Now showing items tagged integrity

In an era increasingly defined by scandal, hypocrisy and betrayals of public trust, customers are increasingly holding corporations to high standards of integrity. Businesses and brands can no longer afford to cut ethical corners, fall short of marketing promises or fail to practise what they preach. In an age of skepticism and transparency, what customers are craving from their companies is congruence.

In order to build the trust and rapport with customers that has been so often compromised, businesses and brands need clear sets of values that they are committed to upholding. Without clear values to guide conduct and culture, it’s easy to lose our way, lose sight of the things that really count and subsequently lose the trust of those who matter most.

“It is trust, more than money, that makes the world go around.”[1]

This statement of Columbia University economics professor Joseph Stiglitz finds new relevance in today’s circumstances. With the past year presenting unprecedented threats and challenges to society, recent measures have seen public trust in major institutions plummet to all-time lows.

The fundamental goal of businesses is to make a profit. Statements like this have permeated business textbooks, dominated the strategic plans of companies and summarised the ethos of the corporate world essentially since it began.

Orienteering will always be one of my most vivid and fond memories of my days as a Scout - dropped in the middle of nowhere with a few buddies, the essentials, a map and a compass. One of orienteering’s most important lessons was learning to differentiate between magnetic and true north, adjusting our map and compass accordingly.