Balancing Ethics and Integrity

What is the difference between ethics and integrity? It’s that fine line between doing what others believe is right and what we personally believe to be right, which is a line that we all toe in our professional lives. In other words, those who wish to be ethical are often doing so simply to avoid conflict, while those who have integrity do the right thing regardless of what others may think.

I often wonder how this fine line fits within the context of business as a whole, and specifically within the meeting and events industry. And, by the way, who sets these ethical standards anyway?

While we all strive to do the right thing (or at least, I hope that is the case), can you have one without the other? Where do our personal beliefs, values and standards fit in? And how do we balance that with our ever changing world and industry landscape?

This is a question that continues to weigh heavy on my mind, as I continue to deal with conflict resolution with clients and staff. It often comes into play with regards to contract negotiations – navigating the gray areas of a contract, and how some individuals simply do what is right, while others are doing so simply to avoid dealing with a dilemma.

Say that you have a preexisting contract with a client but event facility circumstances change that were not included in the original agreement. This could be renovations that weren’t planned when the contract was negotiated or actual event logistics altered by an organization due to management changes, budget issues or the like. Do you do what you believe to be right or hold to the written word of the contract? I think we’ve all seen it go both ways.

Also, theoretically speaking, you receive an RFP from an organization that you’re friendly with and have a professional but not close relationship. Also, you are aware that one of the other companies bidding on the event is up for sale. You are pretty sure that the client is unaware of this circumstance and given that the event is 18 months away, the other company could be sold prior to the event taking place. What do you do? Tell the client and risk looking like you’re trying to manipulate the situation or worse, have the client inform the other respondent of your "insights" and risk legal action? Don’t say anything, and see if you secure the contract? If you don’t, do you say something after the fact? How do you take the high road in one sense but protect an unaware consumer on the other hand?

Here’s the thing: At times I feel that my level of integrity is too high. Or, better yet, it simply may be out of whack when compared to what is considered normal by today’s standards. You see, I come from an era where the morals and values that shaped my integrity came from a bit of a higher standard than for some individuals today. I am not afraid to say that this is a direct result of my strong Sicilian upbringing – a set of family morals that were instilled into me from day one – not to mention a mother that always carried the adage of, "I will forgive, but I will never forget." Oh, the guilt.

In today’s world, it’s the simple stuff. For instance, if you say you’re going to do something, then you should do it. It’s a matter of trust. And I think that when we are dealing with clients – no matter what the issue – we should always be doing so with the highest level of integrity possible.

Quite frankly, they expect you to be ethical ... but when you show them your integrity, you will have a relationship for life.