called another chain store, navigated the voice mail, and asked the clerk if they had USB keyboards in the store and for the cost of the lowest priced model. After a quick click and a short silence, he told me of course, they are $24. Great, I was on my way. It was Saturday evening and the store was packed. I found the keyboard section, and stood there amazed. He had outright lied. The lowest priced model was $80. There was nothing remotely near $24. The few clerks on duty were swamped. I found one available in another department and told him about my situation. He was genuinely sympathetic and suggested that I visit the nearby superstore on the hill. I thanked him and left.
There my journey ended. I found my keyboard, after hours of searching, amid opened boxes (apparently some of them lied, too) in a crowded aisle in the electronics department of a store selling every product imaginable. I was exhausted. No wonder people shop online.
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2005 AlphaMeasure, Inc. - All Rights Reserved
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the author bio information, and all links remain active.
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AlphaMeasure provides organizations of all sizes a powerful web based method for measuring employee satisfaction, determining employee engagement, and increasing employee retention.
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To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on October 25th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on ethics.
A man went into the local Big and Tall Man’s store several
times looking for a job. Finally, on his seventh visit, the
store’s owner told him, “I will tell you what. I have this
suit here on the shelf that has been here for years. I cannot
find anyone to buy it. I have some errands to run, so if you
will watch the store while I am out, you will get your chance.
If you can sell this suit while I am gone, you will have
yourself a job.”
A few hours later, the store’s owner returns to find the man
grinning from ear to ear, his clothes in shreds.
The owner was horrified, “What in the world happened to you?”
The man responded, “I sold the suit!”
The owner queried further, “Okay, you sold the suit, but what
happened to your clothes?!?”
“Well,” he said nodding, “The guy loved the suit, but his
seeing eye dog was really mad.”
————
How many half-truths or white lies would you have told to get
the sale and the job? I hope your answer is “None.” But, the
truth is, not everyone is that honest.
Did the wannabe sales person tell the blind man that the suit
was ugly? Not very likely. But hey, the customer was blind and
did not know it was an ugly suit. And his friends probably won’t
say anything to him about the suit since they know he is blind.
Further, the blind man did love his new suit! So, what could be
wrong with this?
All too often in the business world, honesty is not black and
white, but various shades of gray. People who consider
themselves Christians think little or nothing of exaggerating
the features or benefits of a product or service they are
selling. They believe “white lies” are ok. They reason with
themselves that “Everyone else is doing it.”
But of course as Christians, we have an extra obligation to be
honest in all our dealings with others, regardless of whether
they will ever know or not. We are called to live to a higher
standard.
Colossians 3:22 says:
“Obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not
only when their eye is on you and to win their favor,
but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.”
If you find it difficult to avoid exaggerating and telling
little “white lies” in the course of your daily living, you
will be challenged even further when your family’s well-being
and lifestyle are on the line. The responsibility of taking
care of your family could very well push you to make decisions
in your work you would probably never make outside of your job
environment.
In our story above, our salesman isn’t even trying to justify
his actions based on truth and honesty. He did not feel a need
to.
He told the truth when he pointed out how well the suit fit the
man. This truth would have been something the blind customer
could have attested to by the feel of the fit. So you could
say our salesman was honest in this regard.
When our salesman told his customer the suit looked good on
him, how could he have done so if honesty was in his heart?
This was not even a “white lie”, but an outright lie. Even
the store’s owner agreed with the seeing eye dog — it was
an ugly suit!
In the real world of business, a “white lie” could be something
as simple as what is considered Standard Operating Practice in
the car sales industry. If a buyer tells the salesman he wants
this model in “blue”, the car salesman is instructed to tell
the customer that he can get this car in “blue”, and proceed
to show the “white” car as a sample. When all is said and done,
the car salesman is instructed to sell the customer the “white”
car because that is the one in stock. In the car sales industry,
it is assumed that the client does not really care whether the
car is “blue” or “white”. Therefore, it is okay to tell the
customer a little “white lie” about whether they can get the
customer a “blue” car or not.
Of course, this is only an example. Hundreds of examples exist
in every industry, where the little “white lie” is considered
okay and just a part of the industry’s Standard Operating
Procedures. I am certain that if you applied just a few minutes
of consideration to this question, you could think of dozens of
examples within your own business where the little “white lie”
is a perfectly acceptable means of conducting business.
The desire to be looked upon favorably by your customers and
your co-workers is strong. Yet, you must always exercise
caution in the statements you make, because failure to meet
the expectation when you have exaggerated your ability to
reach it, hurts your status and your business more in the
long run, than complete honesty up front.
This is back to Business 101 — “Under Promise and Over
Deliver.” It is imperative to the long-term viability of
your business to meet the expectations you sell to your
customers. Your clients have a strong need in being able
to trust in you and your business.
Whether you are a Christian or not, “white lies” and
“exaggerations” systematically erode your most valuable asset
— your customers’ and co-workers’ faith in you. Can you
really afford to pay the long-term price of this sort of
behavior? Each time you find yourself in the position to have
to make this choice, the final decision will be yours to make.
Choose wisely.
“I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God
and man.” -Acts 24:16
Copyright Bill Platt - All Rights Reserved
Bill Platt is the owner of http://www.LinksAndTraffic.com
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To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on October 25th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on ethics.
Work environments can be very challenging, balancing the
internal personnel with all the external customers and suppliers.
Everyday youre putting yourself on the line for that companys
benefit, but are you working with ethical people? When you look
at companies that inflate their sales, provide information thats
inaccurate to stockholders, or cover up problems that are
harming their employees, consumers or the environment; whos
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 whats 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 theyre saying,
that gut instinct is telling you, “some things 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 doesnt make sense, thats 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 dont hold onto it
for very long, cause it was not theirs to begin with.
How many times can someone lie to you before theyre not
worth your time? When people fall backwards to create more
lies and cover ups, thats when logic goes out the window.
Its 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 youre 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 youre
not. Truth stands the test of time and doesnt 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. Its amazing how often the story
changes, when they’re sitting across from one another and
you can hear who alters their version. Dont 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 theres any doubt in
your mind, take the time to clarify. Its your life, your future
and your companys 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 Peace of Mind
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
http://susanewheeler.com
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on October 24th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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Integrity can be defined in so many ways, but most of the time I use a question to determine if integrity is in someone’s character or in the character of a business. That question is, “Do you do what’s right even if no one is looking or even if you know you could get away with something?” If you can consistently answer yes to these questions, then you have integrity. Likewise, if a business can answer yes to these questions, it has integrity.
There are so many opportunities for individuals and businesses alike to be tested in the area of integrity. One of the ways for individuals to be tested is in the area of taxes. Sometimes paying taxes, reporting the proper amounts, and indicating when mistakes are made cause problems for people and eventually lead to even bigger problems. My philosophy is simple. In the bible, the scripture says it is better to be righteous with little than to be unrighteous with much (paraphrased). If you can’t be trusted in the area of taxes, there will almost always be other areas that you will do wrong in. Whether it’s keeping something that’s not yours like a pen, a movie, or a dress, or failing to give the whole truth in a situation, many times these are indicators.
In recent years, we have seen so many CEOs and high-profile people sentenced to prison time due to a lack of integrity. In the end, it’s never worth it to mislead or misinform people and it never makes sense to do what’s wrong. Trust me, it’s a great feeling to be able to sleep at night with a clear conscience.
Devin Dabney is a computer consultant, author, speaker, and entrepreneur who is the owner and CEO of DabneyWorks Computer Consulting. DabneyWorks provides remote and in-person computer assistance , website design and auditing, and business consultation.
For more information, visit http://www.dabneyworks.com
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on October 23rd, 2007 with comments disabled.
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Civil law is the major part of the law in the world. Civil law was begun in Roman generation and sets as complete system of rules and this law is understand by judges. Civil law is spread allover the world, frequently stretch law in the world. Civil law is used to call as European continental law. Civil law is much familiar in their authority. Civil law is created by passed government of a European continental law. Civil law sections are mainly from the Roman Empire its mostly frequently used person is corpus juris civilis are issued by emperor justinian 529 A.D. Civil law is very much understand and developed by judges are in eastern empire. Only legal performance is placed as legal thing. Court must be gave an attention to previous judgment particularly they gave answer to higher courts.
Civil law has two things: they are the first one is civil law in common law. The second one is civil law in legal systems. In previous stage civil law are distinction to common law. The unique difference is history of common law. The civil law is arranged by droit coutumier. Civil law is varies from other countries. In civil law are got a consequence way from legislative act. So civil law gave a continuous positive law. Roman law is completely formed under the condition of Europe. Civil law is understood by Roman law. In first stage Roman law is under the control of European continental law and its slightly transfer in to Roman law.
The next law is civil law in common law. Civil law is slightly related to common law. Common law is not legalized by court. Civil law in common is considering the problem between person to person not in legal way. Its also involving the problem between people to organizations. Its totally different from civil law in legal. Legal system is takes steps by court. But in common law, people use to take their problem to a court and quarrel to apposite people and get some excepted things. Non- obedience to civil law is finally considered as damage of civil law slightly quite from crime. Civil law in common law is having commercial law and administrative law is totally under the condition of regional government. Some times civil law is used to arrange in legal systems which is based on civil code its resulting from ancient Roman law.
Rose - Civil law
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on October 22nd, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on ethics.