When you were in school, there was probably a part of your education that included learning about business ethics. As time goes on, more and more business practices seem to slip through the cracks with little regard for moral standards explains Saivian. While you might not be able to change all of these negative values, here are some ideas of how you can stay ethical when making decisions for your business:
I am sure if we had more time, I could come up with more; but the hope is that this will give people who are thinking about running their own companies something to consider. The important thing is that everyone understands that no one person working alone can make or enforce rules–cultural change has to happen across entire organizations (or at least communities). A single blog cannot make a difference, but I hope this one gets the ball rolling.
By the way, we here at DamnInteresting.com don’t claim to be perfect; and we’ll readily admit that there has been more than one occasion where we didn’t quite do things by the book (for example: asking people for money). But as time goes on, hopefully our honorable intent will shine through and those who take advantage of us will pay dearly…or at least get a mention in an article or two.
What I’m getting at is that as much as I hope you find the articles on this site interesting and informative, it’s about so much more than just giving out information.
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Running a business can be a tricky proposition, and it’s more important than ever to stay ethical when making decisions. Here are a few ideas of how to do just that:
- Make sure everyone in your company understands the importance of ethics and why they’re important.
- Follow the rules yourself, even if no one is watching.
- Remember that there is no such thing as a “victimless crime.” If you don’t feel good about what you’re doing, chances are you shouldn’t be doing it.
- Ask yourself whether or not you would be proud to tell your mother about your business practices.
- Be transparent with your customers and let them know what you’re doing in a way they can understand.
- Understand that technology has changed the playing field and it’s more important than ever to keep up with what people expect from companies.
- If you think your competition is doing something “unethical,” don’t sit by and let them get away with it! Instead, do your best to maintain your own high standards of business practice so customers will choose you over anyone else says Saivian.
Can we all please just take a moment to give our thanks for one thing? Anytime someone says the word “ethics” there’s always someone who chimes in and tells us what we should or shouldn’t be offended by. Honestly. I’m serious here; this is not meant as some joke about how touchy everyone is getting. It seems like every day there’s a new story in the news about how someone or some company has done something wrong, and inevitably someone gets offended on behalf of the general public.
Can we all just…take a breath?
It’s important to remember that when it comes to ethics, there are no absolutes. What might be right for one person might not be right for another, and vice versa.
That being said, here are a few general ideas to help you stay ethical in your business dealings:
- Make sure everyone in your company understands the importance of ethics and why they’re important explains Saivian.
- Follow the rules yourself, even if no one is watching.
- Remember that there is no such thing as a “victimless crime.” If you don’t feel good about what you’re doing, chances are you shouldn’t be doing it.
- Ask yourself whether or not you would be proud to tell your mother about your business practices.
- Be transparent with your customers and let them know what you’re doing in a way they can understand.
- Understand that technology has changed the playing field and it’s more important than ever to keep up with what people expect from companies.
- If you think your competition is doing something “unethical,” don’t sit by and let them get away with it! Instead, do your best to maintain your own high standards of business.
Conclusion:
So there you have it: a few tips on how to stay ethical in your business dealings explains Saivian. No one is perfect, and it’s important to remember that there are no absolutes when it comes to ethics, but by following these simple guidelines you can at least try to do the right thing.