Shades of Integrity: The Workplace

If you're reading this article, it means you desire a better you or ensure you are still on the right track which you set for yourself. 

Integrity is the practice of being honest and showing consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values in the presence or absence of anybody. It has to do with how accurate, honest, and truthful your actions are. 

Many times we have to make decisions that define who we are and what we believe in. The choices we face may seem to be insignificant but this doesn't mean it's not important to us. So whether it's lying about something, pretending to be who you're not, claiming to be who you're not, saying you have what you don't have. However minute what you have to decide on is, it has an impact on your self-respect, integrity, and reputation.

In the world today, the people being talked about most are people who have made the choice of being on the other side of integrity. People who pretend to be who they're not. But however it may be, it always feels good to live and work by integrity.

Integrity is one virtue we long to have and desire our leaders to possess. It could also mean doing the right thing even when no one is looking and in the most difficult situation. It could mean saying what you mean and meaning what you say, staying true to your word even when there are consequences waiting for you by virtue of the choice you have made. It is a choice we make and must keep making at every point in our lives. When we have integrity, life becomes simpler, a lot less complicated, and open for all to see, we are able to make more impacts and we don't have to worry about hiding anything. 

"You do not wake up one morning a bad person. It happens by a thousand tiny surrenders of self-respect to self-interest" 

Robert Brault.

When we have integrity, we draw people to ourselves because we gain people's trust, are dependable, and hold ourselves accountable for our actions. All this put together in some way impacts our general success in life.

Characteristics of People with Integrity

Honesty: a person with integrity is honest about a lack of a product or something a client needs even when you'll loose money, an inability to make a payment when you ought to because you lack the required funds, an inability to meet up with a deadline or solve a problem and ultimately communicate such to anybody directly involved and seek for assistance when it's needed.

Responsibility: a person of integrity takes responsibility for a task they fail to accomplish before a set time. They are not quick to pass on blames for their mistakes or that of their team members. They take responsibility and find a way to prevent a repeat of the mistakes.

Gracious: people with integrity are gracious and are always ready to appreciate when others assist them with a task. They say "thank you" when someone does them a favor and helps them sort out things.

Respectful: those with integrity value other people and show them respect at work. They ensure they are on time for meetings, meet deadlines set for different projects, and always consider other people's feelings. In order to achieve this trait, you have to avoid giving excuses for not getting jobs done at the right time or not being punctual, care for others with what you say, and carefully consider other people's ideas.

Hardworking: people of integrity are hardworking and strive to produce high-quality work in good time too irrespective of the nature of the task. They have an understanding that everything they do influences the organization, their colleagues, and the general outcome of the business.

Patient: when a person has integrity, they are able to tolerate challenges, delays, and unexpected hindrances. They know to maintain calmness and wait for the opportunity to air their view. 

They are helpful to those in need and are always willing to offer their time, expertise, and effort to a project or an assignment even without being asked.

At work, people with integrity always set positive examples regardless of their position.

-they show respect to everyone and avoid speaking negatively about anybody.

-they follow and enforce company policies. They take time to understand company rules and follow them.

-they treat not only their belongings with care but also do the same for properties belonging to others and their organization. They avoid taking business supplies for their own personal use and also return borrowed items to their owners.

Benefits of Integrity at work

Imagine a workplace comprising of people with integrity, where staff can be trusted to perform to the best of their ability. They don't lie, cheat, cut corners, or compromise standards. They are the ones that are consistent with the Code of Values of the organization.

Integrity at the workplace strengthens relationships with vendors, customers, or clients because they can trust you to keep your word and act honorably if something should go wrong. Even in situations where things are out of your control, your clients are in a better position to give an excuse for you and defend you. This is because they already know you and know that you would have done your best to avert the problem.

Integrity flourishes our relationships with family friends and coworkers.

Steps to Building Integrity

In order to build integrity, you can take the following steps:

1) Define your Values: find out exactly what you believe in and define what your values are based on your belief. Your integrity depends on these two things.

2) Analyze the choices you make: in our times, people don't mind cutting corners and doing whatever to achieve their goal. More often, people decide what they want to do, and fully knowing it's wrong, they find a way to push it down to others to make sure everybody else is a partaker. This is often seen in the workplace. Have you been in that place where your boss decides to cut corners but then instructs you to do it...Under this circumstance, it is very important to analyze every action you take or are instructed to take. This is important because as a person who wants to build a strong positive reputation, you are accountable for what you choose or choose not to do. At times you may be stuck in between and will need some time to figure out the right thing to do. If you're not sure of what to do,

-will you be okay if your choice is broadcasted for everyone to hear.

-secondly, how will you feel after making your choice?

Always remember that integrity is not a convenient virtue. It is a trait lived by at all times regardless of how easy or difficult it may be.

3) Strengthen your integrity: a person with integrity is characterised by accountability, humility, truthfulness, night self-esteem, self-confidence, responsibility, and self-awareness. These traits give us the ability to withstand and overcome the pressure of making the wrong decision. As a result of this, strive to strengthen these traits in yourself so that when the time comes for you to make a choice, you'd have the courage to make the right choice. Another important thing to do is to develop friendships and work relationships with people of integrity.

4) Avoid lies: lying about one thing leads to telling more lies to cover up for the first white lie. It may seem to be insignificant and you may think it won't be found out. The thing is, the truth will always surface and prevail with time. 

"The best thing about telling the truth is that you don't have to remember what you said" 

To avoid lies, stand up to your responsibility and own up to whatever mistake you must have made. Agree to and accept only what you can do. Keep to your word and don't make promises you can't keep.