Character Requires Accountability

Character requires accountability!

How much have we learned from our past failures? We live in a time where mass confusion exists with regard to politics, economics and the issues that drive business growth. On one hand we hear that the small business needs to be taxed, on the other hand we hear that the small business should not be taxed. Those statements seem a bit double minded, divided and confusing. It is reasonable to acknowledge that by the time this article is read we most likely will have a new President in our country. Both candidates currently running for President suggest a need for change. I would agree with both candidates change does need to occur, but it happens only when we are authentically pursuing an improvement process that includes accountability and an openness to advance toward a positive end. The real challenge with change is not to simply understand the need intellectually but to do the things that would connect to that intellectual understanding. We call that doing what we said we would do even to the expense failure. I would much rather fail at something then to agree intellectually and never try to apply that truth to my life.

If asked the purpose for business, many would agree that the purpose of business is to be profitable. In fact, the well known economist Milton Freidman once declared, “The only obligation of a business is to make a profit.” 1

It strikes me that if making a profit is the only goal of business we are small-minded and have a narrow view of the purpose of what business can potentially be about. In interviewing business owners and their employees I hear a deeper desire beyond just simply making money and getting by that wants to explore a deeper view that has meaning beyond earnings. I hear sparks of desire to do more, be more and achieve more than is often afforded in a traditional job, and even hear unmet needs that cause frustration and poor performance. Even with the poorest attitude expressed by the defeated employee given an opportunity to do something meaningful that fulfils a bigger purpose is the general desire that tends to be unmet. If purpose is not installed competence exits and opposition is the undesired replacement that leads to diminishing returns identified in a spirit of complacency, apathy and poverty thinking. This fact should alarm any business owner of their need to engage in a relationship that provokes accountability to meaningful purpose.

Many people have lost hope in the promises made by political voices and even those who are leading the small business community. That stated the solution is to take time to recognize the need to develop an honest and meaningful purpose that will accomplish more than simply being obligated to financial profitability. A need that is largely ignored but screaming from the belly of small business is to engineer the business around significance that involves purpose that fulfils the need that is core to every persons desire to succeed.

Success can be measured only when purposeful benchmarks are accomplished, and those performing recognize the significance of their collaborative work. Significance can be measured only when the goals met achieve the purpose that accelerates the agenda of improving the future after your time expires.

So here are two examples of people working for the same company that operate with purpose, but the purpose of the company is unclear and so the results are disoriented. I had occasion to remain on a project that required an additional day of my time to ensure that the work accomplished would be implemented well. The extra day required me to contact my rental car agency to advise them of the need to extend my car an additional day. I called and explained to the person working for the rental agency that I needed to remain an extra day, he brashly referred to the rental agreement clause that if the car was not returned on the date I had negotiated originally that there would be a $ 200.00 penalty. He was rude and unwilling to make any concessions based on the fact that all the cars were rented and he needed his car returned or I would be penalized. I heard and understood his position, and in my mind made a check mark next to that car rental agency that said I would never do business again even though I agreed to the contract. The bottom line is that he was right, dead rite. Dead because once I returned the car would never use this agency again.

To ensure that I understood the score card I decided to call that same company back immediately after being told that I would be penalized if I did not return the car the next day and reached a woman who was pleasant with an excellent attitude. I expressed my same need to extend my time, she with out any hesitation advised that if I wanted to extend my time my currently discounted rate would apply. I would pay only what I had originally negotiated and there would be no need to return the car because they had plenty of cars available for the customers the next day.

The point is that the woman obviously understands her purpose which is to serve the client well; the rude man was only interested in how much commission he gets at the end of the week. So, the question is, how important is purpose?

1 Michael Josephson, “Making Ethics Part of Our Business.” Mortgage Originator, December 1994, 9.