Can a company be ethical and successful?
This question has been troubling me for some time. I say troubling, not because I personally have any doubts that business and ethics can and must co-exist for a company to be successful. I say this because reality shows that, despite the fact that most companies in the corporate world have their so-called “Code of Ethics”, only a few of these companies actually comply with it. Meanwhile, more and more companies and individuals find excuses for their unethical behavior and consequently put those who continue to believe in ethics in a difficult situation, in which the latter group has to compete with those who are less principled. . Unfortunately, ethical people often lose their fight against those who would do anything to get what they want. In fact, in today’s world, it has become more the rule than the exception for ethical people to fail in their career and business life simply because they have to compete with the most common type of people in today’s marketplace, namely, the unprincipled, or whom many prefer to call “intelligent.”
Almost every day we are faced with situations where we have to make a decision and choose between something ethical and something less than ethical, the latter being almost always the most rewarding. Being obsessed with profit and the need to succeed, most people sadly choose the latter to achieve their immediate goals.
There are many examples of unethical decisions being made in the business world. Two examples come to mind. On a business level, I can think of situations where a company takes a ruthless approach to kicking competing companies or individuals out of its way, rather than engaging them in honest competition; On an individual level, I can think of a situation where a competitor targets a greedy employee and receives a bribe or kickback in exchange for sensitive information that may help the competitor take away a business opportunity from the employer. The sad part is that most people today, instead of condemning such behavior, describe it as a smart move and add, “You can’t be a sheep among wolves.” They say it, as if joining the wolves is the only solution to survive in today’s world.
I wonder! When did it become acceptable to be dishonest, cunning, and downright evil? Why are honest people considered naive or, more importantly, why do they miss out on winning against more cunning and less ethical people? Who made this the number one rule of success? And is it worth sacrificing values and letting your ethics go out the window in the face of a threat to a company’s or individual’s financial profitability?
In my book, it doesn’t have to be that way. Good business ethics can and should be part of a successful business. Unethical companies can be profitable in the short term, but they can never be truly successful. A business without ethics is a business without integrity. Such a business might earn immediate profitability but will definitely face long-term failure. This rule applies to all aspects of our life. This is true not only because customers like to deal with value-based businesses, but also because an unprincipled business is like a rotten house destined to collapse at the hands of its own termites. You just don’t have a solid foundation on which to stand in the face of the many storms you will face during your lifetime.
So, what do you do to make ethics the guiding thread of your company’s fabric?
1-Lead by example. Inspire your employees and customers to do the right thing.
2- Encourage your employees to do the right thing and reward them for it.
3-Do not tolerate corruption or unethical conduct in your company,
4-No matter how profitable a partnership or business relationship may seem, do not take it if it means that you will associate with an unethical company or person,
5-Finally, remember that fighting the good fight to win the race is much more satisfying, regardless of whether you win or lose, than winning at someone else’s expense.
Live and lead by example, because when all these days are behind you and you’re sitting in your rocking chair telling your grandchildren stories about your accomplishments, you’ll not only feel proud to tell the story of your life’s honest struggles, but you’ll also teaching them how to live an honest and just life. Only then, your brief journey through this world would have made a difference and your life would not have been in vain.
miranda conyers
President/CEO, Arabic-English Translation Services, Inc.
http://www.servicesdetraduccionarabe.net
July 12, 2010