The Character-Driven Company:
Five Simple Rules To Help When It Matters Most
Author Dave Anderson shares his thoughts on the business
implications of issues like white lies, false impressions, and
forgiveness in his book A Biblical Blueprint to Bless Your
Business (A revised and expanded edition of Anderson�s How to
Run Your Business by THE BOOK.
�Character does matter in business,� he advocates. �And there�s no
time like the present to sit down and define your goals for the
character of your company with your employees. When you really think
about it, many of the transgressions we see in business today, from
CEO scandals to terrible customer service, boil down to a lack of
solid character.�
That�s right. Anderson is asking business leaders to get serious
about defining what their company stands for � and share those
values with employees. �It�s amazing how few leaders take the time
to do this,� says Anderson. �They may feel uncomfortable discussing
character issues, or maybe they�ve never given a lot of thought to
what they really stand for themselves. But just resolving to sit
down and articulate your beliefs is a powerful exercise � and one
that yields powerful results.�
Not exactly certain what constitutes good character? Anderson says
there are five simple rules that every employee should follow to
ensure that they have a rock-solid character:
Don�t tell white lies.
We�re all guilty of telling a white lie or two. In fact, most of us
do it on a daily basis and hardly even notice anymore! And while we
may consider those little untruths to be harmless, consider that
instructing your receptionist to tell a caller that you�re out of
the office when you really aren�t is a reflection on your own
character. White lies are still lies, after all. Think of how many
business scandal stories there were this past year, and how many of
them were the result of dishonesty � and how that dishonesty
shattered the lives of so many people.
�White lies are like the gateway drug to bigger offenses,� says
Anderson. �And even though telling the truth is often the hard and
unpopular thing to do, honesty is rule number one to developing
sound character. Tell the truth because it is the right thing to do,
and encourage your employees to do the same. In the end it protects
your personal integrity, and honors, rather than diminishes,
everyone who hears what you have to say.�
Keep your commitments.
Have you ever made a business promise that you didn�t keep? Perhaps
you didn�t follow through with a promised promotion, or skipped out
early on a day when you promised to work late. And given the present
turbulent economy, it�s even more likely that you found yourself in
a situation where your mouth wrote checks in the good times that
your bank account can no longer cash. Cutting expenses is necessary
and understandable, but Anderson warns that breaking promises is not
� even if it turns out to be more costly � inconvenient or more
time-consuming than you estimated.
�Don�t take your promises casually,� asserts Anderson, �and explain
to your employees that they shouldn�t either. This is a real test of
�practice what you preach,� as your employees will be less inclined
to follow this guideline if they don�t see you doing the same.
Before you commit to anything, make certain that you can live with
the worst-case scenario resulting from what you�re agreeing to, and
always, always follow through. Do what you said you�d do, regardless
of the cost.�
Go the second mile.
One of the most common character flaws in leaders and their
employees is that they do just enough to get by; they come to work
and do just enough to get paid and just enough not to get fired.
That�s not good enough, says Anderson.
He suggests thinking about it this way: If the majority of people
are doing only the minimum, then those who give just a little bit
more of themselves will stand out and be highly valued � a great
asset for any company or individual to have. So think about what you
can do to go the extra mile each day. It may mean volunteering to
take on an extra project, coming in on a Saturday once in a while,
or taking a night class to improve your skill set. Whatever that
extra mile may be, the benefits will be well worth your sacrifice.
�Some of the most successful business people will readily admit that
they are no smarter than their less successful counterparts,�
explains Anderson. �They simply outwork them, out-think them, and,
as a result, outperform them. By doing what others were unwilling to
do, going where they were unwilling to go, saying what they were
unwilling to say, learning what they were unwilling to learn, and
risking what they were unwilling to risk, they earned a success and
a lifestyle that the �just enough� crowd was unable to attain.�
Don�t give false impressions.
When it comes to business, false impressions are everywhere. From
misleading advertising campaigns to padded resumes, you won�t be
hard pressed to find examples of people trying to make others
believe things are better than they really are. But Anderson says
that you have to be upfront and honest with those you work with, or
you may lose your credibility and build up bitterness and resentment
in a once-valuable business relationship. Think about the ways that
you or your company may be misleading others, and find ways to stop
it.
�There are a few simple things you can do to get your employees and
organization on the road to transparency,� explains Anderson. �For
starters, stop any misleading advertising you may be engaged in �
and if you�re not sure if it�s misleading, then it probably is! Make
sure that you aren�t spinning feedback to make someone feel as
though they�re doing better or worse than they really are. And
certainly don�t mislead any potential job candidates or employees
about realities concerning compensation, advancement, or future
plans. Cultivating a culture of honesty in your organization will
only bless your business.�
Reconcile and forgive immediately.
Holding grudges is a common and unfortunate consequence of
competitive business. Resentment builds up when employees leave
organizations, mistakes are made, or when coworkers feel slighted.
Take an inventory of grudges you may be nursing, people you�re
resenting, and those with whom you must reconcile. It doesn�t matter
how far back the offense was. If you�re carrying it around, it�s
affecting your performance, whether you realize it or not. Suggest
to your employees that they think about any hard feelings they may
be harboring, and encourage them to make amends.
�When you are busy harboring resentment and holding onto grudges,
you are taking time and precious energy away from the things you
could be doing to increase your productivity and your business,�
asserts Anderson. �Bring closure to past offenses. Identify amends
you must make, with whom, and do it quickly. By holding onto these
hard feelings, you aren�t hurting the other person; you�re hurting
yourself! And having a clear conscience and a sound heart is a key
component to having a solid character.�
Still skeptical about your ability to pull off this company
character assessment � not to mention how well received it�s likely
to be? Just give it a try, urges Anderson. You�ll be pleasantly
surprised by the results. But if you can�t bring yourself to discuss
these matters openly, just living them sends a persuasive message.
�It�s one thing to sit down with your employees and share your
values, but the best way to get the message across is to make sure
you are setting the example yourself,� Anderson concludes. �You have
to walk the walk. If you haven�t been doing so, make a point to
change. Others in your organization will be sure to follow. And
you�ll see firsthand that a business that is based on strong core
values and a shared vision is one that�s headed for long-term
success and prosperity.�
Dave Anderson has given over 1,000 leadership presentations in
fourteen countries. He is the author of numerous business-oriented
books and the TKO business series. He and his wife, Rhonda, are
cofounders of The Matthew 25:35 Foundation, which helps feed,
educate, and house under-resourced people throughout the world.
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