Integrity-the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.
Ethics-moral principles that govern a person's behavior or the conducting of an activity.
Ethics are more external whereas integrity is internal.
I have been thinking a lot about the concept of integrity lately and felt the need to share my thoughts. As I was putting those thoughts together, the man who will be doing work on my roof stopped by to check on shingle color and he and I had a fascinating conversation about the need for integrity in business and in life. I am so glad a friend recommended him to me and trust he will do a great job for me and will be honest with me.
My ethics are built on the principles I learned from my church and my parents. I heard my parents talk about their life as employees, teachers and business owners and learned how they were honest and treated their students, employees and coworkers with respect and care. My parents were very loving people and I think of them often, hearing their words of wisdom and encouragement in my head when I need guidance.
How does this relate to my business? Ethics and integrity are essential to my work. I want my clients to succeed and will work with them as long as they need me. I charge a set price and include as many follow up sessions as my clients need. I don’t up my price if I think the potential client makes a lot of money, but I will offer discounts or payment plans to students or others who are strapped for cash. If a client does not set a follow up session within a couple of weeks, I will contact them about it. They have paid for those sessions and I want to give them their money’s worth. If I receive negative feedback after a workshop, I take it to heart and will work hard to improve.
I so appreciate the trust my clients have placed in me and need to work harder to find more clients because I know I can help improve peoples’ voices which will make them more confident and will help them be heard.