Thursday, November 04, 2010

What it takes to do the right thing

There are moments I understand why organizations do not always work to build trust, to develop effective communications, to create transparency, honesty, and ethics as cultural standards. Doing business right is not for the faint of heart.
It takes time to talk about values and ethics and tell the stories necessary to translate those belief systems to others. There is nothing quick about building a culture of trust and of holding each other accountable. Some of the conversations you need to have to clarify expectations, set appropriate boundaries and ensure all parties are heard are frankly not a lot of fun.

It is a lot of work, mindful, hard work, to do business right.

But along the way the richness of the learning and the dialogues, the depth of understanding and the quality of work produced are nothing short of amazing. The outcome of putting your heart, your intelligence, your experience, your values and beliefs into the work is that you can trust that what you do for your clients and customers is solid, your decisions are based on the right influences and that at the end of the day you can review all that has happened with pride and satisfaction. 

If you want a quick fix, a fast solution, a band aid approach to business, doing the right thing is not for you. If you are willing to consider the alternatives, think through the motivations, have the conversations, keep open communication flowing-- not only will profit follow but you will have earned every penny of it in all of the right ways. Your employees will be proud to work with you. Your customers will want to keep you coming back. And you will enjoy the time spent with a spirit of fulfillment and pride. It's hard work and worth every bit of effort spent.

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