November 26th, 2007
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One definition of Business Ethics is conformance to accepted professional high standards of conduct.
Most businesses have prepared, documented, and published their company policies derived from their basic beliefs and philosophies, and Business Ethics is usually one of them.
We must avoid even the appearance of unethical conduct.
How do Business Ethics apply in the workplace?
One perspective on Business Ethics is what each of us thinks about using the company equipment and information we have access to as we perform our duties:
What we think about making copies of personal (non-business) documents on company provided equipment.
What we think about faxing personal (non-business) documents on company provided equipment.
What we think about making personal (non-business) telephone calls on company provided equipment.
What we think about sending personal (non-business) electronic mail messages on company provided computers and Internet network connections.
Etc.
These and other non-business usages and actions are a drag on company profitability.
Other applications of Business Ethics in the workplace might be:
Do you copy software to take home for personal use?
Do you properly dispose of classified information regardless of media type?
Do you “shoulder-surf” when a colleague is entering his or her password or viewing sensitive data?
Do you ask those who “tailgate” upon entrance to the controlled-access office building to see their ID?
Let’s be sure that our Business Ethics “dip-stick” always reads FULL.
The author, at one time, was an IT Staff Auditor for a Fortune 10 company, and also managed the global Information Security Program for the Information Technology organization that supported a Fortune 10 company.
http://www.sound-business-practices.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 November 26th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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From Monday the 21st of August 2006, Royal Mail changed the rates for the postage of letters.
Previously, the cost of postage depended purely on the weight of the letter. But now it has been decided that the price should depend on the size of the letter as well as the weight of the letter.
This means that a single sheet of paper sent in a small envelope would cost just 30p for first class postage. Whilst the same sheet of paper sent in an A4 envelope would cost 42p.
I’ve always believed that the business should make a profit. And also that businesses should have the right to determine their own pricing. But I really can’t believe that this one has been thought through properly.
Our first concern in the office on the morning of Monday 21st August was trying to understand the new system and making certain that our letters were going out with the correct rate of postage. The new system is undoubtedly more complex and has caused us plenty of confusion.
But what really baffles me is that the new system is so easy to manipulate. Instead of sending out documents in an A4 envelope, they can simply be folded in half and put into a smaller envelope which qualifies for the lower rate of postage. A saving of 12p per letter! You have to make certain that the letter does not exceed a certain thickness but most business post would quite easily meet this criteria.
Even more bizarre, you could put your letter into the same large envelope and then simply fold the envelope in half in order to qualify for the lower rate of postage! How nuts is that? And even more bizarre (as if that is possible!) this is exactly the advice being given across the counter at the post office!
When you add to all of this confusion to the cost that must’ve been incurred by notifying every single address within the United Kingdom of the new system (including templates to help users gauge the size of a letter) and the new charge rates, has this really been a successful initiative?
I very rarely criticise a business by name. And I hope that my comments will be taken constructively. But I really do feel that Royal Mail have shot themselves in the foot and have lost a huge amount of consumer confidence. Maybe I will be proved wrong. I hope so.
What do you think?
And I beg you, please take a look at your own systems and make certain that it is easy for customers to buy from you. This is one area in which we cannot afford to make mistakes.
If customers are put off buying from us at the first hurdle we will very rarely get a second opportunity. You may have lost the customer without even knowing that you had them in the first place!
Derek Williams is creator of The WOW! Awards an International Professional Speaker and Chief Executive for the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals in Europe.
For more information about Derek Williams visit www.MrWow.co.uk
For The WOW! Awards (including access to a FREE customer service newsletter) visit www.TheWowAwards.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 November 26th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on ethics.
The funny thing about mutual respect is that you cant control it. Sure, you can control whether or not you exercise on a regular basis, whether you control your temper, or whether or not you express respect to others, but mutual respect implies that two or more persons have respect for each other, and as unfortunate as it may seem at times, you can never control when and where others decide to show you respect. So, perhaps the question should be: How can I encourage mutual respect?
Read the five tips below and learn what you can do to create an environment that is more conducive to manifestations of mutual respect.
1) Encourage Mutual Respect with Time
Its painfully obvious that we simply dont get along with some personalities, but it is also fairly obvious that the more you get to know someone the more you begin to understand them and in turn, respect them. After those primary bad impressions sizzle off you might even make some surprising friendships.
If you truly want to foster mutual respect with people who may be hard to get along with, you are going to have to buckle down and set aside time to be with that person, work with that person, talk with that person and even play with that person. You might have to grit your teeth now and again but in the end you will gradually start to realize that his or her personality or point of view arent that hard to get along with after all.
2) Encourage Mutual Respect with Patience
Patience, in my opinion, is a combination of empathy and selflessness. In other words, patience is about other people, which is why patience is such a hard virtue to master. After all, who wants to spend time thinking about other people when we are so busy plowing through our own agendas? The truth is that the best people, the smartest people and the most successful people take a good long look at other people and express empathy and selflessness towards the people they associate with. Sincerity of action is also very important. A person who is simply going through the motions of being selfless (i.e. taking more time to talk with someone) will simply appear to be a fake if he or she doesnt show sincerity.
3) Encourage Mutual Respect by Listening
Listening is one of the greatest manifestations of respect. Even if you think the ideas of a co-worker or acquantaince are way off the mark, listen carefully to what he or she is saying and then ask questions that truly make you curious. For instance, if your co-worker wants to raise the marketing budget and you think that is the stupidest idea you have heard during your entire career, dont express your feelings, or your own thoughts regarding the supposed stupidity of the suggestion. Instead, start asking questions like How will the company have enough to pay for the new hires in two months? or What do you think about our current marketing strategies? Do you think we should improve those first? You might find that he or she has some great ideas that were being poorly expressed because no one took the time to analyze them more fully.
4) Encourage Mutual Respect by Laughing
If you laugh with others, you can relax, and when you relax and help others to relax as well, more effective communication takes place every second. Take time to analyze your opponents sense of humor and be patient with him or her. Try to find common interests, or laugh about experiences that youve already had together without using humor that he or she might find offensive.
5) Maintain Mutual Respect with Honesty
Once a person trusts you and starts to show you respect, it doesnt mean you will have his or her respect for a lifetime. In order to maintain mutual respect you have to be honest with that person even when it is extremely uncomfortable to do so, and you have to be honest every day–not just on the days that are convenient for you. A dishonest businessman or professional is truly no businessman or professional at all. If you are honest, you will become better at everything you do and others will crave your mutual respect.
Marci Crane is a web content specialist for Innuity. For more information in regards to instruction of activities and lessons that can help you foster mutual respect in the workplace, please feel free to contact a VitalSmarts representative.
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 November 26th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on ethics.