I personally believe that it firmly supports the role of Ethics in a person’s long term business success.  Read my post on The Speed of Trust – Personal Ethics for a more detailed description of the power of Ethics and trust in the business equation.  Business typically calculates results as Strategy x Execution, but there is a Trust Multiplier that is an important factor in long term success:

(Strategy x Execution) x Trust = Results

Here is Darrin’s 10-Point Ethics Checklist, I hope you enjoy it!

1. The Golden Rule: Would I want people to do this to me?
2. The Fairness Test: Who might be affected and how? Is this fair to everyone?
3. The ‘What if everybody did this?’ Test: Would I want everyone to do this? Would I want to live in that kind of world?
4. The Truth Test: Does this action represent the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
5. The Parents Test: How would my parents feel if they found out about this? What advice would they give me?
6. The Children Test: Would I be willing to explain everything about this to my kids and expect them to act in the same way?
7. The Religion Test: Does this go against my religion?
8. The Conscience Test: Does this go against my conscience? Will I feel guilty?
9. The Consequences Test: Are there possible consequences of this action that would be bad? Would I regret doing this?
10. The Front Page Test: How would I feel if my action were reported on the front page of my hometown paper?

That is a wonderful list Darrin shared.

Greg Watson

I routinely integrate the subject of Ethics into every thing that I do.  A person’s true character eventually will always show through in the manner in which they conduct themselves in every aspect of their life.  Personal integrity is all that a true man has once the thin veneer of a surface showmanship is stripped away.  Yet it is this reality that many fail to truly grasp as life’s bumps pierce the thin veneer of their life exposing the character beneath.

Covey says that the Speed of Trust is one of the most powerful forces of life.  Stephen Covey does an excellent job of discussing the life effect of one’s ethical charcter in his book titled "The Speed of Trust" available at Amazon.com.

In his book, Covey talks about how trust flows throughout our lives and directly impacts our relationships in everything that we do.  I consistently choose to live by the rule that integrity, ethics, and honor are the root character of who I am, and that those characteristics are demonstrated in the actions and successes that I experience.  Covey argues that this essence is integrated into your personal and professional life and is largely responsible for your succcesses and failures.

Covey adds the variable of "trust" to illustrate this impact in business success.  Covey states that business success is traditionally illustrated with the formula:

Strategy x Execution = Results

Covey illustrates the role of ethics or trust by adding Trust as a variable to that equation:

(Strategy x Execution) x Trust = Results

The illustration drives home the point that no matter how good your strategy and execution may be, if you are missing that personal characteristic of ethics and trust – your life successes will be reflected in diminished results.

It saddens me when I see this simple truth proved out in real life, where people of otherwise respectable talents make life choices regarding their personal ethics and trust.

Covey goes on to describe the role of trust in our life of relationships – describing five different circles of trust.

Five circles of trust:

1. Self-Trust
2. Relationship Trust
3. Organizational Trust
4. Market Trust
5. Societal Trust

These relationships influence every aspect of our lives.    If you can’t trust yourself (self-trust), will you be able to build healthy relationships and friendships?  If you can’t maintain healthy relationships based on trust, will you be able to participate in larger organizational relationships?  Or will you consistently find yourself on the outside looking in? 

Covey goes on to describe the principle of market trust.  What is your reputation within the market?  Have you established a reputation of associations that cast doubt on your trustworthiness?  And within society, how do you personally contribute to trust in your personal relationships, organizational relationships, and market relationships.

You can examine your behaviours of trust by evaluating thirteen behaviours of trust.  Do you:

• Talk Straight
• Demonstrate Respect
• Create Transparency
• Right Wrongs
• Show Loyalty
• Get Better
• Confront Reality
• Clarify Expectations
• Practice Accountability
• Listen First
• Keep Commitments, and
• Extend Trust

Covey’s book "The Speed of Trust" is one of the most important books that a person can read.   Trust can be an assest and the lack of trust can be a liability, both personally and financially.  It is a fundamental concept that can be a life altering experience. 

Covey breaks character and competence down further into what he calls the "4 Cores of Credibility" – integrity, intent, capabilities, and results.  When you combine integrity, intent, and trustworthiness – you have a rare person; and capabilities and results will follow!

So what was the focus of the news report today?   A greeting card!

The outrage reported is about a card that appears to be offering a glass of wine with the following message:

Front Message:  Pardon Me

Inside Message:  Would you care for some Liquid Clothes Remover?

The card features an attractive image of what appears to be a male offering a glass of wine with an inside message asking "Would you care for some liquid clothes remover?"  (see snapshot below)

So is there an ethical issue here worth reporting?  Hallmark appears to have removed the card from the site following the news story, and below is a snapshot of the product that caused the outrage.  What do you think?

The news report suggests that the card is marketed to children – and that was the focal point of the outrage of the news report.  While it may be true that some of the Product Red line are oriented towards children and that may be a market demographic that has responded to the line, I could find no credible source that Hallmark actually launched any kind of marketing campaign that targeted children with this product line.  And no source that would legitimately suggest that they targeted this specific card towards children.

So is there any real issue here?

Today, it appears that Hallmark has pulled the card from their website.  Browsers to the page that used to display the card are now met with a "technical issues" error message.

Hallmark is one of the leading manufacturer’s of cards.  A trusted source, and a name brand that implies "the very best."  So it is not suprising that rather than risk even the potential of compromising their reputation, that Hallmark would pull this card.

So let’s consider the business ethics of the situation.

Did Hallmark do anything wrong?  Did Hallmark do anything unethical in their creation or marketing of this specific card?  Does it change your opinion if you believe that children might buy the card?

The facts of the situation are very clear, Hallmark did nothing wrong.  There is no evidence to suggest that the card was created or marketed in an inappropriate or unethical manner.  Hallmark’s history and today’s apparent action to pull the card suggest that Hallmark cares very deeply about even the hint of impropriety.

So while it may not be a card that I want my granddaughter’s boyfriend to give her, I will still be proud to have him give her a Hallmark card.  Hallmark’s slogan "When You Care Enough To Send The Very Best" still holds true in my opinion.

The Iowa Caucuses are begining to wrap up and the Obama factor is driving Obama to a win.

Statewide Obama is getting 37% … but in precincts where the Obama factor kicked in drawing stunning numbers of new voters into the process, Obama won 50% of the votes.  A powerful factor that can not be ignored as the canidates move to New Hampshire and beyond.

Disclosure:  I did not vote for Obama.

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