Now that the clean slate of 2010 is here, most people have bid their old bad habits a not-so-fond farewell (okay, in theory, anyway) and are trying to make good on their New Year's resolutions. And if you own a business, you may have your own version of this custom. Right now you're probably busy taking inventory, organizing your books, and evaluating what you did right (and not so right) in hopes of preparing yourself for a profitable new year. Dave Anderson, president of Learn to Lead has a suggestion: Instead of focusing solely on financial matters, why not take a good hard look at the character of your company?
"When you really think about it, the Ponzi schemes and shady CEO scandals that made headlines throughout 2009 boil down to a lack of solid character," said Anderson. “Character does matter in business. And right now, at the beginning of a new year, is a great time to sit down and define your goals for the character of your company with your employees. "
Anderson recommends that business leaders get serious about defining what their company stands for — and share those values with employees.
"It's amazing how few leaders take the time to do this," said Anderson. "They may feel uncomfortable discussing character issues, or maybe they've never given a lot of thought to what they really stand for themselves. But just resolving to sit down and articulate your beliefs is a powerful exercise — and one that yields powerful results."
Not exactly certain what constitutes good character? Anderson outlines five simple rules that every employee — from the top of the corporate ladder on down — should follow to ensure that they have a rock-solid character in the coming year.
Don't Tell White Lies. We're all guilty of telling a white lie or two. In fact, most of us do it on a daily basis and hardly even notice anymore! And while we may consider those little untruths to be harmless, consider that instructing your receptionist to tell a caller that you're out of the office when you really aren't is a reflection on your own character. White lies are still lies, after all. Think of all the business scandal stories from this past year and how many of them were the result of dishonesty — and how that dishonesty shattered the lives of so many people.
"White lies are like the gateway drug to bigger offenses," said Anderson. "And even though telling the truth is often the hard and unpopular thing to do, honesty is rule number one to developing sound character. Tell the truth because it is the right thing to do, and encourage your employees to do the same. In the end it protects your personal integrity and honors, rather than diminishes, everyone who hears what you have to say."
