One of the keys to a successful business is maintaining integrity with yourself, your staff, and your clients. This makes perfect sense, sounds straightforward and logical, and of course you want a business that operates at a high level of integrity and accountability. But in practice, it’s not always easy.
A few years ago, I was working with a company who massaged data for a living for its clients and reported back the findings. One day I showed up in a meeting, and the owner and his five employees had uncovered that they’d made a mistake in the manipulation of the data.
The owner was giving instructions to the team on how to re-manipulate the data so the client wouldn’t find out. I was sitting in the room and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. As I looked at the expressions on the faces of the staff, it was obvious they were uncomfortable and afraid to say anything.
I had no choice but to stand up and say, ‘Not on my watch.’
This is a line that I use with clients from time to time. It was a line of threshold and I wasn’t bluffing. The owner asked me what I was doing. I told him that if he was going to do this, I wouldn’t be participating, and I suggested that everybody else in the room not participate either.
Let me tell you, the client was not happy. We exchanged some harsh words, but I was adamant. I wasn’t going to allow him to break the law.
Finally, after some time, I convinced him that honesty was the best policy. And here’s what we did…
He had been paid $87,000 to do this work. I told him that we were going to visit the client and tell them what happened. And then I told him to write a check for $87,000.
We start the meeting and slide this check across the table. We tell them what happened. They think they’re being bribed, but we explain the situation – nothing intentional or malicious had ever taken place –and say we’re prepared to do the right thing. There’s a pause and they say “We really appreciate the fact that you brought this to our attention and of course, we’re not going to take your money back.”
The story illustrates the point that I have very rarely seen that integrity gets hurt. Very rarely. It is not easy. Especially when you’re growing a business and every penny counts.
Be honest. Always.
Leave a comment about tough decisions you’ve made in your business.