Saturday, February 03, 2007

Priority#1: Integrity

In my professional careerI have taken on many challenges. In doing so, I have some successful experiences and I have experiences that were not successful. There can be many factors that come into play that can make the difference. No doubt, most everyone has a story and many similar experiences. For me, the difference between success and failure often seems to come down to the idea of Integrity.

It is interesting to me to find out the different ways people view the idea of integrity. To me, Integrity is doing the right things all the time. This means whether someone is watching or not. That sounds very simple, but it is not easy. Some people feel that integrity is summed up in the amount of teamwork and comraderie that is exhibited in a working environment. Teamwork is important, but can prove to be a fatal characteristic of a working environment. How so? If the team lacks integrity, the comraderie can lead to covering up minor mistakes of the team. The mistakes are not usually the fatal blow. The cover up is. Most professionals and most businesses can survive mistakes even if the mistakes are serious. Few can survive cover ups.

Other people may think that integrity is defined in the amount of production the company has. The bottom line or ROI is vital. The question is how long can it endure? If integrity, or doing things the right way is lacking, I say it cannot endure for long. The business world has been plaqued by scandals in recent years and this trend seems to be getting worse with each passing year. It all seems due to the fact that people are losing site of the importance of integrity. We live in a fast paced world that demands instant gratification. I think it is important to remember that there are no over night successes. Success can only be built over time and by doing things the right way, With Integrity.

Check outthis great link on integrity: http://127.0.0.1:4664/cache?event_id=21329&schema_id=8&q=integrity+definition&s=BxOwD3_GjJFVYdJrAfJT-YYgacQ

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