Surprisingly integrity as a value shows up in several corporate boards alongside ethics and honesty. To me, these are simply identical assertions of ‘we just talk about them’. There are exceptions and they aren’t many though.

Just like humility, integrity is something you wouldn’t know till you have it. That’s why it is seldom easier to step over it and do things effortlessly.

A sub-contractor bypassing the main contractor to get the deal directly from the end customer, an ex-employee using the confidential and privileged information from the previous employer to start a new business, a partner soliciting employee from the main company ignoring the agreements and several things like these, sound usual for the business but not necessarily reflecting the culture of people involved, people with absolute lack of integrity.

It is also easy to convince ourselves that some of these actions are justified since business should go on, just forgetting that the business is being built on a fragile foundation. A foundation comprised of insecurity, perceptions of threat, me-too attitude, counter motivation and most important of all crooked management style.

Initial days of one of our companies, we were quietly drawn towards actions that we will be never proud of. We have at least been able to get out of those temptations of easy business deals and crooked actions, because our own integrity would be in a dilemma otherwise.

As a company if you want to retain the most critical element of corporate culture, Integrity, you nay want to focus on who you have in the leadership to demonstrate the value to rest of the company. Culture after all is a cascaded element in the company. If you have crooks in the leadership team, be assured of the crooked culture in the company.

One of the major learnings for me in the initial days of entrepreneurship, is on how to understand the trust element. Speed of trust, as I read, with trust you gain speed in business. Speed of trust told me that extension of trust could be easier, but it was not! Integrity, often used, less practiced, played a role in that realization process.

If I would do it again, I know what I will focus on!

The reason for shuffling stuff is perhaps caused by the wish that it could be better arranged or better arrange it since it was long due. Surprising element is, small actions like these prove how difficult is it to let go things. Nothing prevents adding to the wardrobe, including crisis, excess and impulse though.

The least used good ones can also be donated, things don’t have to rot before donated. Still it is difficult to give things away.

Things like this happen in corporations as well, we often analyze portfolio, create ‘start doing’ lists but difficult to come to terms with ‘stop doing’ lists. There may be several products, offering, solutions, services that could be reorganized, however a perception of potential use prevents that action from happening.

This is also similar to donating stuff that we don’t or rarely use, why is it difficult to make simple decisions on material that matters least.

If you flip the coin around, we deal with relations differently, keep adding new ones and take the existing ones for granted.

When is the last time we tried to organize our relationship wardrobe, we can keep all and let those relations know it.

Waking up late in the morning can potentially cut short a morning workout or meditation, making it later to office but not necessarily cutting short on coffee or breakfast. Similarly, making it late to bed can help getting up late!

Applying an anti-irritant on a mosquito bite might be difficult, compared to the leisurely scratching of the same. While the former solves the irritation, the latter might aggravate it.

I think I agree with an ex-colleague who told me that ‘for not doing something there are 100 reasons but there is 1 reason for doing it, called willingness’

I am thinking now on what it takes to be sensitive to others’ needs. It can’t be genetic nor be related to geography, race etc. If so, this world could be so insensitive to itself. Being sensitive normally doesn’t have incentives. A smile, good feeling or a thank you can’t be monetized. In a relation, there may be reasons to be, but isn’t it too selective to be sensitive under treaties.

Putting ourselves in others shoes, this expression is taken! Perhaps that’s why it is difficult to do or less done. This is interesting, do we think we are too big to fit in others shoes!

The process of making a point has some real opportunities to get violent. I think this is caused by the eagerness to make one, typical all knowing attitude, having a solution in mind already and simply not caring for the others. I can’t think of this differently than as being insensitive still.

I am often amazed by how small we make out ourselves by fighting wrong challenges, focusing on unwanted things, blowing things out of proportion. Being sensible, will at least make things clear as to what we should and what we shouldn’t. I personally realized the choices that I needed to make, have never left me not thinking of the alternatives.

Talking about sensibility, what if we have the clarity to either hold on to things or to let some go, what if our choice is something that is based on information that we have and in the framework of values and ethics, what if we realize that we trust others and trust that trust.

Being sensible has also to do with adaptability, creativity and most importantly acceptance. It is not accepting how things are, the acceptance that things could be different. Adapting to the situation is a great virtue of life, something that is part of human development, I feel strange that we are also selective in this facet. 

I read about the left brain vs right brain, but I think being sensitive and sensible are right in the middle.

At the next stop, one of the followers ask him: you are a noble man living with values much above anything that is materialistic, yet you surprised me by carrying a young lady across the canal by holding her close to your body. Did you not feel anything?
The noble man says, which young lady? the one I dropped off at the other side of the canal? Are you carrying her still?

 In my experience, I have realized both the importance of this aspect as well as the block that it can create in stepping forward.

 First of all, different cultures are not difficult cultures. For reasons of historic importance, cultures have existed independently and almost involuntarily. Culture can be seen as a super set of accepted norms in a society/country/region depending on several parameters that influence life.

 So, there is a reason to respect culture and not try to solve them for a specific business or a personal relationship.

 But, how to solve the most difficult of questions of today’s business world, how to deal with culture in different geographies?

 Let’s think of a culture neutral scenario. Lets’ define Culture neutral as a state that we assume in business or personal relationship, that two parties want to deal with each other. It’s not a my way or the highway thing.

 Some of the basic things that can lead to creating a culture neutral state:

 Objective: It should at least be clear what is expected of a collaboration involving different cultures. This can be business expansion, growth, personal relation or a new business idea. This is the thing that will create the basic ‘click’ in relationship.

 Trust: Easy to explain, but difficult to accomplish. There needs to be a basic level of trust between parties on opportunities, possibilities and willingness. This makes things work!

 Contract: Once beginning a relationship, the understanding should be a formal contract, with due legal applicability.

 Communication: Language is not a barrier for communication, but an enabler. Finding ways and means of communicating when needed is an essential step too.

 Fun: Seeking lighter moment to share a joke or two, is never too bad

 Now, we are talking of agreed upon norms that can create a culture neutral state (can also be debated as a new culture, by the way) setting a platform for relationship.

 Such a state should be able to handle what we often refer to as ‘business as usual’.

 Business behavior: Don’t try to do things that you are not used to, you have some common norms and make use of them for a normal and usual business behavior.

 Constructive: Offer and expect objective feedback on process and results than being critical on behavior of people. Humans adapt.

 In the end, it’s best to behave normal than trying to do something we are not used to. Collaboration has something for everyone, so there is no reason to imagine more power in a relationship.

 Business is just usual when you want it to be.

I also started to realize that the concept although not very new, we start to appreciate it more when we are bitten by it in our personal and professional lives. Remember ‘bias for action’, ‘execution’ etc?

So why do we ‘do-not’ when we ‘know-lot’?

Knowing:

1. Self satisfaction
2. No fear of failure; safe
3. Can make the point in discussions and gain attention
4. Branded knowledgeable
5. Confidence that it can be done!
6. Performance assessment is subjective; on potential

Doing:

1. Performance is measurable and objectively
2. Doing is work, not a philosophy
3. Doing get to do more
4. Rewarding when successful; controversial when not
5. Why me?

The step from knowing to doing is really simple, just do it.

Doing gives an opportunity to evaluate, test the idea, improve and even sets best practices. The fun and joy in finishing something is only possible when we do things, not when we think about them.

This applies to a walk in the morning for physical fitness, spending more time with family by managing time, investing time on your own professional development etc.

Just by knowing that a morning walk helps fitness, unfortunately we don’t become fit! We need to do it.

Knowing should add to the beauty of doing but not substitute. It cannot be difficult since there are people who have done things and successful too!

I like the way Nike says it….just do it.