Why Employee Morale is So Low

By Randy Vaughan 

job, jobs, career

When I mention that I have worked for sixty employers in my life, with rare exception the immediate response centers on same variation of the theme that I have a bad attitude. At one time this would force the debate of chicken and eggs and which came first. These days I state the fact and move on because most people inevitably choose what to believe based on how it makes them feel better about themselves. And quite often feeling good about yourself requires nothing more than a comparison to someone else that leaves you feeling superior, better in some way. So the other party might well concede he doesn't particularly like "working" any more than the rest of us but hey, at least he's still hanging in there, unlike me who appears to quit a lot, not to mention being fired on several occasions.

But I have been around the block enough to speak with absolute conviction on why employee morale is so low. And you would think the reasons I'm about to give would endear me to employers in some "consultant" capacity if not as an employee. Such is not the case, however. First, I have no formal education, no college degrees or titles, no acronyms after my name. From the viewpoint of the average employer, that translates into no credibility. This becomes my favorite theme, the tragic mistake this country made of confusing formal education with intelligence. And second, in a business environment in which profits are first, people are second, it's understandable that when money isn't part of the solution (in the words of one former employer, how to "make more, spend less")-when that is the case, you can be rather certain the proposal will be summarily rejected.

So why exactly is employee morale so low these days? I have already alluded to a couple of the reasons.

The emphasis on college degrees has to stop, period. And in context, I'm presuming you already understand I am not addressing true "careers" and vocations that simply demand specialized training and education (aka college and university studies), things like doctor, lawyer, and rocket science. We're talking about the more "traditional" concept of employment in which an average man or woman could work his way up that infamous "ladder" to positions of supervisors and managers in this capacity or that.

Said directly and bluntly: Working men and women have yet to see what it is about a college education that has convinced employers that four years of formal education (regardless of the field of study) makes a college grad your preferred choice for these positions over someone who has been working for you for, oh, ten years or longer.

You see, we really are not stupid despite the fact we didn't go to college. You bring in the college graduate and then we have to train him in the specifics and details of the particular industry because even with that degree in "business administration," the guy is still dumb as a bag of rocks when it comes to exactly "how" that widget is made. So you don't hesitate to "use" us, but we're not quite "good" enough to be trusted and promoted. You insult our intelligence and take us for granted but don't hesitate to "use" us.

Low morale? No, not really. Just angry as hell.

I've also already hinted at the second reason. It's axiomatic, I hope, that there is no love lost between me and not only the former employers in my personal life, but employers in general and the very reality of what employment has become. And yet it happens on occasion that some specific employer has, will, and does express great indignation at my conclusions. He will vehemently deny that he and his organization are anything at all like I describe, that he is somehow "different".

After all these years and all those jobs and all that experience my response is always the same:

"How does it feel?"

Before we can work for you, we have to pee in bottles and agree to background checks and verification of past employment and often there is an investigation into our credit history and then we're asked to self-identify in terms of gender and my God it goes on and on and on.

The moral to this is obvious: You begin with the presumption of guilt, that we're all potential crack-heads and worthless bums who can't hold a job and we're all in debt up to our eyes and then the most amazing thing happens.

After this "screening" process, these hoops and hurdles you throw in our way, it is you, the employer, who screams the loudest about what a disappointing "work force" you have. You hire consultants and have meetings to try to figure out what you can do to hire "better" employees.

Do you, the employer, really think for one minute there aren't ways to "beat" your drug screens, that people will not and do not lie on their applications and resumes and during the interview? You lie to us about what a grand and wonderful and "fun place" your company would be to work for, don't you? (I'll revisit this in a moment.)

Listen: You are hiring human beings, men and women, and that includes warts and all. But when you begin the presumptions I've stated and that you clearly hold us in such low regard that we "might" cause you legal hassles down the road, well, believe you're going to attract what you fear. I'd suggest that rather than screening and interviewing with the focus on weeding out the undesirables you begin trusting us and talking to us in order to get to know us as people first. Do that and you'll have a really good sense of those who indeed pose no potential legal threats to you and your company.

Let me state this in the most simple of terms: Employment in this country has become a thoroughly legalistic matter. When you talk about low employee morale, you are addressing our humanity. You want to improve that morale? Focus on humanity and back off on the legality.

And yes, when I called you a liar I meant it. Repeat after me: Men and women without college degrees are not stupid.

You tell us you have no money for raises but there is always money for new computers and new desks (especially that $10,000.00 solid mahogany monstrosity for your "meetings") and the new secretary for the new manager you just hired straight out of college. Oh, there is plenty of money, all right, just none for us.

I'm actually not even close to being done, but I'll end this the consideration of money and because this topic doesn't require a litany of specific reasons. A reduction to a "top ten" list insults both employer and employee.

The average employer has wrongly convinced himself that the number one reason for low employee morale is money.

With all due respect for all your titles and prestige and business success, that makes you a total idiot when it comes to knowing what really matters most to working men and women.

I've worked with, for, and around men and women like you all my life and I've worked with and around thousands and thousands of my "peers," my coworkers. Yes, each and every single one of us would like to make "more" money. You want to increase corporate profits. We'd like a bigger paycheck. We have that much in common. But that really is about all we have in common.

You have proven you value money and profits ahead of everything else, including your employees. You dehumanize us right from the start by calling us "Human Resources". And from there it gets worse. It is understandable, therefore, that you would naturally conclude that our low morale and bad attitudes must have something to do with money, that we think you don't pay us enough, pay us what we are really worth.

Okay, it is true that you do not pay us what we are worth to you. But that topic is better left for another time.

So here is the real source of the conflict taking place. We understand you have a business to run. And we know that it is in our best interests, as employees, to consider the "bigger picture". So yes, we might complain that the raise we did not get (our "best interest" at the moment) really was the best decision for all involved in terms of the future, job security, and so forth.

The failure, you see, is reciprocity. There is none.

Most working men and women go out of their ways to give employers the benefit of the doubt, to trust them. And it is because of that "bigger picture". Employers, however, so focused on business and money have proven they do not give one damn about their employees as people, could not care less about their very humanity. You care about us only to the degree that we sell ourselves to you in your pursuit of personal and corporate wealth.

The tragedy? None of this is ever going to change until those at the bottom stop playing your silly little games. True change, meaningful change always starts at the bottom. So-called change that comes from the top down is always a perpetuation of the same problems with different names, that's all.

Now you see why I've worked for some sixty employers.

And you know the irony?

Eighteen of those companies that I know of (which means there could be more) are no longer in operation.

I determined years and years ago that an invisible line exits beyond which I would neither willingly step nor be forcibly dragged or pushed. You had better believe my humanity has taken a beating but my soul is still intact, still not for sale, and I lived to tell to the tale, didn't I?

You complain about low employee morale? Well think about this:

Employers scream to the gods above about the high costs of hiring and training new employees. Keep doing what you've been doing during my lifetime and you're going to see more and more people just like me. Won't that do wonders for your bottom line?

Listen:

Employees are never going to be "happy". That's why it's called "work". But you can do much to create a workplace in which people are content and one free from hassles and petty bickering. I've heard nearly every one of my former employees say the following and it's a sentiment with which I agree: The average workplace is nothing more than a daycare for adults and management spends most of its time babysitting a bunch of whiny employees.

Would you like to make that go away without it costing you a penny?

Make your interest in your employees second to your concern for them as people. Convince them you really care about them and their families and you know what? They will care as much about the success of your company as you. And you know why? Because it is in their best interest to do so.

By definition, "business" and "capitalism" are reduced to a "fair exchange of value". Reciprocity.

So do you really want to improve and maybe even rid yourself of that low employee morale? One word:

Reciprocity.

Romance in the Workplace

By Michael H. Smith, Ph.D.

job, jobs, career

As we go further into the second millennium, more and more people are dating, and falling in love with partners they've met at work. Yet, coping with Cupid in the workplace can be a rather tricky affair because these romances have both positive and negative effects on work performance.

A growing body of research has explored this phenomenon. One study conducted by Robert E. Quinn reported that over 60% of the people surveyed were either aware of an office romance or had been involved in one themselves. A more recent study by Lisa Mainiero, found in her book, Office Romance: Love, Power & Sex in the Workplace, puts the figure at 76%.

These romances seem to be on the rise because people are spending more and more time at the office and they don't have the time to socialize outside of work the way they used to do. They are also attracted to those people who share the same daily successes and stresses as they do.

The bottom line is that you're spending a lot of time around someone that you're physically and emotionally attracted to, these things happen, whether they're planned or not. There are many different reasons why people have office romances. Some just want a simple fling with no emotional attachments; others are looking for more serious romances; and some, to be blunt, are just looking for a promotion or a raise.

These kinds of affairs can have both positive and negative consequences for not only the work performance of the two people involved, but they also impact the attitudes and performance of the people who are working with or around the couple.

Quinn's study found that, in a little over 10% of cases, the romances seemed to result in increased coordination, improved teamwork and improved productivity. Almost one-third of his respondents reported negative effects such as slower decision making, lower morale and lower productivity.

Given these kinds of potential risks and benefits, if you are thinking about the possibility of having an office romance, you should carefully weigh the pros and cons. Imagine what the best and worst case scenarios might be. Could you live with the worst case? If your job were on the line because of your romance, would you be willing to end the relationship or be transferred? Would you have no regrets about it? Don't forget to examine how the relationship will affect your partner's career as well.

You also need to ask yourself how the relationship at its peak would affect your ability to get the job done. How would it affect your co-workers? Would they be positive and support the relationship or would they try to undermine it?

Of course, one's heart tends to lead in these kinds of affairs, but you, at least, need to be aware of the potential consequences. These things should not be entered into lightly.

If you are already in a relationship at work, the following steps in managing the relationship are recommended. The first thing to consider is whether or not you are willing to go public about the relationship. In Quinn's study, two-thirds of the people involved in an office romance tried to keep them secret. Yet, most of the people surveyed were well aware that a romance was, in fact, happening. In other words, they'll probably find out anyway. By being up front about it, you can more effectively deal with the feelings that your manager(s) and coworkers will probably have anyway.

Mainiero suggests that you might consider writing a contingency plan with your partner about how the relationship will be handled by each of you and how it will be resolved if it ends. It should deal in a straightforward manner with the potential emotional fallout of the relationship.

It is also recommended that you be particularly careful in the way that you relate to your partner when you're at work together. Don't express intimate feelings or use "pet" names at work. Avoid touching your partner in a suggestive manner. Don't schedule long lunches together or after-hour meetings at the office with just the two of you. Keep your office door open when you're together. Make sure that your manager and coworkers see that your work is getting done and that the relationship is not having a negative effect on your productivity.

If you're a manager who has become aware of an office relationship, you should not shy away from the issue. Quinn's survey found that over half of the managers who knew about an office romance did nothing about it.

The best thing to do in this situation is to openly discuss it with the two people involved. However, you must approach the participants with sensitivity and empathy. Interview each person separately. Ask open-ended questions and allow them to talk. Quite often one or both partners are glad to get it out in the open because they realize they've entered into a difficult situation.

If they decide they want to continue the romance, you must focus solely on their work performance. Make sure they are aware of the potential consequences of their relationship; i.e., if their work performance begins to suffer, they could be reprimanded, transferred or terminated. Explore with them the ways in which they should exercise caution. Finally, don't forget to review the situation periodically with them.

Quinn's study acknowledges that where termination occurs, the woman is twice as likely to be fired as the man. Be particularly careful that you are not making the woman the scapegoat or you may be faced with a wrongful termination suit.

Love in the office can be very difficult for all concerned. You can't really prohibit it. All you can do is attempt to be honest and open about it. That can go a long way toward resolving the problems that arise when you're coping with Cupid in the office.

Generational Ethics

By Frank C. Bucaro and Meg Bucaro Wojtas 

job, jobs, career

'Boomer' Rick cannot understand why 'Gen Xer' Jim cannot seem to get to work on time. 'Millennial' Stacy can not seem to understand why 'Traditionalist' Fred has worked at this company for 40 years although, clearly, he is unhappy.

Statistics tell us that there are four generations in our workforce today. Much research focuses on the differences and how to best work with and manage the varying degrees of experience, viewpoints and work styles. I wonder how the mixing of these very different experiences contributes to the overall ethical culture in companies today.

To clarify, the generations we are talking about are described in the article "New-age challenge: Four generations now occupy the workplace" by James Amos, Pueblo Chieftain, The (CO) 3/7/10 consist of: 10% Traditionalists (born 1900-1945) 45% Boomers (born1946-1964) 30% Gen. X (born 1965-1980) 15% Millenials (born 1981-2000)

The problem is that when we hear the word 'ethics' we assume it means the same thing to everyone. However, there is some gray area here, particularly when it comes to four different generations. What is ethical behavior for a Millennial may be considered highly unethical to a Traditionalist, Boomer or even a Gen X'er. So who is right? Which generation is more ethical? The answer may surprise you!

The Harvard Graduate School of Education researchers wrote the book, "Making Good: How Young People Cope with Moral Dilemmas at Work," (Harvard University Press 2004) on the "ethical conflicts faced by generations in the start of their career ladder." In this book, the young professionals who were surveyed recounted the pressures of participating in unethical conduct, i.e. prematurely publishing data or sensationalizing news stories, for assumed advance in their profession. Would a Boomer make the same choices?

So which generation is more ethical?

Joe Smith at Company 123 has a daughter who is participating in 'the big game' at 4pm on a weekday. Traditionalists' tendency is to stick to their work regimen, as always, regardless of personal/family activities, not because they are heartless but because they view hard work and a strict regime as sacred values. Boomers, whose generational values include 'Workaholism' concentrate on the competition at work and may focus on what he/she may be missing as productive time at work, rather than personal time, particularly during weekday work hours.

Gen Xers, conversely, hold work/life balance as a great benefit at work. They also know they can check email via their phone at the big game, and not miss a beat at work. Millenials realize that their physical presence at work does not equate their ability to get the job done. They are so tech savvy that not only will they check email, but they can easily stay connected to the office/clients while at the game and follow up at home, post game. Millenials, due to growing up with technology, can multi task seamlessly at an entirely new level.

So...who is more ethical? The generations who stay at work until 5pm or later? Or are those who place value on important family events more ethical?

The answer? It depends.

The answer depends on what expectations were communicated to each employee in the beginning.

Any ethics training program in any company that has different generations MUST have the following three elements in any ethics training program.

1. Acknowledgment of different generational viewpoints. Do you know what percentage of each generation is in your office? There are many resources available for free, that explore the best tactics to manage each generation. Each age group requires a bit of a different approach to be most effective. Once you know who is in your 'audience' you will be able to understand the varying views of what type of behavior is ethical and what is not. Often times, seemingly unethical behavior is not conducted on purpose...at times, it is just that a member of a certain generation holds beliefs based on their experiences, and that may be different from what your organization advocates.

2. Define ethics. Walk employees through situations pertinent to their job and help them appropriately analyze the situation. Give them the tools, not just definition. A community college mandates that all employees must take online training courses prior to hire date. This training program included examples about keeping grades private, appropriate and inappropriate relationships with co workers, as well as who is and is not allowed to view their personnel file. These situations are very specific to the employees at this community college. The college defined ethics in their culture for all employees.

3. Provide ongoing messaging that communicates expectations. Marketing research states that a consumer would need to see the product seven times before they recognize it. Why should ethics training be any different? Even if it is every other month, can you commit to six times a year, dedicated to ethics messaging? More importantly, training should be sensitive to all generations.

By following these three suggestions, you may find that certain ethics sticking points may not be as much of a problem anymore. If you fully understand the generational differences that your employees bring to the workplace, and include this information in your ongoing ethics training, you will be in a better position to have all generations focused on the same ethical path.

Five Steps to a Greener Office

By Robert James Fenn

job, jobs, career

The Institute of Directors estimates SMEs can slash energy bills by 20% by taking a range of simple steps. It's difficult to change old habits, so here are five suggestions that are easy to implement for all offices.

Cut Heating Bills

In the summer, opt to open windows before resorting to fans and air conditioning. On colder days, encourage staff to wear a jumper rather than turning up the heating. A mere one degree change can save 10% on heating bills, whilst cutting greenhouse emissions. Think about the positioning of furniture too, providing space to radiators so heat can circulate and therefore be as efficient as possible.

Some responsibility may lay with your landlord. If so, at least remember to report faulty heating and lighting equipment so that energy isn't waste.

Switch Off

It may not always be sunny here in the UK, but on the odd bright day, why not open the blinds up and see if you make do without all of the lights on? With lighting accounting for about one third of the electricity used in the office, cut your bills by turning off lights when they are not needed, such as in the meeting room. Pass the message onto cleaners too, getting them to switch off before they leave.

Contrary to popular belief, the fluorescent lamp does not wear out more quickly or consume more electricity when it is turned on and off.

Think about the little things too, does the kettle and microwave always need to be on? What about the scanner and photocopier?

Reuse Packaging

Think about how best you can reuse before you get to the stage of recycling. Do your printers have a double sided printing function? Otherwise, you can always print work on the unused side if it's not going to be sent to clients.

Packaging is also something you reuse. Within a week, most businesses receive all sorts of packaging, from cardboard, foam to bubble wrap. Could this be stored and reused rather than thrown away? This is a great way of doing your bit to minimise landfill.

Formalise Recycling 

For items you cannot reuse, see what your local council or landlord offers for recycling. Once you know, you can label up separate bins so different types of packaging and material can be recycled easily.

When it comes to purchasing, try and go for the eco friendly alternative. There is the full environmental cost to consider too, it's best to pick local suppliers as this reduces emissions when delivering.

Ditch Disposable Cups 

The water cooler is a cornerstone of socialising in the office, but it is also guilty of being the biggest contributor to waste. Most disposable cups often found with water dispensers aren't recyclable. For example, a styrofoam cup takes over 50 years to decompose.

Recently, a law firm found they were using 317,500 paper and plastic cups in a year, which is equivalent to 738 for each of its 430 employees. By encouraging employees to bring in their own mug, it saved £14,355. It's such an easy alternative to implement, why not start it today?

Good and Bad Email Etiquette

By Orel Beilinson

job, jobs, career

In the 21th century, the age of digital communication, we should know how to act when communicating through emails and what should we avoid doing. This article will give you quick review of the whole system called: "Email Etiquette", or in the informal name: "Do and Don'ts When Writing and Responding to Emails".

1. Always stay focused on your point. You mustn't forget that reading emails (that aren't printed) is harder than reading a printed letter.

2. Answer all of the questions from the previous mail, and answers the "questions in potential". Make sure that you text is clear, covering all of the questions and can't lead to misunderstanding. If you won't keep that rule, you will waste yours and your recipient's time.

3. Keep the message's thread. In case that the client doesn't remember, or doesn't have access to the previous emails.

4. The "High Priority" option mustn't be abused. Do you know the story about the boy who cried wolf? Don't become that boy, especially not in front of your customers.

5. The structure and layout of your email is very important. As mentioned in the first bullet, reading electronically is harder, so a well-structured email will help your client to read your email more easily. Keeping the paragraphs short and an empty line after the end of the paragraph is a good example of the wanted layout.

6. In a formal mail, abbreviations and emoticons should be left out by default. Abbreviations such as BTW (which stands for by the way) may not be known to the recipient, that act will make it harder to understand the letter.

7. Consider the fact that not everyone has the same computer that you have. Don't overuse formatting, it is possible that the recipient cannot view HTML (and rich text) emails. Most of the mail clients (including Gmail and Microsoft Outlook™) support HTML emails.

8. Email is not the appropriate way to discuss about confidential matters. Even if your recipient has left his computer in the office opened with the mail client on the screen for one moment, someone can print this mail and post it.

9. Do not write whole words in capital letters. ISN'T IT VERY ANNOYING? It seems like you are shouting, and it makes reading harder.

10. Use an effective subject message. Writing efficient subject line is important because of two reasons: If it seems like spam, it will go to the spam folder automatically. The second reason is that the recipient will treat this message as the summary of the whole email, if it will not seems important, he will probably leave it to later.

11. Your language gender should be natural. Avoid using "he/she". For example, instead of "the user can write the letter using his email client", write "the user can write the letter using an email client".

12. Active voice is better than the passive voice. Instead of "Payment can be done by PayPal", you can write "You can pay us using PayPal". It sounds more personal.

13. Before sending the mail, take a few minutes to reread it. Correct spelling mistakes, typing mistakes and make sure that the message is very clear and covers all of the topics that you wanted to cover.

14. Attach only the necessary files. The recipient will actually open each one of the files. Keep only the files that must be attached.

15. Don't reply to spam or forward chain letters. It will only prove that your email is active and will generate even more spam.

Of course that there are more suggestions, but I wanted to cover the main 15 rules.

Good luck!

Strong Ethics - The Key To Successful Business

By Jason Lewiston

job, jobs, career

If you hope to have a thriving business, following basic standards of ethical behavior is the best way to do it. To be sure, adopting basic business ethics guidelines, and always living up to them, is the best way to attract customers and keep them coming back.

Returns and Refunds

A very basic business ethic is to give refunds on products and services. If you are selling a product or service you should be prepared to give people who are not satisfied their money back.

It is simply unethical to sell a product or service and not provide refunds or returns. Yet many companies and individuals do. If you actually have faith in your product and its ability to satisfy the customer's needs you should have no problem offering a refund.

If there are circumstances that make it impossible or difficult to give refunds in your business you should come right out and say so. Post a clear refund policy where your customers can see it. If you can't provide a cash refund then try to find an alternative you can offer.

Don't Make False Claims

Never make a claim about your product or service you can't verify. Making false claims is definitely unethical and in sometimes it can constitute fraud which is a crime. Always read advertising copy and sales pitches carefully and remove any unsubstantiated claims.

Being honest with your customers will always be a better policy than lying to them. Never make a false claim and avoid making statements or claims that can be easily misconstrued.

Live Up to Your Word

Always do your best to live up to your word in business. If you promise something to a customer then always try to deliver it. For example if you promise lifetime service or a return and somebody brings in something you sold five years ago give them an exchange or a refund.

If a misprint in a newspaper ad puts the wrong price on a product sell the product for that price if it is possible. It will show customers that you keep your word and earn good will.

Finally, never make a customer a promise that you can not keep. If you know you will be unwilling or unable to keep a promise don't make the promise.

Business Ethics and Customer Service

By Samuel Johnstein

job, jobs, career

While the rise of small business entrepreneurs is no doubt great for the American economy, an unfortunate aspect is that many businesses now routinely engage in unethical or morally questionable practices under the guise of "customer service." If you are starting your own company, or already run a small business, this sort of questionable behavior is no doubt going to hurt you in the long run.

Successful companies almost always adopt a stringent code of ethics and enforce it in all areas of their business, including customer service. The best customer service policy is always to adopt high ethical standards, and practice them rigorously.
Customers who believe they are being treated fairly, honestly, and justly will come back. Customers who think they have been cheated, lied to or abused will never come back. Worse, they will tell others to avoid your business because you are a crook!

Ethical Customer Service

The best customer service policy is to be honest with your customers. Never make a promise to any customer that you will not be able to deliver upon. If you can not do something for a customer, there is a good chance you're going to lose some business. Unfortunately, many small business owners think they cannot afford to lose customers, and as a result they lie, telling customers they will do things they know they simply cannot. In the short term, the business may make some additional cash, but in the long-term it is devastating.

When it comes down to it, good ethics in customer service may be painful in the short term, but you will avoid problems down the road. If you want to stay in business for a while, and thrive, your best mantra may not be "the customer is always right." Instead, make sure you don't over promise and under deliver.

Instead of telling your customers whatever they want to hear, be honest. Tell them exactly what you can do for them. If the customer asks for something you cannot do, tell them so, and explain why.

If the customer asks you to do something you know is wrong, tell them that their request is wrong and why it is wrong. In many cases, customers are not aware that some of their requests could be wrong or illegal.

If a customer keeps asking you to do what you know is wrong, think to yourself, is that really a customer you want or need? Fortunately such customers are a tiny minority that a successful business can do without.

Honest Customer Service

Hand-in-hand with ethical customer service is honest customer service. Indeed, the best customer service policy is the simplest and easiest to implement: honesty. Be honest with your customers and you will win their respect, their trust, and more importantly their business.

Ask yourself, would you do business with anybody who lied to you or tried to deceive you? If the answer is no, then you know why honesty is the cornerstone of all effective customer service. The way to win to customers is to win their trust.

This means you should take a look at your customer service policies and eliminate anything that encourages you to lie to or deceive your customers, such as the aforementioned "the customer is always right" policy. Unfortunately many customer service experts and books actually recommend policies that lead to lying and deception.

One final piece of advice: you will never be able to please every customer. Only do what you cannot and do not promise the impossible.

Six Steps to Being an Ethical Manager

By Sally Bibb

job, jobs, career

There are many elements that contribute to an ethical culture but by far the most important is ethical leadership. Leaders have to demonstrate their commitment to ethics in actions not just words. So many managers send mixed messages to their people. For example they talk about the importance of ethics but let their best salesman get away with being less than ethical because he is the biggest revenue earner in the company.

Management's responsibility is clear - they are ultimately accountable and so need to ensure that the company does the right thing.

In a nutshell, there are two good reasons for you, as a manager, to build your ethical know-how:

1. To protect yourself from making a decision that could get you or your company into trouble.

2. To make yourself more marketable. A good grasp of the subject is likely to become more and more in demand as organisations become increasingly interested in ethics.

The question is, what exactly do you need to do? If you manage other people, consultants or suppliers there are six essentials to being an ethical leader (and I use the term 'leader' in a very broad sense as many people are leaders even though they do not have the job title or status):

1. Take responsibility. Ethical leaders take personal responsibility for making sure that their part of the organisation is ethical. This includes making it clear to people what standards are required and that no transgressions will be overlooked.

2. Be honest (with yourself and others). Candour is the quality of being truthful, straightforward and honest. It is not just about telling the truth it is about telling the whole truth. Some people are adept at telling the truth whilst omitting information knowing they are giving an impression of something while meaning something else. This is selective truth telling, it is not candour. If the boss is honest it does not necessarily mean that the employees will be honest but there is a far greater likelihood than if the boss is less than honest.

3. Be transparent. The usual definition of the word 'transparency' in the business context is to do with full disclosure of financial information to investors. However, it is about much more than compliance and regulation. It is about open communication and not hiding information. True transparency can only occur in a high-trust culture. Bosses need to trust employees with data that they wouldn't want to get into the hands of competitors for example. A manager who trusts his or her people and is transparent and who gives the real reasons for decisions (rather than withholding information or relying on 'spin') will breed a culture where transparency and openness is not valued.

4. Challenge wrong-doing. This sounds so obvious but doesn't always happen because people are too busy and let something go that they should actually challenge. Quite often they don't challenge because doing so means having an uncomfortable conversation and few people relish that. However being prepared to do so is at the heart of challenging potentially unethical behaviour.

5. Increase your knowledge of ethics at work. Being ethical is not just a matter of understanding and being clear about your own moral values. That is certainly part of it. But it is also a question of acquiring certain skills and capabilities including being able to identify an ethical issue in the first place, the ability to have a tough conversation and the knowledge of the right questions to ask in order to tackle an ethical issue and arrive at the best decision.

6. Become a role model. Being a good role model is about actions as well as words.
Doing the six things above will lead to you becoming a role model and thus creating a culture and context where people are more likely than not to care about doing the right thing.

Why Everyone You Meet Is Important

By Darius Maslow

job, jobs, career

Do you treat every new person you meet like they are important? When you meet someone new do you judge them based off their first appearance? Do you think if they are not dressed a certain way that you should not take them seriously or think they are important? You should really consider how you treat people when you first meet them and especially what you think of them.

A friend once told me a story about a young man who worked for a large hotel chain. He was the manager of his local hotel and was doing quite well with. One day, he heard that one of the head honchos of the company would be flying in to his hotel to stay. He asked around his staff to see if anyone saw him around the hotel or if he checked in. No one reported seeing this gentleman. The manager of the hotel was very nervous because he wanted to make sure he was doing his job correctly when one of the company's executives showed up.

He never found the executive that day. However, the next morning he received a phone call bright and early. The executive started the conversation out thanking him for his generosity when he checked in yesterday afternoon. He told him that he was very professional and courteous. He told him to keep up the good job and continue running the hotel exactly the way he was doing.

The general manager of the hotel never knew that the top executive had even checked in the day before, even though he was the one that checked him in. The moral of the story is, you should treat everyone as if they are important and they are your boss, especially in business.

If the general manager of the hotel were to treat customers differently than he would his boss, this would have shown when the executive checked in. Each reached everyone with the same importance, which leads to everyone around him feeling needed and important. He makes people feel appreciated for the job they do and makes customers feel welcome when they stay at this hotel. He does all of this unconsciously, without even thinking about it. This is the key skill as to why he had done so well with his hotel. When he got a call from a top executive thanking you for how you treated him when he checked in, this really made his day. He realized he was getting himself worked up over nothing. He finally realized he had been doing all along what exactly he should have been doing, which was treating everyone with the utmost importance.

Relationships, Business, and Money

By Darius Maslow

job, jobs, career

Your relationships and business will directly affect your financial well-being. Many people are under the assumption that what they know will give them a job and allow them to make a lot of money. While degrees and certifications can help you do this, it is your relationships with people in your life that allow you to truly prosper.

Everyone has heard of a friend who knew someone that helped them get a well paying job. That same person 30 years later is returning the favor to one of his friends' children. Many people get jobs based on who they know and types of relationships they have with other people. Have you ever asked your parents how one of them got their job? I've heard many stories to where husbands have been out of work and could not find anything to do. Then, one day their wife comes home from the gym with some great news. She says to her husband, honey and met someone today who is looking for a salesman, which is just what you do. Here's his number, I told him he would call him this evening to talk with him.

There is nothing at all unusual about any scenario you hear story to where someone knows someone that knows someone that helped the first person get a job. This has been going on for many years and will continue for many years. Human beings are social creatures. We are wired to interact with other humans. Your ability to interact and form relationships will directly impact how much money you make.

At least half of the people I know got their job from someone that they knew. That job then led to them having enough money to buy their own home. From having that job, the person was able to save up enough money for a down payment to buy that new home. In order to get to work, everyone needs a mode of transportation. That job allowed the person to go by a car with the money they made at that job. It all started with you knowing someone who helped you out. Because you got the job, you are able to save money to buy a house, and make enough money each month to afford to finance a car. Without knowing that person, you may have never had the ability to get the job that you currently have.

Creating relationships is a skill that you should work towards developing from the first grade. Finding good people to associate with is a key skill to fulfillment in life. If you know how to create valuable relationships with other humans, there are many side benefits that you will get from this skill. Money is one of those side benefits.

Ethical at Work - How to Be More Ethical at Work

By S. Bibb

job, jobs, career

However, relatively few organisations provide sufficient guidance to their staff about how to be ethical. You may think guidance is not necessary and that if you are a decent person it is easy to be ethical. It is not as simple as that. Sometimes there is pressure on someone not to do the right thing. Sometimes they are presented with an issue where there isn't an obvious or correct solution. And sometimes it is not always obvious that an issue has ethical implications.

Ethical issues are, by their nature, complex. So if your employer does not provide training or guidance it is a good idea to take it upon yourself to get to grips with the subject. Not doing so could mean you put yourself and/or your company at risk if you unknowingly do the wrong thing.

So what do you need to do to make sure you are ethical at work?

1.Increase your ethical knowledge and skills. It is not always easy to know whether an issue is an ethical one, let alone decide the best way of handling it. Going on a course or reading a good, practical book on ethics in business will help you to identify ethical issues as well as giving you a structured approach to tackling them.
2.Get a mentor. Given that ethical issues can be difficult to identify in the first place and require skill to handle, it is wise to have someone you can use as a sounding board. A trusted person who has experience in handling ethical issues themselves can really help. A good mentor can give practical guidance as well as lend support in what can sometimes be very stressful situations. This mentor could be a colleague or boss or someone outside the company.

3.Familiarise yourself with your company's code of conduct. Some companies have a code of conduct that outlines what is and isn't acceptable. Most codes also give guidance on what to do if you encounter an ethical issue yourself or if you think that others are involved in some kind of unethical situation.

4.Understand the different 'rationalisations' that you and others may use that stop you/them from doing the right thing. There are a number of reasons why good people can end up acting unethically at work or stay silent when they witness others' unethical behaviour. 'It's standard practice', 'It's not a big deal', 'I want to be loyal' and 'It's not my responsibility'. These are common rationalisations. Sometimes people genuinely do not think they are doing anything wrong when they use these rationalisations. Other times, deep down they know what they or others are doing is wrong but it is easier to have an excuse not to challenge others or to go against the prevailing norm themselves.

5.Use these 'acid test' questions when faced with an ethical dilemma.

• Would I be happy for my decision to be published in the media?
• Would I be happy for my friends and family to know about my decision?
• Is there any part of me that thinks this decision is wrong/is ashamed of it?
• What is the best decision for the highest possible good for all concerned?

The five recommendations above will go a long way to ensuring that you stay ethical at work. There is another ingredient which is useful too, and that is courage. It can take courage to challenge wrongdoing, to go against custom and practice and to raise concerns when you believe something is wrong. Having a reasonable level of ethical know-how will mean you are more confident about tackling ethical issues. Having the confidence that what you are doing is the right thing helps you to be courageous.

Different people have different reasons for wanting to be ethical; because it is morally right, because they want to protect their reputation or because they are worried about the risk of doing the wrong thing. Whatever your reasons, with the increasing public spotlight on ethics there is no doubt that it is a good idea to increase your ethical savvy.

Ten Rules for Success in the New Economy

By Usen Don

job, jobs, career

Rule #1: Expect Volatility We are witnessing an exponential increase in the velocity, complexity, and unpredictability of change. This increase creates a hypercompetitive international environment that bears little resemblance to the one that existed even five years ago.

Rule #2: Invent New Rules Invent your own and make others follow you! Competitive advantages and profits will belong to innovators who transcend the existing parameters of competition.

Rule #3: Innovate or Die Develop conscious strategies and mechanisms to promote consistent innovation. Resting on your laurels is simply not an option: winners are innovating and surpassing themselves constantly.

Rule #4: Break Barriers You must dismantle the internal barriers that so often separate people, departments and disciplines. The boundaries between firms and their outside suppliers, customers and sometimes even competitors are also under severe pressure.

Rule #5: Be Fast Implementation is everything and it better be fast. These days it's far better to be 80 percent right and quick than 100 percent and three months late.

Rule #6: Think Like an Entrepreneur The days of depending on corporate size and reputation to drop opportunities in your lap are over. Entrepreneurs go out and make things happen and allow themselves to fail and improve because of it.

Rule #7: Think Global The fastest growing markets in the world today are outside North America. Companies can and do now shop in a single global supermarket for just about everything.

Rule #8: Keep Learning At the end of the day, the only truly sustainable competitive advantage will be your ability to learn faster and better than your competitors, and to turn that learning into new products, services and technologies before your competitors can imitate your last innovation.

Rule #9: Measure Performance Differently Concentrate on key strategic and profitability drivers, ones that reveal the underlying dynamics of your business, focus your energy on what really drives the future success of your business.

Rule #10: Be Nice The place to improve the world is first in one's own heart and hands and then work outward from there. If we improve ourselves by doing good for others, we build a solid bridge for success in the new economy.

The Science and Art of Monetary Policy

By John Severin

job, jobs, career

The US economy is very large and is almost impossible to control. Much of the US economy is driven by the interest rates that banks give. The lower the interest rate offered the more likely that companies will take out loans and expand their business, therefore adding to the economy. There are 3 basic principals which form the core approach to banks monetary policy.

The first is to "focus on the output gap." When banks try to achieve an overly ambitious output, by allowing many companies to take out loans, they release a lot of money into the economy. This surge of cash can result in inflation which is why banks need to opt for a realistic approach to output. The second principal is called the "Taylor Principal." This approach is very simple if inflation rises by 1 percent then banks should increase the interest they pay customers by 1 percent. Every increase in inflation after that should similarly result in an increase in interest paid. This would result in customers of banks feeling that their money will not lose its value over time due to inflation because banks will pay them an increasing amount for having an account with them. The last principal is to realize that effecting the economy by changing interest rates takes time. Effects of the change may take up to 18 months to see. Banks need predict inflation and respond to it in kind with a change in their interest rates. Monetary policy is not an exact science but if these 3 principals are followed it will help radical changes from sweeping the US economy. Just because the US economy is large does not at all mean that it is without major defects as mentioned above. Sometimes it appears that other countries put our economy on a golden pedestal and they fail to take into account its problems.

Become an Ethical Business Owner - 7 Deadly Sins on Business Ethics

By Reynor Buenaflor 

job, jobs, career

Trust is the basis and the foundation of whether it is in a relationship or in business. We normally want to make business transactions with people we trust. If all else equal, we want to buy from people whose wants to take care of our best interests.

The little things that you do can either build or destroy your business credibility. Here are the deadly sins against business ethics that can destroy your reputation.
Avoid them like rattle snakes. They can harm you.

1) Discrimination

It comes in different forms and faces: gender discrimination, age discrimination and racial discrimination.

2) Hype

Marketing your product as a super miracle item that promises 1001 good things to your customer is rampant. It is sickening. Don't join in the bandwagon. You might have heard about products that claim to give you the sun and the moon. Hype might fool people once. But no one ever buy trash twice.

3) Spamming

Spamming is sending electronic mail or snail mail to people who have never expressed any consent to receive from you. You might have heard of Bill Gates giving away some money if you forward an email to 7 of your best friends. Or you might have received an email of Joe Millionaire who have received a huge amount of inheritance and who wants to give share it with you before his brothers and sisters know about it.

What a waste on bandwidth and time! Spammers are time wasters. Not a good way to make a living.

4) Price War

In the bricks-and-mortar business, when price war sets in, the end of your business could be near. Competitor A with a huge cash flow and several outlets on different places decided to "kill" competitor Z out of business. Competitor A sells his product at a very insanely low price. Just long enough to steal the customers from Competitor Z and putting Competitor Z out of business.

5) Defective products

Poor quality products are sure ticket to business failure. The marketplace is like a mega super mall rack that never runs out of choices. Quality means survival. Poor quality will not survive in a very competitive market.

6) Bribery and Illegal Transactions

Is the food coming from illegal transactions taste good?

At the end of the day, the happy man is someone who can face the man in the mirror and say with all honesty that he did what is right and fair. The first respect that you need to earn is self-respect. Long term integrity comes back a hundredfold - in this world and in the life after life.

7) Copycats

Copyright violation is costly. It can lead you to an expensive court settlement. It could also ruin your reputation. If you want to use someone else's work like articles or pictures, learn to ask permission. Respect the intellectual property rights of the owner. And give the credit to whomever it is due.

Reynor Buenaflor is an engineer, an entrepreneur, business mentor and a writer.
His passion for business draws back in his formative years under the guidance of his entrepreneur parents. For the past 10 years, He has successfully launched several start-up businesses.

He enjoys spending his free time with his family.