Have you ever had a life issue that seemed to chase you wherever you went? One that showed up in your thoughts, or as you listened to other people sharing their life experience; one that you could get up on the pulpit of life and preach? The issue that keeps me up at night; the one I think about when at the grocery store, looking at LinkedIn, or seeing what is trending on twitter and Facebook. It is about the lack of decency and integrity in the corporate world. As you read this blog, keep in mind that my main focus is on unethical behaviors in the workplace. It includes all things unethical, but specifically the casualness that takes place in Corporate America in recruiting, hiring, layoffs, terminations, employee contracts and communication with employees all the way through all the above processes. There are only a very few companies remaining in America that hire with the intent to keep.
Before I jump on my pulpit let me first share a bit about my background. Prior to my breast cancer diagnosis, I worked in the state of Texas as a licensed private investigator. My areas of expertise were not just civil matters but workplace safety, work comp injuries, fraudulent claims, misrepresentation, wrongful termination, inner company actions that were against corporate policy and public declaration. For instance; A company cannot rightfully advertise being a company known for employee retention and corporate responsibility maintaining their reputation of treating employees with the utmost respect and then not do so without some liability. My former business name was Establishing Truth Investigations. My present NPO is “Establishing Truth Ministries”; the main focus is sharing in the needs of, and giving an intent listening ear, encouraging, giving hope as well as material needs, as funds come in, to breast cancer patients. My registered motto for both is “Turning The Light On Dark and Hidden Things”® I have been driven by truth my entire life and I can humble myself with no problem and state that the only times my life has went haywire has been when I failed to see the truth. Without doubt, truth is a life-long quest.
It is my hope that these words will impact the lives of decision makers causing them to rethink how they do business and see the seriousness of their actions and decisions on other people’s lives. We have a culture where corporations, and individuals’ lives revolve around money, and success regardless of the cost. The culture within needs some huge awake up calls and changes. Will that happen? Most of us are doubtful, but some of us hang onto to HOPE, like a dog hangs onto his favorite bone.
We the people realize that business is in existence to make money and are not welfare agencies. Most have a product or service and they hire people to fill positions that will help their products and services to make them the most money. The people get paid a wage to work for them for which most are very grateful. My question to you is this; Is there a right way to do business and a right ethical way in which you treat people? ALL people, all races, all creeds, all ages and gender? Can’t we all make money AND treat people as our businesses most prized asset?
What is your guiding light? Where is your moral compass coming from, and is it pointing due North?
With a little bit of Texas twang, let me say this. Y’all that know me, know my moral compass comes from my belief in God and His authority to rule and reign in life. Yours may be from a different place, or another god. One thing the general population agrees with, is that most religions proclaim the belief in truth, honesty, morality, kindness, and being a person of integrity. Quite frankly I know a lot of people who are not, I quote, “religious” but they are really good, caring and honest people. In most cases they were raised with attentive parents that taught them valuable life lessons through a daily lifestyle of being that kind of person. I remember when I was a little girl and as all little girls sometimes are, I would be naughty. Worse yet was when my brother and sister and I decided to be naughty together at the same time. I could count on my dad or mom saying something like…. “what’s wrong with you, were you raised in a barn?” I assure you that they were not talking about the ever so great bromoniums in our culture today, but rather with the animals that were just animals and knew nothing other than being an animal.
There is a great sense of hopelessness in the world today, and in a big sense it seems like many were raised in the barn. A high percentage of society has declined into no respect for life and the philosophy that their problems are due to everyone else and the expectancy that the system should take care of them. Recent articles that have been showing up on professional websites, discussing the fact that we have generations that have never known lack; have not traveled to third world countries to see what poor really is. There is such a false sense of entitlement in our land today that it is downright scary. Corporations are having to cater to this way of thinking to keep employees, and hang on to with their very lives, those that are of retirement age or older because they are the last of the really skilled and full of knowledge, people. Now don’t get offended; there are a lot of skilled people in our country who have great college degrees, but lack the years of experience needed to have the knowledge to do what most job descriptions are asking for. There are a few of us still alive, that are doing our best at holding the torch trying to light the way and assist others to grab the lifeboat and get on board to saving our culture. Political correctness says don’t combine religion and business, religion and politics, religion and education although those that are actually educated with true and actual documentation of history know it was never meant to separate any of them. There are a lot of good people out there that are not religious, so whether you personally believe in the one and only God who created heaven and earth, or your beliefs are with other gods or no god, we all know decency, kindness, ethics, integrity, trust and honor are the basis for solid business. David Barton, a well know historian brought up the fact that no other government document such our Declaration of Independance, historically has lasted more than 17 years, except for the United States of America. On July 4, 2019 we will celebrate our countries birthday of 243 years. all which is born out of Biblical principles. (See David Barton at https://wallbuilders.com/) The purpose for this particular writing is not about that, but I encourage each person to research the subject themselves. If you want the facts, they are there to be found. As with all governments that fall, the erosion starts at undermining the fundamental truths. We are on a slippery slope folks; in fact, I’d say we are well on our way down that hill at a high rate of speed at his point and we are about to crash. Is there an answer? Yes; be willing to speak up and be heard. If enough of us will, we can affect change.
We have become a power-hungry society. Business owners, Corporate boards of Directors, C-level management, HR leaders, all the way down to front line supervisors enjoy that sense of power that comes with their position. It can be a blinding light that becomes deaf to the fact that a GOOD leader is a servant; furthermore, the intoxication of their position often blinds them to the human lives they are literally destroying to the point that they don’t even care. It’s all about them. It’s about them looking good, feeling good, being promoted and so on and so forth while they are wielding devastation on others. Why do they make the decisions that they do? Simply because they can. Of course the canned reply is…”Its best for this company.” Pretty soon a company that was built on honor, integrity and hard work, morphs into a political machine that hires only those that will do their dirty work, so they make more money and gain more notoriety in society. There is little to no accountability in corporate America any longer and we have a side of government that is promoting all the negative of what we have become today as a society. Corporate America is in bed with State and Federal agencies. They do unethical things under the table that no one can do one thing about because they are covering for one another. It’s all about their priority of power and money over people. Sadly “because they can” usually wins over ethics and doing the RIGHT and JUST thing. Where do we turn? What do we do? What was once a highly respect company, becomes laughing stock behind their backs, and a robot of doing what they do at the cost of every employee they have. Never forget that the VP of HR professional that is following a company protocol and misuses people, will in the end be misused by the same company. None of us are that valuable. It’s really true, that whatsoever we wield out, will come back to us.
I choose to believe that there are still good people in the world today. In all businesses, there are good people scattered throughout. If our leaders would be that good person, making ethical decisions and being a leader that people want to follow, that alone would aid in showing others the way. Sometimes corporations need to take losses if it means you must, in order to keep your word; in order to do what you say your intent is; in order that people come before money. And employees also have a huge responsibility to give to their employers their very best. Be honest, be teachable, do your job ONLY, while you are at work, be kind, help your co-worker, do more than is expected of you. Not all businesses fall into the category of which I have written and by no means do I want it to sound that way, but this I will unequivocally state as truth; All of you, whether it be your corporation, and if founded by you, then it is YOU, and everyone under you. The buck has to stop at the top, and when you allow those under you to lead people astray in recruiting, to bring devastation to employees through layoffs and terminations, and do business under the table, it is your fault for allowing it. Society has just accepted it as natural for a corporation to hire people and terminate the same people when they are done with them; I’d say you have a problem on the inside that someone doesn’t know how to hire the right people; people that will be honorable to you and your purpose. Perhaps it’s equally about you being as dedicated to your employee’s success as they are yours. There are people that really do know their stuff. We all run around wanting to look good and have the “right image” hoping others think well of us.
Corporations like families and friends want to belong and groupies are formed, and birds of a feather flock together. Well, maybe it’s time to dismantle these groups and get on board with right priorities. All of us are empowered by people who agree with us. We need more people around us that will challenge us to do better and be better, not agree and help us feel justified in our actions. We cannot expect an employee to give what we ourselves are unwilling. We have to live out genuine caring of others, truth, integrity and honor in all that we do. Somehow, we have lost touch with the fact that we can be still be the best corporation while maintaining honor, integrity, and treating all people justly. Whatever the facts are about your decisions and actions, is the truth about who you really are. Some of you need to draw a line in the sand, make honest, rightful amends, and start doing business as one deserving of being well thought of. This goes for Corporate reputations, people within corporate America, individuals working for and with corporate America, all the way down to each person in every family that make up society. That would include all of us.
I could write a book on this subject, but many will not want to read it, for they might be forced to see themselves as they really are, rather than as they want to believe they are. The mask and facades that we all put on everyday need to come off, and we need to look into one another’s eyes and genuinely apologize for the hurt that we have caused others and fix it where we can, and if we have no means to fix it, we can minimally have a genuine sorry and contrite heart, and then change what we do from then on. It is true what they say, “to say you are sorry without change is just manipulation.” You’re only trying to make yourself feel better after nearly destroying another human being.
I hope you will watch for my next blog; Part 2 of “People before Profit or Profit before people?” In this blog I am going to share personal factual experiences that people have had in their careers.
It is time that we all look introspectively and check out ourselves and how we do business. If you are the one reading this and thinking to yourself…. that you will do whatever you want to because it is part of your job, then you are also the one who might need to recalibrate your compass; Or not, then you are also one that is helping the destruction of a great country that is built on freedom. We began as a free nation 243 years ago; man had the freedom to use his/her skills to build businesses and be so blessed. We came from nothing and grew into a prosperous nation. Many are hanging on to that hope that we won’t lose it all, but it requires that we ALL do our part.
I hope you had some revelation through this message. If you enjoyed this read, please subscribe through email to be the first to know about my most current posts! Also, if you would like to share a short version of your story, please email me at givinghope51@gmail.com. I promise to keep your identity private.
Uniquely You 