Is Integrity Foremost on Our Minds?

Or are decisions and actions formed by external pressures?

My experience, professionally and also in my private life, has taught me that most people have the intent to act with integrity. However, situations are rarely clear-cut and we may find ourselves contemplating actions which go against our principles, and take action which we know is morally incorrect.

Being comfortable with the decisions we make and actions we take is crucial for our peace of mind. This mantra applies for our personal lives as well as at work. Our integrity should be the guiding principle in difficult situations, whether or not our actions are being observed by others. We want to ensure that we treat others fairly, including our family, clients, employees or colleagues.

Which circumstances can lead to unethical or inappropriate behaviour?

It may be our intention to act morally correct but we can be led by external forces to act against our values for a number of reasons. If we are not aware of the circumstances and influences surrounding us; if we are not aware of our perceptions, bias and prejudice; these factors can affect our judgement.

Good people sometimes do bad things.

People with a high standard of integrity, good values and morals can still find themselves swept in a situation of unethical conduct, unless we critically evaluate and analyse every possible decision we can take in a specific situation and decide whether this aligns with our values and standards we uphold. We must constantly rationalise our decisions and actions, the risks involved and their impact.

Nonetheless, despite our good intentions and the high standard of our values, there are circumstances where we are unable to think clearly enough to make the best decision. Unless we are aware of the circumstances which may derail our behaviour, we can easily become involved in unethical conduct.

We may be tempted to act unethically for personal gain, and we might or might not be aware where our actions will lead us. Personal gain might be present in different forms, including financial gain, acceptance, or security.

Have we entered into a financial commitment that is difficult to sustain? Such a situation can leave us vulnerable to act unethically to honour our financial obligations and achieve financial security.

We must look out for excessive influence exerted by a group within which we want to belong and be accepted. Do the values of this group align with our principles or is this group a bad influence on us? How far will we go and bend our values to be accepted within this group?

Fear poses another dangerous situation. We might feel pressured to give in and obey unethical requests for fear of being punished or discriminated against as retribution.

We must also be fully aware of the context of a situation, which may be presented to us in a manipulative way to lead us to take the decision desired by the party involved. This decision may be the best outcome for the person involved but may be unfair towards and negatively impacts many others.

Although very difficult, we must strive to keep our emotions in check to ensure that we take a just and correct decision. We can arrive to the best conclusion, despite our emotions, only if we are fully aware of our emotions and biases to force ourselves to see a situation from different perspectives.

The negative impact of lack of integrity

Conduct lacking in integrity is unsustainable.

What appeared to be the best or most advantageous decision at the time, a decision lacking integrity will in time be exposed as a wrong decision or we will learn of the negative consequences resulting from that decision. Regretting our decision and actions would not change the situation. The damage would have been done.

For whichever reason we may engage in unethical conduct, we must be aware of the adverse impact our decision can leave on other people or organisations and on ourselves. Were the dreams of many shattered by our decision only to assist the few or ourselves? How do we feel about ourselves now? How are we viewed by our family, colleagues and other business contacts? What about our reputation and trustworthiness? How have our actions impacted the credibility of our organisation?

Why we must adhere to our values

In most cases, unethical behaviour is subsequently regretted, particularly if we are usually persons who abide by good values and principles of integrity. Irrespective of the reason for our unethical conduct, whether we were coerced or influenced, afraid or manipulated, we are ultimately responsible for our actions and have to face the consequences.

To avoid finding ourselves in these undesirable circumstances, we must be self-aware and stick to our values and moral principles. We must take our time to use these principles as a yardstick, taking into context any emotions or bias. An in-depth evaluation and assessment of the risks related to every situation, and the impact resulting from the different possibilities, must then be carried out, making sure we opt for the least negative impact for the common good.

Summing up

Many valid reasons have been highlighted why behaving with integrity should be foremost on our minds, in all our actions. Maybe the most important being to feel good and comfortable with ourselves, knowing we acted correctly to the best of our ability for the common good.

Any coercion or manipulation of our actions is a restriction of our freedom.

We are free to reason. It is always up to us to decide whether or not to act correctly towards others. Our choices and decisions are absolutely within our control.

Thanks for reading

Jacqueline