Flyin' the Frenzied Skies of Business Ethics

Not a whole lotta time to think about business ethics and principles when flying Air Moldova from Chisinau to Frankfurt. The constant creaking sounds make it hard to focus on developing one idea over seven hundred words. Most of one's concentration goes to simply keeping the Soviet-built, Yakovlev Yak-42 up in the air. So as I gnaw on my lamb kabob (for breakfast!), and the plane gnaws on my nerves, allow me the luxury of jotting down a kabob of skewered thoughts. With knuckles whiter than Colorado snow, gripping one of their cognac-laced coffees, here goes:

Actions speak louder than words -

It was a relatively small newspaper story a few years ago. The CEO of Level 3 Communications, Jim Crowe, "surprised his shareholders" by announcing ahead of time his plans to sell some of his stock and why (he wanted to repay his start-up debts). Crowe doesn't require his company officers to do the same, they need only "comply with the law." But Crowe decided to go further. Why? "At the end, I'm the Chief Executive officer, so the buck sort of stops here." Harry Truman would be proud. I know I am.

Looking for an honest (wo)man -

Which reminds me, if you know of someone who's demonstrated unusual honesty in your company or organization, I'd like to hear about them. Simply e-mail the details to Diogenes@corp-psych-mgmt.com. The most interesting three people -- after securing their permission -- will be profiled in this column in the coming months. "Scuzati-ma, miss, uh, domnisoara? Could I have another one of those coffees, va rog? Multumesc."

You gotta walk your talk -

It's surprising how many organizations say they have a functional purpose or mission, but actually don't. It may be written down somewhere, but it's only there, it's not in the hearts and minds of the folks in the organization. Many mission statements even gild the lily with reminders to act ethically and in the best interests of the customer. But often it's only a CYA move, not really lived.

As the saying goes, when you're up to your, uh, neck in alligators, it's hard to remember your goal was to drain the swamp. And so as crises arise, many companies use band-aid approaches to solve their problems. But that's when they should refer to their mission statement. It's the ball to keep your eye on and will guide you through many a morass. Not just talked, it must be walked every day. Executive coaching can help.

"Domnisoara? Could I have another one of those...? Uh, what's THAT noise? Oh.... You know, what? Nu coffee, just the cognac, va rog. Multumesc. Da, da, the breakfast was delicious."

Yakety-yak -

I kid Air Moldova, but it's really a safe and friendly airline. The Yak-42 was specifically built for primitive airports without runways, to operate in such severe climates as northern Siberia, so it's a hardy airframe. Moldova itself is often mistaken for a fictional place in the "Dynasty" TV show years back. Nestled between Romania and the Ukraine, it's actually one of the NIS (Newly Independent States) countries, formerly part of the Soviet Union. It's trying hard to institute Western business principles, despite difficult economic times and political unrest on the eastern border. In need of modern medical equipment and supplies, if you know of any to be donated, please contact me. I'll do my best to see they get it. Multumesc.

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