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To stay out of court, smove!
By Lauren | February 13, 2010
Continuing my Friday series on keeping your business out of court, I want to introduce you to the concept of “smoving.” Its creators have a delightful website called GiveMore.com where they offer a variety of products designed to help folks in service jobs deliver better by smiling brightly and moving fast whenever an opportunity to be of service presents itself.
GiveMore.com’s concept of “smile & move” comes down to working enthusiastically, with a lot of energy, genuine gratitude and plenty of grins. And unlike some of the companies that offer motivational products, GiveMore.com’s offerings are cheerful, fresh, and not at all preachy. Employees who groan when presented with laminated exhortations to “soar with the eagles” are likely to get a genuine kick out of GiveMore.com’s goodies. From enjoyment it’s an easy next step to better, more upbeat service.
So, how does getting your employees to “smove” reduce your litigation risk? Simple - it’s all about relationships. Customers know that everyone makes mistakes, but if they like you and believe that you care about them, they’ll be much more likely to forgive and work with you to repair a mistake instead of marching you off to court. Besides, enthusiastic, energetic employees are much less likely to make mistakes in the first place. No mistakes, no grounds for a lawsuit - it can honestly be that simple.
To learn more about “smoving,” go to www.givemore.com. Enjoy!
Topics: Business Ethics, Lauren Recommends, Risk Management, customer relations, ethics |
February 17th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
Nicely written…ethics goes far beyond the law.
Ethics is concerned with “doing the right thing” but…
Moral standards differ between individuals depending upon their upbringing, traditions, religion, social and economic situations, and so on. Hence, the existence of grey areas. Therefore, state the “moral” problem in a simple manner and review feedback so that an acceptable decision can be made with minimal overall harm/loss—i.e., we are concerned with “Pareto optimality,” which is related to the net balance of bene?ts over harm for society as a whole.
Economic theory is concerned with the ef?cient utilization of resources to satisfy consumer wants and to maximize pro?t and satisfaction. Pareto optimality exists at the point where it is impossible to make any given individual better off without harming another given individual. Although most businessmen believe that pro?ts and cash ?ow are very important, there has been a move toward the recognition of social responsibility.
The blind pursuit of pro?t has resulted in bribes, environmental problems, injured workers, unsafe products, closed plants, and so on—this is unethical. Many business schools emphasize the philosophical, rather than the practical aspect of ethics. We need a practical approach to the solution of ethical problems.
Ethical leadership calls for morals, fairness, caring, sharing, no false promises or unreasonable demands on others, etc. Is “ethical leadership” an oxymoron?
I believe that “ethics” should be a part of all management courses. Yes, there are grey areas depending on different perspectives, but there are also areas of “black” and “white”. There is more to ethics than drafting and implementing codes of ethics for others to observe. Leaders should lead by example and refrain from adopting an approach which conflicts with ethical interests. Therefore, leaders should respect and care for all stakeholders, rather than only stockholders e.g. show that you care for your employees, customers, suppliers, the community, etc.
Making false promises and unreasonable demands on employees and others, preventing participative management, talking about the “green” approach as a public relations exercise, rather than adopting a “green” approach, is unacceptable. Ethics is conscience-based, knowledge-based and attitude-based, and not suited to some individuals, who, by their very nature, have consistently demonstrated selfishness and greed.
Can any ethics training program prevent Bernie Madoff, Vincent Lacroix, Conrad Black, etc. from being themselves ?
No, but a well-designed & implemented program can
(a) help good people to do the right thing consistently
(b) make it more difficult for wrong-doers to succeed &
(c) raise people’s ethical IQS*.
Business ethics is concerned with dealing with dilemmas that sometimes do not have a clear indication as to what is right or wrong e.g. potential conflicts of interest, wrongful use of resources, mismanagement of contracts, false promises and exaggerated demands on resources which include personnel.
Right and wrong are black and white - pure and simple. Our ethical system and behaviour are a function of several factors, including our cultural background, upbringing, education, ego, environment, circumstances and the related stress. Hence, the development of gray areas i.e. areas where explicit rulings or guidance is not available Looked at in another way, there are shades of black and shades of white, just like when you go to a paint shop to buy black paint or white paint or when you go to a clothing store to buy a black suit or a white suit. If you find that your ethical standards are higher than those of most people, you should follow your own standards.
It is possible to improve, from an ethical point of view. As we mature into adulthood, we develop an ego and try to use our communication skills to justify our behaviour, while focusing on our own goals. With our ego-based approach, our innate selfishness, and the influences of friend and environment come many gray areas. One’s image will depend on one’s operation within the black, white and/or gray areas. This should always be borne in mind.
Alas, many business schools provide courses in business ethics which which are philosophical, rather than practical, in approach. This needs to be rectified in the light of experience in the real world. Research confirms that the focus on ethics deters people from straying, although it is difficult to alter the basic nature of some people e.g. Bernie Madoff and Vincent Lacroix.
Constant communication and open discussions on ethics foster a bond between individuals who are keen on being ethical and help promote teamwork built on good spirit. Emotionally intelligent people are often more ethical than others.
* confirmed by Research from the Assocn. of Certified Fraud Examiners, the Ethics Resource Center, and other firms.
I have a policy of distributing free abridged versions of my books on leadership, ethics, teamwork, motivation, women, bullying and sexual harassment, trade unions, business law, etc., to anyone who sends a request to crespin79@hotmail.com.
Maxwell Pinto, Business Author
http://www.strategicbookpublishing.com/Management-TidbitsForTheNewMillenium.html