ALWAYS ACT HONORABLY


By Bud Bilanich


Bud Bilanich, The Common Sense Guy, is a management consultant, keynote speaker, executive coach, author, and blogger (www.successcommonsense.com). He can be reached at commonsense@PM360online.com.

In past columns, I have mentioned that I am a member of the Creating WE Institute, a group of folks who have come together to share ideas on building WE-centric organizations. WE-centric thinking holds that we are all part of something bigger than ourselves and that members of truly inclusive organizations realize that their actions reflect not only on them personally but that they are a reflection of their company.

The original title of this column was, “Never Do Anything to Embarrass Yourself or Your Associates.” But being the WE-Centric guy I am, I asked a few colleagues for feedback. Nancy Ring of the Creating WE Institute pointed out that my title was a negative statement; it told you what not to do. She suggested that I change it to a positive statement, something telling you what you should do to be a responsible member of an organization or community. Nancy is right. It’s much better to provide others with positive, affirmative actions they can use as guides for action than with negative actions to avoid. Thanks to Nancy for this bonus advice.

No Excuses
When I was in junior high school, I was caught shoplifting an item that cost less than a dollar from a local discount store. I did it on a dare. My parents were very upset with me. They raised me not to lie, cheat, or steal. With this little shoplifting escapade, I dishonored our family. It didn’t matter that it was on a childhood dare or that “everyone else was doing it.” What mattered was that my actions had implications that went beyond me and reflected negatively on my family.

This is the heart of the matter here. You represent all of the groups with which you are associated. You represent your family, your school, your company, and any number of other groups. Your behavior, positive and negative, reflects on these groups and their members as much as it does on you. Act honorably and ethically, and people will associate honor and ethics with the groups with which you are associated. Act dishonorably and unethically, and people will form negative opinions of these groups.

Several years ago, the city of New York honored some policemen and firemen for acts of valor. After the ceremony, a few of the attendees overindulged a bit. What began as good-natured bantering and taunting between New York’s Finest (the police) and New York’s Bravest (the firefighters) turned into a fistfight in front of a restaurant that borders one of the city’s more popular parks. The incident was widely reported in the local papers and TV newscasts. Even though fewer than 20 cops and firemen were involved, none of whom was an honoree, both the Police and Fire Departments suffered a big black eye. This negative public perception lingered—until the bravery members of both departments displayed on 9/11.

Take Responsibility
As a member of the Creating WE Institute, I know that my writing reflects on all of my colleagues in the institute. When I mention the Creating WE Institute in any of my writings, I feel a little extra responsibility to do the best job I can because of my responsibility to represent my friends and colleagues well. I want them to be as proud of what I write as I am. This is WE-centric thinking in action.

To summarize: You need to accept the fact that your actions are a reflection not only on you but of all the people and organizations with which you are associated. Always act in a manner that will reflect well on you and the organizations with which you are associated. If you do this, you’ll be on your way to reaping the benefits of the power of WE.