Business Ethics: Functional Choices -

Home
>
Ethics
>
Business Ethics: Functional Choices

Business Ethics: Functional Choices

Years of experience have taught me there is no such thing as "Business Ethics". If a person isn't ethical in the rest of their lives, their business ethics aren't worth the shoe leather they've worn out either.

I stood beside a State Representative at college graduation recently, and heard him tell a gentleman shaking his hand that he had the utmost respect for the President of the college, because he knew who her friends were and they all had good solid "Business Ethics". I raised an eyebrow and continued a conversation with another friend nearby. It was my third College Graduation this year.

At a high school graduation, I listened to the Valedictorian say, "Your values for living all of your life will follow wherever you go." At another graduation, an honorary graduate stated, "Who you are today will be reflected every day of your life, by what you become tomorrow." At another function, celebrating the accomplishment of older students, those who were returning to school after being part of the work force for many years, I heard yet another speaker say, "Your life is marked by dates, one at the beginning, and one at the end, with just a dash in between. A short little dash reflecting who you were, what you accomplished, and the values you held. How important will your dash be?"

As I reflect on these comments, I look back at my own life. Every choice has a consequence. I know, because I've made a few bad choices, along with the good ones. As I look back, I often realize the choices I made that didn't turn out so very well were often made with the influence of other people, so I have to look back further. This brings me back to the comment by the State Representative, about knowing the President of the College's friends.

Sometimes, our choices of friends are the first bad choice of many. We are judged by the company we keep, and ultimately we pay the consequences of the choices we've made, influence by the company we keep. That's a bit redundant ? but extremely true. If you desire to be ethical, you live an ethical life, and you choose ethical friends.

What do your friends and your choices say about you?

If personal fulfillment is your goal in life, ethics may appear to be unnecessary. However, you reap tomorrow what you sow today. Pay attention to the seeds you plant.

Designing your future requires choices in prescribing your brand, and setting your future. Jan Verhoeff has experience in designing your brand and market performance for business development. Let her expertise help define your business online. Visit her at eBiz Brand Performance.

In The News:

I tried, but failed, to bring ethics to City Hall
Los Angeles Times, CA - 4 hours ago
By Bill Boyarsky Five years ago, when I joined the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission, I was new to government, a bit wide-eyed about what I'd be able to ...
A 'green' industrial belt should run through it Los Angeles Times
all 6 news articles

Ethics case is Utah rarity
Salt Lake Tribune, United States - 5 hours ago
Monday morning, the eight-member House Ethics Committee will meet to consider bribery allegations and other claimed ethics violations against Rep. ...
Walsh: GOP today is barely recognizable Salt Lake Tribune
all 2 news articles

Chinese asked to improve professional ethics
Business Standard, India - Jul 5, 2008
The organisations also called for more training courses in professional ethics to be introduced for workers in service industry and greater efforts to be ...

The ethics on euthanasia
Ottawa Citizen, Canada - 3 hours ago
Margaret Somerville mentions that she taught a course on euthanasia, and at the end of course she felt that she was "hitting a stone wall" because she had ...

Consulting ethics at center of Jetton row
News-Leader.com, MO - 3 hours ago
Their ethics reform proposals are aimed directly at Jetton, who's been consulting and raising money for fellow Republican members' campaigns since 2004. ...

SAVE AND SHARE
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA - 4 hours ago
By Henry J. Holcomb College business schools are taking a hard look at how they teach ethics, looking for ways to help graduates think and prevent future ...

Everyday ethics: He hopes to invest in artist's future
Salt Lake Tribune, United States - Jul 4, 2008
My friend, a young artist at the start of his career, offered to sell me a 1 percent share in him for $9000. I would receive a portion of his lifetime ...

Javno.hr
Moody's ousts executive, says employees violated ethics policy
Los Angeles Times, CA - Jul 2, 2008
Moody's Corp. ousted a senior executive Tuesday and said employees violated ethics guidelines in assigning top ratings to complex securities that ...
Moodyâ€™s cops to unethical conduct CNNMoney.com
all 225 news articles

Washington Times
Watchdog group files ethics charge against Coleman
The Associated Press - Jul 1, 2008
WASHINGTON (AP) â€” A watchdog group asked the Senate ethics investigators on Tuesday to look into whether Sen. Norm Coleman's living arrangement on Capitol ...
Group urges Coleman rent deal inquiry Minneapolis Star Tribune
Sen. Coleman accused of ethics lapse for DC housing arrangement Pioneer Press
DC group asks Senate ethics panel to review Coleman's housing ... MinnPost.com
Minnesota Public Radio - Minneapolis Star Tribuneall 236 news articles

Jackson Clarion Ledger
Testing my ethics -The ends justify the means.
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS - 9 hours ago
I will be doing something I think is completely unethical, under different circumstances, this month. I will be baiting a fishing hole. ...

ethics - Google News