Isn’t it powerful when an individual or brand embodies integrity? As humans each day we are operating with the opportunity to make choices with integrity or with short-sighted self in focus. While it is important to preserve self, there is a delicate balance between the boundaries of self preservation and relationships to profitability in all her forms. It seems as long as people are in charge or as machine driven formulas miss the human element, mistakes will exist in our world. However, what often divides the wheat from the chaff is the element of integrity. Personally I am a fan of intentional integrity. Individuals who lead from a position of intentionally doing what they consider to be in the highest good for win/win/win situations with their own heart and mind, their clients, and those who may be involved between the two. Relationships are what drive our success in life. An important relationship many people ignore is their relationship with their thoughts and mind. Have you considered if you are intentional about integrity with yourself?
Imagine an experience you’ve had that simply worked well for you, your business, or your family. What were the elements of its success? Why did it stand out in your mind? What was so different about the experience? Our family recently went to a fine dinner establishment, tauted to be the best in town. The building was gorgeous, the wait staff dressed in crisp uniforms, the tables set with great care. Aesthetically the view was spectacular. However we ended up eating at a much lesser restaurant after waiting sixty-five minutes for our reserved table. How sad, despite many fine trappings of an excellent location, design, and website, not to mention reputation for their food, the restaurant was not embodying integrity in the way they casually treated the luxury of time families and business men were giving them. Despite much planning and expense, the message was “we don’t have to respect your time, though we required you to state the time you’d spend with us.” The quieter message was the one you spoke to yourself as you allowed or didn’t allow the sixty-five minute wait to happen. Did you wait quietly looking forward to the food, the experience, or did you get frustrated, did you feel guilty for somehow engaging the experience. What thoughts did the wait bring to you?
When we embody integrity we create trust with our clients, our staff, and ourselves. We define who we are, why we do what we do, and how, when things go poorly or excel, we can be expected to engage. Everyone has difficult projects. It is not unlikely that one day you will fail on a promised action item or service, but it is how you handle that moment that true character is measured. Embodying integrity has the premise that you seek to do what is “right” “best practice” or “best for all” in a situation. Integrity may also mean you do not engage where the meaning of your presence may communicate engagement of a practice or ideal that you cannot be a part of with clarity and alignment of your mission. It is not always about saying “yes”, often it is often about saying “no.” However when we say “yes” the way we say “yes” matters. You may not be required by law or by contract to “do the best for the client, family member, or organization” when often adquate would do, but when a company or individual embodies integrity by over delivering despite hardship, handicap, or difficulty, the rewards of reputation and service divide any cost of effort with a multiplication factor of value and reputation.
