Integrity means acting on a personal commitment to honesty, openness, and fairness – living by and for our ethical standards. Derived from the Latin word integer, meaning “whole,” its tools help us navigate through a fuzzy ethical landscape. Integrity includes truth, but should we tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Are there times when acting with integrity means holding back the whole story?
Consider the following situations:
- Searching the web for other job opportunities on company time.
- Cheating on your tax return to make your income seem less than it was.
- Paying the bill as is when the waiter has forgotten to charge you for an entrée.
- Putting a personal item on your expense report disguised as a business expense.
- Keeping silent when a friend says something that you find racist or sexist.
- Taking office supplies home from work.
- Making up an excuse to get out of a commitment to help a friend move.
Do you consider these activities to be:
a) Wrong – you should not do it
b) Borderline – not terribly wrong, but something doesn’t seem right either
c) Totally acceptable – everybody does it, it’s no big deal
Some would say that the answer depends on circumstances – how large and wealthy the company you work may be, for example, or whether you are momentarily strapped for cash. But, the problem with making a commitment to acting with integrity is that often there are no easy answers. When we’re confronted with ethical dilemmas, the choice frequently is unclear.
That is why I suggest you create and adopt Platinum Standards. A Platinum Standard is your personal moral code, your clear definition of the values and beliefs that mean the most to you. When you find yourself in a sticky ethical situation you will know where to turn for guidance. Inward.
Identifying your own Platinum Standards allows you to consistently and appropriately measure your own behavior and performance. It uses ethics, morals, and principles to guide your actions: to not undermine others behind their backs, to acknowledge your own weaknesses, to recognize others’ efforts and give them credit, to strive to create win-win outcomes, and to do what is right even though there may be other, more expedient and personally beneficial solutions.
