CHARACTER MATTERS!

 

Let’s start at the beginning. An early consideration of ethics and integrity, our character:

 ·         Definitions from Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828 Edition:

Ø  Ethics:  1. The doctrines of morality or social manners; the science of moral philosophy, which teaches men their duty and reasons for it.  2.  A system of moral principles; a system of rules for regulating the actions and manners of men in society.

Ø  Integrity:  The entire unimpaired state of anything, particularly of the mind; moral soundness or purity; incorruptness; uprightness; honesty.  Integrity comprehends the whole moral character but has a special reference to uprightness in mutual dealings, transfers of property, and agencies for others.

High integrity and good ethics can be a foundation that enables us to achieve harmony among all the areas of life.   A character of high integrity and good ethics just simply makes life easier and a lot more fun!  A person’s character becomes his/her reputation.  Character matters in both one’s personal and professional life. 

Character vs. Compliance

Corporations registered with the SEC are required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to develop and publish a Code of Conduct for their employees. A Code of Conduct will not automatically cause all employees to perform their jobs with integrity, but the Code does communicate basic standards of behavior expected of them. Here is some illustrative content of a basic Code of Conduct for nonprofit and for-profit organizations:

·         Use of organization assets and resources for business and not personal use.

·         Using telephones, emailing, texting and the internet.

·         Avoiding actual and potential conflicts of interest.

·         Protecting the organization’s confidential information.

·         Maintaining complete and accurate accounting records.

·         Investigating and reporting any accounting, auditing and disclosure concerns.

·         Retaining and disposing of records and documents.

·         Prohibiting discrimination and harassment.

·         Prohibiting use of alcohol and illegal drugs.

·         Complying with laws, rules and regulations.

·         Protecting intellectual property and using copyrighted materials.

·         Giving and receiving gifts, meals, services and entertainment.

·         Understanding disciplinary actions for code violations.

·         Reporting concerns and code violations.

These issues underpin all job responsibilities and are intended to influence the behaviors of employees of an entity.  They are requirements for acceptable behavior seeking the compliance of employees. Most individuals, however, have behaviors formed through personal experience and life paradigms.  A person born and raised in a religious family will usually follow the norms in his/her family DNA. A crime family, on the other hand, may raise their children with different norms. While such individuals may endeavor to adhere to professional requirements as listed above, their behavior will always be influenced by their upbringing. Changing that behavior, therefore, must begin with adherence to all professional ethics requirements.

 What about one’s personal life?

 Ethical behavior is, however, not just based on compliance with standards or rules. It is also based on our perception of right and wrong. I once served five years in a southern Colorado penitentiary…AS A VOLUNTEER. In those years, I witnessed many different perspectives of right and wrong! Ethical behavior begins with standards and rules, but our individual life perspective determines our behavior. Our behavior produces our character. Our character is, in fact, the result of our thoughts and actions, particularly when no one is watching!

 So, then, how can an individual facilitate change to improve one’s character and not be trapped by preset behavior paradigms? Oswald Chambers offer this: “Drudgery is the cornerstone of character.” Here is some food for thought.

Practicing new habits may seem like drudgery but the new habits can become instinctive and part of our character. A decade or so ago, several large corporations were experiencing high employee turnover rates, mainly due to their autocratic style of management that had evolved over the years. They began to train management personnel in servant leadership principles, i.e., focusing on serving employees by helping them meet their needs and career objectives.  Not long after, these new habits of serving others became instinctive and employees were motivated to better job performance and practicing servant leadership as they advanced in their positions.

Becoming more others-centered, rather than self-centered, motivates rather than manipulates. It also helps develop mutually-satisfying relationships. Making change, however, is not for the weak. It requires deep introspection, accountability for our misbehavior, drudgery and actually making behavior changes while seeking accountability from others.