Ethics Information

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.

Copyright © 2005 - Jan Verhoeff

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.


MORE RESOURCES:

Los Angeles Times

Sanford's ethics fold
Charleston Post Courier
Mark Sanford ended his case with the state Ethics Commission not with a bang but a whimper. The governor has paid $74000 in fines to resolve ethics charges ...
SC gov agrees to pay ethics fine, gets divorcedWashington Post
Gov. Sanford Accepts Fine in Ethics CaseNew York Times
South Carolina governor to settle ethics complaint with $74000 fineLos Angeles Times
Greenville News -MiamiHerald.com -Charleston Regional Business
all 656 news articles »


CBS News

Ensign is resigned to preserve his power and glory at all costs
Las Vegas Review - Journal
If Ensign had resigned nine months ago, there wouldn't have been a Senate Ethics Committee investigation. If he had resigned, the Justice Department might ...
Ensign under investigation twiceUPI.com
GOP watch: Grand jury timemsnbc.com
Twin John Ensign probes still going strongPolitico
Pittsburgh Post Gazette -Boston Globe -CNN
all 304 news articles »


Baltimore Sun

Former Baltimore mayor Sheila Dixon's fur coat set for use in ethics training
Washington Post (blog)
A Persian lamb jacket used as evidence against ousted Baltimore mayor Sheila Dixon will be used to teach ethics to university employees. ...
A Sheila Dixon fur makes a $1700 teacher's aidBaltimore Sun

all 10 news articles »


Lehman Insider's Letter Warned About Violating Code of Ethics
Wall Street Journal
... "senior management" may have violated Lehman's internal code of ethics by misleading investors and regulators about the true value of the firm's assets. ...

and more »


Loopholes in state ethics reform
Atlanta Journal Constitution
Top leaders in the Georgia Legislature have signed off on a broad ethics reform package, set to be introduced this week, ...



NOLA.com

Frazier off ethics panel; Leggio takes place
2TheAdvocate
Bobby Jindal on Friday replaced Baton Rouge lawyer Scott Frazier on the Louisiana Board of Ethics. He has been an outspoken critic of Jindal-backed ...
Jindal replaces ethics board vice chairmanWDAM-TV

all 33 news articles »


Ethics complaints finally resolved
Dubuque Telegraph Herald
The last in a flurry of ethics complaints in the city of Prairie du Chien was resolved Friday when Mayor Karl Steiner withdrew his complaint against Fire ...

and more »


Faith and Reason: A conversation about religion, spirituality and ethics
USA Today
TGIF religion roundup: Bible vs. Quran violence, Bush's biggest surprise and Glenn Beck as pope TGIF (for some of you, maybe literally)! ...

and more »


Ethics Commission fines Houston Dem $4500
Houston Chronicle
The Texas Ethics Commission has ordered State Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, to pay a $4500 civil penalty for a number of campaign ...



NY local governments failing on ethics rules: comptroller
Reuters
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Municipalities across New York state are not complying with rules on financial disclosure and other ethics requirements, ...
DiNapoli wants communities to step up ethics enforcementPolitics on the Hudson (blog)

all 23 news articles »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006