Honesty and Ethics
I've studied and pondered the topic of honesty and ethics this week. I found this great quote from Sheri Dew, "Living with integrity isn't necessarily easy, but it is far easier than the alternative. Integrity engenders confidence and peace of mind, whereas breaching integrity always has painful consequences."
When I was a child, I once lied to my teacher about an assignment I didn't complete. I told her that I had lost it, when in reality I never completed it. She was a kind and caring teacher. I felt terrible for treating her that way for many years. The consequence was quite painful for me. As a young adult I made the decision to always be honest. I decided that honesty was one commandment I could (and would) keep perfectly. I have stuck with that commitment and many times it hasn't been easy. It has always been worth it, though.
As I thought about business ethics, I remembered a story I heard years ago about John Huntsman. He once agreed to sell a business to someone for a certain price. The transaction didn't happen immediately, and by the time it did, the business was worth much more than the agreed-upon price. The person he was selling the business to was expecting a higher price based on the current market. John reassured him the price had not gone up. He would remain true to the original price. I was so impressed by this story! It would have been easy for John to demand a higher price, but he stuck to the agreement. He came away with less money than he could have, but more importantly, he came away with his integrity completely in tact. After hearing this story, I decided I would try my best to always treat others this same way.
When I was a child, I once lied to my teacher about an assignment I didn't complete. I told her that I had lost it, when in reality I never completed it. She was a kind and caring teacher. I felt terrible for treating her that way for many years. The consequence was quite painful for me. As a young adult I made the decision to always be honest. I decided that honesty was one commandment I could (and would) keep perfectly. I have stuck with that commitment and many times it hasn't been easy. It has always been worth it, though.
As I thought about business ethics, I remembered a story I heard years ago about John Huntsman. He once agreed to sell a business to someone for a certain price. The transaction didn't happen immediately, and by the time it did, the business was worth much more than the agreed-upon price. The person he was selling the business to was expecting a higher price based on the current market. John reassured him the price had not gone up. He would remain true to the original price. I was so impressed by this story! It would have been easy for John to demand a higher price, but he stuck to the agreement. He came away with less money than he could have, but more importantly, he came away with his integrity completely in tact. After hearing this story, I decided I would try my best to always treat others this same way.
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