Improvising Business

by

Stevie Ray

 If You Need a Class in Ethics, It's Too Late

 

I rarely use this forum as an opportunity to respond to readers who disagree with my point of view. I figure if I want to engage in a pissing match, that's what Facebook is for. There was a comment made by a number of people about last month's column, however, that I had to address. If you didn't read my last column, it related to an incident in which a delivery company failed to deliver an appliance by the agreed-upon time. One reader called me a fool in the first place for believing that any delivery service would be on time. In so many words, he claimed that most trade professions are untrustworthy. That sentiment is not only inaccurate it is insulting to the tens of thousands of trade workers in America who bust their backs to get a job done on time and on budget.

The more troubling sentiment came from those who said that I got what I paid for. They claimed that, since I bought the appliance online and saved a lot of money, it was obvious that the appliance company was only able to provide such a discount by using a cut-rate, unreliable delivery company. Some readers called me a fool for expecting anything better. Call me old-fashioned, but I don't believe in the principle that you get what you pay for. I believe you should get what you are promised. In this particular case, I was promised phone calls that weren't made, and a delivery time that wasn't kept. I only complain to companies who promise one thing and deliver another.

I was raised to believe that, in business or one's personal life, if you make a promise you keep it. You aren't allowed to say, "Well, it was a cheap product. What did they expect?" If you aren't happy with an arrangement, you re-negotiate before you make the promise, you don't find ways to short the deal afterwards. This is the reason I think classes in Business Ethics are pointless. Frankly, if someone doesn't know right from wrong; if they aren't willing to do the hard thing because it is the right thing, why would you hire that person in the first place?

I conduct dozens of low- or no-cost workshops for non-profit organizations each year. No matter what the fee is, I show up early, wear a suit and tie, and deliver the best session I can. I don't say, "These guys aren't paying much, where are my jeans and sandals?" And it's not because I am afraid of bad word-of-mouth or a poor evaluation. I give the same effort for a low-cost job as a full-fee client because that is what I promised to do. And it is the right thing to do. I didn't need an ethics class to learn that, I had a mom and dad.

In the movie, K-PAX, the character of Prot claims to be from another planet. A psychiatrist is interviewing Prot to try to find inconsistencies in his story and prove he is actually human. When the subject of crime and punishment arises, Prot says that the planet of K-PAX has no laws; that there is no need for them. When the psychiatrist asks how, without laws, they are able to know right from wrong, Prot says, "Every being in the universe knows right from wrong."

It isn't often you can gain wisdom from a movie (Ghandi notwithstanding), but I agree that everyone, at almost every age, truly knows the right thing to do for any situation. When we hesitate to act, we are not confused about what to do; doing the right thing just seems like such a hassle. I receive a monthly magazine about the speaking profession. One section poses a new ethical question each month; issues like "How would you handle being offered a fee that is higher than what you typically charge for the same service?" Members are invited to chime in with what they would do in that situation. I always find that section useless. Everyone knows the right thing to do-without question-they just find it difficult to do. How often have we adults used the same tactic as children by seeking support for inappropriate decisions? We ask others to see if they have done the same thing. No matter how many people do it, wrong is wrong. If any of my employees excused their poor performance with, "You get what you pay for," there would be serious doubts about their future with my company.

 

Stevie Ray is a nationally recognized corporate speaker and trainer, helping companies improve communication skills, customer service, leadership, and team management.  He can be reached at www.stevierays.org or stevie@stevierays.org.

If someone forwarded this article to you and you would like to have Stevie Ray's column sent to you each month absolutely free, click here.

Help your employees learn firsthand the techniques Stevie Ray has gained from working with corporations around the globe.  Click here right now to go to the web site for Stevie Ray's Improv Company and see what he can do for you.

If your company is planning an event and you need entertainment so this one doesn't feel just like the last one, click here.

Learn to deliver powerful presentations, think on the spot, and other valuable skills by clicking here and ordering books authored by Stevie Ray.