Business Ethics: Functional Choices

Years of experience have taught me there is no such thing as "Business Ethics". If a person isn't ethical in the rest of their lives, their business ethics aren't worth the shoe leather they've worn out either.

I stood beside a State Representative at college graduation recently, and heard him tell a gentleman shaking his hand that he had the utmost respect for the President of the college, because he knew who her friends were and they all had good solid "Business Ethics". I raised an eyebrow and continued a conversation with another friend nearby. It was my third College Graduation this year.

At a high school graduation, I listened to the Valedictorian say, "Your values for living all of your life will follow wherever you go." At another graduation, an honorary graduate stated, "Who you are today will be reflected every day of your life, by what you become tomorrow." At another function, celebrating the accomplishment of older students, those who were returning to school after being part of the work force for many years, I heard yet another speaker say, "Your life is marked by dates, one at the beginning, and one at the end, with just a dash in between. A short little dash reflecting who you were, what you accomplished, and the values you held. How important will your dash be?"

As I reflect on these comments, I look back at my own life. Every choice has a consequence. I know, because I've made a few bad choices, along with the good ones. As I look back, I often realize the choices I made that didn't turn out so very well were often made with the influence of other people, so I have to look back further. This brings me back to the comment by the State Representative, about knowing the President of the College's friends.

Sometimes, our choices of friends are the first bad choice of many. We are judged by the company we keep, and ultimately we pay the consequences of the choices we've made, influence by the company we keep. That's a bit redundant - but extremely true. If you desire to be ethical, you live an ethical life, and you choose ethical friends.

What do your friends and your choices say about you?

If personal fulfillment is your goal in life, ethics may appear to be unnecessary. However, you reap tomorrow what you sow today. Pay attention to the seeds you plant.

Designing your future requires choices in prescribing your brand, and setting your future. Jan Verhoeff has experience in designing your brand and market performance for business development. Let her expertise help define your business online. Visit her at eBiz Brand Performance.

MORE RESOURCES:

Alaska ethics probe says Palin abused her power - Reuters

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0i-0fd=Rurl=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4922229.ececid=1255826864ei=kWnzSPD-F5iQM9PKwHgusg=AFQjCNFQ1XwyZ42AzcwWqQHfVjJqey_fgQimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=_SuLwIVj9_IJimgurl=www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00413/wooten_413038a.jpg width=80 height=38 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Times Online/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-0fd=Rurl=http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed2/idUSN1052178620081013cid=1255826864ei=kWnzSPD-F5iQM9PKwHgusg=AFQjCNGkkxMwz2w4iWzz0aXfJBeewq-mgAAlaska bethics/b probe says Palin abused her power/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fReutersnbsp;-/font nobr10 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Caren Bohan CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (Reuters) - An Alaska bethics/b inquiry found on Friday that Gov. Sarah Palin, the US Republican vice presidential candidate, b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-1fd=Rurl=http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Dr5DSwBizS7kcid=1255826864ei=kWnzSPD-F5iQM9PKwHgusg=AFQjCNF2NbaeUbdnBG9OXiY0SX_mN4v4nAVideo: Alaska Panel Finds Palin Abused Power/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrAssociatedPress/nobr/fontobject width=448 height=356param name=movie value=http://www.youtube.com/v/r5DSwBizS7k/paramparam name=wmode value=transparent/paramembed src=http://www.youtube.com/v/r5DSwBizS7ktype=application/x-shockwave-flashwmode=transparentwidth=448height=356/embed/objectbr/fontfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-2fd=Rurl=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/1011/breaking1.html%3Fvia%3Dmrcid=1255826864ei=kWnzSPD-F5iQM9PKwHgusg=AFQjCNHaBtc52qIc-iNGWGqBZX_yIFt0lwAlaska bethics/b inquiry finds Palin abused power/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrIrish Times/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-3fd=Rurl=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jOTk11gvqDAgD0cY3i4WjI_2YOxwD93OL5U00cid=1255826864ei=kWnzSPD-F5iQM9PKwHgusg=AFQjCNFhjyDUl3nj-i8VAdZ8Zjq0LeVFAwbEthics/b probe hits hardest at Todd, not Sarah Palin/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Associated Press/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-4fd=Rurl=http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-troopergate11-2008oct11,0,3721967.storycid=1255826864ei=kWnzSPD-F5iQM9PKwHgusg=AFQjCNHoO5kLWRW9Ley7yqAMeLr7xKUX_gnobrLos Angeles Times/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-5fd=Rurl=http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2008/10/problems_with_the_troopergate_1.aspcid=1255826864ei=kWnzSPD-F5iQM9PKwHgusg=AFQjCNEG8fIV2pOsrw9X7Xe_ucjBhPlqhgnobrThe Weekly Standard/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1255826864hl=ennobrall 3,854 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Light of day: Ethics Committee conducting closed-door hearings - Salt Lake Tribune

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Enforcement Policy For Illegal Immigration Raises Ethics Questions - Washington Post

UPDATE 1-Telenor ousts ZTE from tenders for ethics breach - Reuters

Calvert School Board Stymied in Filling Ethics Panel - Washington Post

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-0fd=Rurl=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/10/AR2008101003258.htmlcid=1257127475ei=kWnzSPD-F5iQM9PKwHgusg=AFQjCNFzW3FjYPAvpEjkwwIhZKc978qRHACalvert School Board Stymied in Filling bEthics/b Panel/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fWashington Post,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobrOct 11, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Jenna Johnson The Calvert County Board of Education is struggling to fill vacancies on an bethics/b panel because guidelines intended to prevent conflicts b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-1fd=Rurl=http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20081013/BREAKINGNEWS/81009039cid=1257127475ei=kWnzSPD-F5iQM9PKwHgusg=AFQjCNFR9H_VUSpK5W2cYTxjy-Rz0UpFJALeon County elementary schools adjust to new physical-education b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrTallahassee.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1257127475hl=ennobrall 3 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Ethics expert calls for drugs to #39;enhance#39; death - Independent

Senate battle turns to whether ethics law was broken - Lower Hudson Journal news

Review: â€œKeating Fiveâ€ Senate Ethics Committee investigation! - ToTheCenter.com

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/10/07/key_debate_tonight_as_race_gets_personalcid=1257099190ei=kWnzSPD-F5iQM9PKwHgusg=AFQjCNEUL8GgM1SaJdPxqHQlR9kK-EWVlAimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=3FrQx91Yvx0Jimgurl=cache.boston.com/resize/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2008/10/06/1223349396_7482/539w.jpg width=80 height=56 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Boston Globe/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-0fd=Rurl=http://tothecenter.com/news.php%3Freadmore%3D7311cid=1257099190ei=kWnzSPD-F5iQM9PKwHgusg=AFQjCNH0uFM19F79PEKXSEyb3rpnECxERAReview: â€œKeating Fiveâ€ Senate bEthics/b Committee investigation!/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fToTheCenter.com,nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobrOct 10, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Alan Cranston (D-CA) ended up receiving the most harsh punishment, a formal reprimand from the Senate bEthics/b Committee, but not the censure that was b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-1fd=Rurl=http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2008/10/11/mccain-palin-ticket-makes-history/cid=1257099190ei=kWnzSPD-F5iQM9PKwHgusg=AFQjCNGXx5pwQORw_B_mGky-Nq8hojI7EQMcCain-Palin Ticket Makes History!/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrAOL News Newsbloggers/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-2fd=Rurl=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-keating-2,0,3810427.storycid=1257099190ei=kWnzSPD-F5iQM9PKwHgusg=AFQjCNHD4gJRgx304DajpoSh2cgvCi8p4QSenate bethics/b panel cites Cranston in Keating Five case/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrChicago Tribune/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-3fd=Rurl=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/10/07/character_and_ethics_issues_come_to_the_forecid=1257099190ei=kWnzSPD-F5iQM9PKwHgusg=AFQjCNHl6iRXU_fCl9t1QjPGW7D7VGAzoACharacter and bethics/b issues come to the fore/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrBoston Globe/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-4fd=Rurl=http://www.bangornews.com/detail/90856.htmlcid=1257099190ei=kWnzSPD-F5iQM9PKwHgusg=AFQjCNEc3WjRMuKvKM9Z4XMQHhO17sD2QgnobrBangor Daily News/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-5fd=Rurl=http://www.themorningsun.com/articles/2008/10/11/opinion/doc48f093e709782269592104.txtcid=1257099190ei=kWnzSPD-F5iQM9PKwHgusg=AFQjCNER4kCoSXSM8PTZ5kDYyKP7T7UzjgnobrThe Morning Sun/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1257099190hl=ennobrall 472 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Augsburg-sponsored ethics summit is timely - Post-Bulletin

An independent IT consultantâ€™s code of ethics - TechRepublic

Ethics - Google News

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