Honesty is one of the pillars of ethics, both in business and in life. We cannot progress as a society unless we are honest about our needs and desires. Similarly, businesses cannot expect to achieve long-term success unless they are honest in their practices with employees, customers, and other companies.
Honesty means different things to different people. To some, honesty simply means not intentionally misleading people through promises that can’t be delivered or false advertising. To others, honesty walks hand-in-hand with transparency, so that motives, results, and future plans are open for all to see.
Honesty is an ethical virtue that needs to be defined, committed to, and upheld – not just internally, but externally. Business owners, employees, customers, communities, and people everywhere can get much farther if we were all more honest with one another, and held each other accountable for our words and actions.
Implementing Honesty
We live in a very polarized culture right now, and some of that stems from people saying one thing and doing another. In the age of social media, everyone has a public voice, and we are prone to calling out dishonesty when we see it. However, this approach does not always yield results. In many cases, the response is for people and organizations to share less information, making transparency an impossibility. Yes, public declarations deserve public reactions. Shaming people and businesses for dishonesty is not always the answer. The best way to achieve honesty is to have open dialogues with each other. Businesses need to be upfront about what they are offering to customers, and ensure their sales and marketing departments uphold that honesty. Questions need to be answered directly and completely. Tasks and directives need to be issued contextually so that there is no room for misinterpretation. When possible, use simple and direct language so that all parties involved are on the same page.
Honesty allows us to work together and achieve common goals, both in business and in our personal lives. It is a virtue that is needed now more than ever.
The team at Nanaki Capital values the principle of honesty in practice. We are committed to honest relationships with our clients and business partners that encourage environments of respect and growth. Contact us for a business consultation and evaluation.
