Well, my Eagles just got beat by Seattle, but I’m sticking to the football theme in talking about INTEGRITY – One of Cooperative’s core values. Tony Dungy was the coach of Tampa Bay and then Indianapolis when the Colts won the Super Bowl. He wrote the #1 NY Times Best Seller “Quiet Strength” and this is what he has to say about integrity: “Integrity is what you do when no one is watching; it’s doing the right thing all the time, even when it may work to your disadvantage. Integrity is keeping your word. Integrity is that internal compass and rudder that directs you to where you know you should go when everything around you is pulling you in a different direction. Some people think reputation is the same thing as integrity, but they are two different things. Your reputation is the public perception of your integrity. Because it’s other people’s opinions of you, it may or may not be accurate. Others determine your reputation, but only you determine your integrity.”
Simply put – do the right thing. Not to gain anything, but because it’s the right thing. Doing your best even when no one is watching instead of seeing what you can get away with because no one is watching. Also, let your “Yes” by “Yes” and your “No” be “No” (Matthew 5:37). That might seem straightforward, but I can’t count how many times I had promised things to my children growing up hopeful that I would be able to come through. Yeah, often it worked out, and often it did not, and that breaks trust. Unfortunately, it takes longer to earn trust than to break it. So when we promise something, let’s say to a client, are we doing everything we can to fulfill that promise? Or do we push it aside (do a “Yes”/”No”), disappoint, and break that trust? If we can’t do something a “no” should be in order up front. But if we make a mistake, we should take ownership of it (since it’s the right thing to do), and do what can be done to make it right.
Let each of us strive to be an individual of integrity, and collectively a company people can trust.
Have a great week!