Manager's Minute 

When you've only got a minute for management you haven't got a minute to waste.

Ethics

I am a member of a number of online communities and participate in some interesting forums. This is a summary of a discussion on LinkedIn regarding ethics.

The questions were "What is the definition of ethics" ( read the whole story here) and

"Ethics and Social Responsibility, a way to fight crisis?" ( read the whole story here)

My answer was

We could argue this forever and never come up with a definitive definition that would please everyone. There will be argument and counter argument each eloquent and impassioned and we will be left more confused than before we started.

But I like things to be simple and I believe that in the most basic terms ethics boils down to knowing the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right.

Ethics is doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do.

There are two tests that you should subject your decisions to:-

1. The Rotary 4 way test

Is it the TRUTH?

Is it FAIR to all concerned?

Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

2. The "Reputation test".

How you would feel if your actions were published in your local newspaper?

How would you feel if your parents, or children, or any one that you admire, find out what you did?

Would you put this on your CV or in a press release?

How would you feel if this was done to you?

Ethics, like integrity, is an inside job. Just remember "By your behaviour we will know you. By the results of your behaviour we will judge you"

What we need are ethical management practices practised by ethical managers. Now we can't control anyone else's behaviour but we can control our own so let us ensure that our practices are ethical and let us speak out when we discover practices that are not.

That's it for today, I look forward to your comments and experiences related to this message. Mail them to me at johan@motivate.co.za

PS: Please pass this message on to any of your business colleagues you feel may benefit from it.

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Quote for the week

There is a fundamental difference between

Management attitude and Leadership attitude,

It is a small difference but it makes all the difference. It is simply this:

Managers get people to do things.

Leaders get people to want to do things.

To live your best life be true to the YOU, that you want to be.

Live with passion. Change your life from making a living to making a difference.

Live up to the reputation that you want to have.