This week we talked about Ethics!! This is such an important topic in business I wish people talked about more. Check it out!
VIDEO SUMMARY:
So I wanted to make a video on ethics for a while, because it’s one of those subjects that not enough people talk about. And I want to talk about it in a very practical way. How does ethics effect your career. Now this video applies to everybody, but it is especially relevant for those of you who are just starting out in your careers. So if you are a young business person, please watch this entire video all the way through, because what I am about to tell you, can change the trajectory of your career.
So I want to start off by talking through an example. Imagine you are just starting out in your career and you go to work for a company. And at this company you have a co-worker, and you start to notice this co-worker does some things that are shady. Now this is not going to be big things, but things that are certainly questionable. Actions like:
- Skipping out on work early, and lying on their timecard
- Lying to their co-workers
- Stealing office supplies
- Figuratively stabbing people in the back to get ahead
So you have this co-worker doing these questionable actions. But you also notice something else. You notice the co-worker getting away with it. So this co-worker is doing unethical things and benefitting from it. Now here is the important point. I am going to set this unethical person aside, because they are going to do whatever it is that they do. Instead I want to focus on you. Because what you do at this moment is extremely important. You are going to have a thought, and the thought will go something like this. “There is my unethical co-worker who is getting ahead. Should I do the same thing?” How you answer this question, will change the trajectory of your career.
To help you answer this question, I am going to share with you a concept, that has helped me in my career. It goes something like this, “Ethical people attract other ethical people. And unethical people attract other unethical people.” This is something I have noticed as I get older in my career. Ethical people tend to work together and unethical people tend to work together. And this is a very logical occurrence. Just think about it. Imagine you work for a company and you are a slacker. You like to slack off. Now if you are going to hire someone to work with you, do you think you will hire somebody with a strong work ethic? No, you probably won’t. Because you want to hire another slacker that will enable you to continue slacking off. So what happens over time is the unethical people all end up working together, and the ethical people end up working together.
So let’s bring this back to the situation, because you are faced with a question. My point is that how you answer this question is going to effect the rest of your career. What you are really deciding is what type of community do you want to work with in your business career. I have had the great opportunity to work with a lot of different company cultures. Some companies where ethics was very important, and some companies where ethics was not that important. And I am telling you from my own experience that it is better to work in an ethical environment than an unethical environment, for so many reasons. So just think about it. Do you want to work in an unethical environment where people lie, cheat, steal, stab you in the back, you can’t trust anyone. Or do you want to work someplace where people treat you with respect, people are honest, trustworthy, supportive, reliable, they do the right thing. Those are your two options. My point is that you have ownership over your future. Don’t wait for your boss to tell you to act ethically. If you want to work in an ethical environment, it starts with you deciding to act ethically. Because that unethical co-worker of yours may appear like they are “getting away with it.” But I guarantee you that everyone knows who that person is. Everyone knows they are cutting corners. And that person will start to develop something called a “reputation.” And this unethical reputation will follow them for the rest of their career. Ethical people won’t want to work with them.
So let’s go back to the original question. You were asking yourself “There is my unethical co-worker who is getting ahead. Should I do the same thing?” Now I can’t answer this question for you. But I hope I provided you with some insight in this video, so you can answer that question for yourself.
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Neither Zach De Gregorio or Wolves and Finance Inc. shall be liable for any damages related to information in this video. It is recommended you contact a CPA in your area for business advice.