Building Your Business by Building Trust

Six Principles of Integrity You Can Take to the Bank

WOODLAND PARK
Research Group
Building Integrity—Pursuing Excellence—Embracing Innovation

Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce
Woodland Park, Colorado
February 14, 2013

Gallup Survey Questions

 How would you rate the overall state of
moral values in this country today?

 Right now, do you think the state of
moral values in the country as a whole is
getting better or getting worse?

© 2013 Woodland Park Research Group
February 14, 2013 All Rights Reserved. 2

Gallup Survey Results

 How did you answer the questions?


Gallup Survey Results

 2012 results:
 43% poor
 36% fair
 20% good or excellent

 73% getting worse
 19% getting better
 5% same


Barna Survey Question

 Do you believe:

 moral truth is relative to the person and the
situation

 moral truth is absolute


Barna Survey Results

 Which did you choose?


Barna Survey Results

 Moral truth is relative to the person and
the situation
 64% adults
 83% teenagers

 Moral truth is absolute
 22% adults
 6% teenagers


Discussion

 Why did you answer the way you did?

 How do the overall survey results help
us identify the “problem”?


Discussion

 What are some examples that illustrate
the “problem”?

 Where will we be in a few years if the
present trends continue?


Discussion

 How are the results of the two surveys
inconsistent with each other?


Discussion

 In order to know that things are “bad”
and “getting worse,” there has to be a
point of reference

 bad/worse compared to what?


 If truth is relative to the individual and
the situation, there is no point of
reference

 categories of good/bad, right/wrong,
better/worse have no meaning at all

 there is no such thing as a moral imperative
or prohibition (ought/must/should/can, etc.,
and their opposites)


Discussion

 If the majority of the Gallup survey
respondents believe that truth is relative,
then the results of the survey are
meaningless (there is no way to interpret
the results because most answers are
subjective)


 The survey results show that even
people who claim that truth is relative
will still behave as if it is absolute

 How could you verify this?


 Relativism is a non-starter
(philosophically speaking)

 Logic is the first casualty of relativism:

 “Truth is relative”

 Is this a true statement, or not?


 Since “truth” cannot be relative, there
must be a standard that defines right
and wrong for everybody

 How could we discover the standard?


 Suppose for a moment that we desire to
have trust in our relationships

 trust is the necessary ingredient for us to
sustain mutually-rewarding relationships

 business is built on relationships


What is Trust?

 Trust is the confident expectation that
someone can and will act in your best
interest

 Examples


 What does it take to maintain trust?

 Or--what does it take to destroy trust?

 Write down your thoughts


 What did you write down?


 This is how you expect to be treated

 Is this also how you intend to treat
others?


 Golden Rule: treat others as you want
to be treated

 if this is the case, then there must be a
single standard that applies to both of us

 the standard must already be inside us (we
both know how we want to be treated)


Rules and Principles
 Rules are infinite.
 rules can never account for every situation
 Principles are finite.
 Principles don’t change because they
can’t change.
 principles apply in all times and places

 Therefore, we need to discover the
principles behind the rules.


Principle 6: Contentment
 “The key to happiness is not to get what
you want, but to want what you already
have.”

 In a word--gratitude

 Contentment doesn’t nullify ambition, but
prevents it from becoming a vice

 Discontentment leads to envy

Principle 5: Honesty

 Be truthful in words and intentions
 it’s okay to say you don’t know
 it may be okay to say nothing at all

 Protect/promote the reputation of others


Principle 4: Stewardship

 Protect what you have in your care
 yours
 someone else’s

 Promote the success of others


Principle 3: Loyalty
 Guard your relationships

 in a word, discretion

 protect privileged information (employees,
customers)

 never cross established relationship boundaries

 never resort to harassment, intimidation, or
seduction


Principle 2: Courtesy
 Treat people with kindness and charity

 put away all anger that leads to
physical/emotional abuse

 pursue forgiveness and reconciliation

 Defend those who are in distress


Principle 1: Respect

 Show deference to those in authority

 do what you’re told

 forebear the shortcomings of the
boss/customer


 The Six Principles in summary:

 treat others as you want to be treated

○ OR

 love your neighbor as yourself


 The Six Principles summarized in a
single word:

 selflessness


Testing the Principles

 Test the Six Principles by asking this
question:

 Which principle can you violate without
losing trust?


Dilemmas

 What if the boss orders you to lie, cheat,
or steal?

 What if all your choices are difficult and
painful?


Consider This:

 Doing the right thing may ruin your
business. Doing the wrong thing will ruin
it for sure.

 It is better to go out of business with
your integrity intact.


What is Integrity?

 Now that we have a standard in mind,
defining integrity is simple.

 Integrity means conformity to the
standard. You have integrity when you
place the needs of other above your
own needs.


What is Integrity?

 Integrity starts on the inside—with
beliefs, thoughts, and attitudes.

 Right words and actions flow from right
thoughts.


 Pretending to have integrity is nothing
more than manipulation

 Manipulation (pretense) is dishonesty

 Dishonesty destroys trust


 When are you most susceptible to
lapses of integrity?

 Take time to identify areas of weakness

 know yourself and be aware of your
circumstances

 practice avoidance


 Principles must not be compromised

 Beware the tendency to rationalize your
attitudes and actions

 Ethical disasters usually start small


Closing Thoughts
 Set aside some time to reflect on what
we’ve covered today

 Review and reinforce the Six Principles

 Watch your attitudes

 Be vigilant for the tendency to compromise

 Keep learning


For Further Exploration:

 Visit my Integrity blog:
 http://ethicsbythebook.wordpress.com

 Subscribe to my Integrity newsletter:
 http://eepurl.com/jd7Qj


P.O. Box 122
Woodland Park, CO 80866
719-687-4304

www.woodlandparkresearch.com

WOODLAND PARK
Research Group
Building Integrity—Pursuing Excellence—Embracing Innovation

Building Your Business by Building Trust

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