Ever heard the expression, It's a dog eat dog world out there? How about survival of the fittest? Sounds so competitive in a cave man sort of way does it not? Makes me want to pound on my chest and howl about my conquests in the business world.
But is that the way to succeed in business? Try this one "Finders keepers, losers weepers.
" Have we as a business community lost our love for our fellow man? Has money replaced the satisfaction of building a business on ethics and fair play? Is it an "all or nothing world" now? I hope not.
If so I'll be looking for a cave to hole up in.
Being ethical is now more important than ever in business, especially in a small business.
We are all being looked at and judged by our ethics.
It doesn't matter what side you vote on, people in general are more cynical and suspicious than ever before.
I can't blame them.
We've been lied to, scammed, and stolen from now for decades.
We've been taught to never trust a stranger, that deals that are too good to be true probably are, and that you "never give a sucker an even break.
" So how can you as a small businessperson overcome this? Here are a few points to get you started.
I'm sure most of us can add more.
Avoid All Appearances of Wrongdoing This was a big one with my dad.
He pounded and pounded into me that I should be open and above board.
That whom I hung around with would shape my reputation and that how I acted in public would be how I would be judged.
"Actions speak louder than words," he would say.
"So make them tell something good about you.
" I have to admit, he was right.
How you act, the people you associate with and your actions in business tell volumes about your ethics.
What are yours saying? Go the Extra Mile As the story goes Abraham Lincoln walked many, many miles to return a borrowed book.
In other words he bent over backwards to fulfill a commitment to someone else.
Have you ever inadvertently short changed a customer and not realized it till they were gone.
What did you do next? Good business ethics would have you on the phone or chasing that person down the street.
Practice the Golden Rule Most of us were taught this at a very young age.
We may have even had a plaque in our home with this on it: "Do unto others as you would have them do to you.
" Remember? It's such a simple premise but so hard for us to live by.
Blame it on our "me" society or on whatever, the truth is we all struggle with this one.
Why is it so hard to put ourselves in another's shoes? Why can't we see that we all are on the same plane, struggling to get through? Why can't we be charitable naturally? Why does empathy escape us at times? As a businessperson this needs to be priority one in your business ethics.
When dealing with the next difficult client or customer put yourself in their shoes and take a look at how you're handling things.
It will give you a new perspective on your customer service that won't soon be forgotten.
Only Through Constant Change Can We Succeed There is no status quo.
You can't get to a point in your business life where you just coast.
You are either moving forward or sliding backwards, the choice is yours.
You can decide to reflect and look inward, change what needs changing and grow your business or you can sit there, do nothing, and wait for your business to crumble around your ears.
I hope you choose to grow.
But is that the way to succeed in business? Try this one "Finders keepers, losers weepers.
" Have we as a business community lost our love for our fellow man? Has money replaced the satisfaction of building a business on ethics and fair play? Is it an "all or nothing world" now? I hope not.
If so I'll be looking for a cave to hole up in.
Being ethical is now more important than ever in business, especially in a small business.
We are all being looked at and judged by our ethics.
It doesn't matter what side you vote on, people in general are more cynical and suspicious than ever before.
I can't blame them.
We've been lied to, scammed, and stolen from now for decades.
We've been taught to never trust a stranger, that deals that are too good to be true probably are, and that you "never give a sucker an even break.
" So how can you as a small businessperson overcome this? Here are a few points to get you started.
I'm sure most of us can add more.
Avoid All Appearances of Wrongdoing This was a big one with my dad.
He pounded and pounded into me that I should be open and above board.
That whom I hung around with would shape my reputation and that how I acted in public would be how I would be judged.
"Actions speak louder than words," he would say.
"So make them tell something good about you.
" I have to admit, he was right.
How you act, the people you associate with and your actions in business tell volumes about your ethics.
What are yours saying? Go the Extra Mile As the story goes Abraham Lincoln walked many, many miles to return a borrowed book.
In other words he bent over backwards to fulfill a commitment to someone else.
Have you ever inadvertently short changed a customer and not realized it till they were gone.
What did you do next? Good business ethics would have you on the phone or chasing that person down the street.
Practice the Golden Rule Most of us were taught this at a very young age.
We may have even had a plaque in our home with this on it: "Do unto others as you would have them do to you.
" Remember? It's such a simple premise but so hard for us to live by.
Blame it on our "me" society or on whatever, the truth is we all struggle with this one.
Why is it so hard to put ourselves in another's shoes? Why can't we see that we all are on the same plane, struggling to get through? Why can't we be charitable naturally? Why does empathy escape us at times? As a businessperson this needs to be priority one in your business ethics.
When dealing with the next difficult client or customer put yourself in their shoes and take a look at how you're handling things.
It will give you a new perspective on your customer service that won't soon be forgotten.
Only Through Constant Change Can We Succeed There is no status quo.
You can't get to a point in your business life where you just coast.
You are either moving forward or sliding backwards, the choice is yours.
You can decide to reflect and look inward, change what needs changing and grow your business or you can sit there, do nothing, and wait for your business to crumble around your ears.
I hope you choose to grow.