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Just for fun, I looked up the word 'integrity' on line today to see the different definitions available for the latest 'buzz' word in business. Two of them really resonated with me and they were:
- 'an unreduced or unbroken completeness or totality'
- 'moral soundness'
Most of us are taught from an early age various moral beliefs by our parents, teachers and other authority figures and they basically involved learning 'right' from 'wrong' or 'just' from 'unjust'. Whether we adopted their beliefs depended on how well we listened and felt that the words they spoke were true… or not. Beliefs are just statements that we believe are the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
I would rather concentrate on the first definition of 'an unreduced or unbroken completeness or totality' as that's the aspect I want to impart to my clients. I want them to do business with me because I represent a total value package, sort of a 'full meal deal' if you will, combining honesty, openness, sound work ethics AND 'integrity' in every project I undertake. It doesn't matter to me if the project takes a half hour or a month to complete; if it's for a huge corporation or a sole owner of a business; or if the client 'believes' that the project is too menial for me to undertake. None of these factors affect my work integrity and how I treat my clients. They are all the same to me and I treat them all as equals. In short, nothing or anyone is menial unless I choose it to be!
I listened to a good friend tell me how she receives much joy and satisfaction in doing what she absolutely loves - which is cleaning houses. Now to some people, being a house cleaner might seem a 'menial' job or something beneath their capabilities, but to my friend, it is her world as well her business. She lives with 'integrity' every day as she takes out her mop and bucket of cleaning supplies and makes someone's house sparkle. She is conducting her business with a high degree of totality and completeness… and her customers LOVE her!
If you believe what you are doing is menial or that your business skills and worth are being undervalued, then guess what - they will be! However, if you conduct your business with unbridled acceptance, joy and passion, then you will be living in a total state of 'integrity' and it will show up in every project that you undertake for your clients.
I was asked to speak to a group of aspiring entrepreneurs this week and I started off my talk by introducing myself this way - "Hello everyone! My name is Marlene Oulton, the very happy and contented owner of Write Choice Virtual Assistants". I didn't say I was rich or had a thriving business (which I do!) but I wanted to impart these wonderful feelings that I have deep inside me which owning my own business has given me. Joy. Happiness. Acceptance. Contentment. And above all else, working in and with 'integrity'.
How do YOU work in YOUR business?
Marlene Oulton
© Write Choice Virtual Assistants
January 23, 2007
As an old pro wordsmith I take great pride in my voracious spelling attributes, yet now I believe that I can't spell at all! It was my great fortune to be in attendance at an illuminating seminar, hosted by Gair Maxwell and The Fundy Group, entitled "The Experiential Business" and I'm almost positive I was hallucinating when the surprise guest of the day started off by saying he uses the letter "D" in his business formula.
I thought (silently, thank goodness!), to myself, "There's no 'D' in the word business! Has this guy lost his mind?"
Bruce McNaughton, the kilt-clad, proud and at times hilarious story raconteur, also happens to be the owner of Prince Edward Island Preserves, one of PEI's most marketable and well-known business success stories. Bear in mind that Bruce is not a towering giant of a man nor does he show any outward signs of success. Dressed simply in black well-worn jeans, white shirt and his signature black knitted sweater vest, he stands a mere 5'7" tall. (This was before he shed his jeans in favor of his kilt in the corner of the room to stress his business savvy). His slightly salted black hair hangs an unfashionably 2" below the collar of his shirt and he wears no flashy diamond encrusted rings, nor is there a Rolex watch to be seen on either of his wrists. Yet from this tightly packaged man comes one powerful whomp of a message that every budding entrepreneur should hear.
He went on to explain to us how he uses the "D" letter principles to systemize any business venture he undertakes. "It all starts with a dream" he said. "I always had a dream of being a business owner - I just wasn't sure what business I wanted to own!" which is true of all entrepreneurs the world over. "determination and drive are two other elements that I have to have in order to make things happen and carry that dream into reality. Without these two factors, nothing will ever get done."
He went on to impart several other "D" principles that have to be taken into consideration if one is to see the overall picture and be realistic in achieving their goals. "debt is another word that has to definitely be taken into consideration. By the word debt, I mean our debt to the world as a whole. Whether it be our responsibility in the raising of our family, the respect we give to seniors, especially veterans, and to others that can benefit from what you can offer. It is our 'debt' to society to perform at our highest levels, with dedication and determination."
Perhaps the most powerful "D" principle he mentioned that resonated with me was his explanation of how to overcome the "discouragement" that all of us sometimes experience from our family, loved ones and friends. "When you first explain your dream to you family and friends, a lot of the time you're going to be faced with hearing their disappointment in your decisions" he commented. "You'll most likely hear things like "Are you nuts?" "Have you totally lost your mind?" "Why in the world do you want to do THAT?" "These words", he went on to explain, "can undermine your confidence and eat away at your self-esteem. If you feel in your gut that you're taking the right path, don't listen to them!"
I could go on and on here about the many other "D" principles that he expounded on but I don't want to rob him (or you!) of the pleasure of hearing Bruce speak directly to you, and what a pleasure it is! I can guarantee you that you will come away with a feeling of having just taken the shortest yet most educational course in "How to start a business and not fall flat on your ass in less than 30 days" that you will ever get.
So, while the letter "D" might not be contained in the spelling of the actual word 'business', it can definitely be utilized into nurturing the most delightfully determined, doing well, and deliberate company you've ever dreamed about.
Marlene Oulton
© Write Choice Virtual Assistants
To read other past articles by Marlene,
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