Integrity
Integrity
complete. In this context, integrity is the inner sense of "wholeness" deriving from
qualities such as honesty and consistency of character.
A good example of integrity would be anything that adheres to the definition of it.
The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.
Let's discuss as to how having honesty and integrity is important in the workplace.
... Honesty is the quality, condition, or characteristic of being fair, truthful and morally
upright, while integrity is the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high
moral principles or professional standards.
Honesty and integrity are quite similar, as true integrity actually requires honesty.
According to the dictionary, honesty is "truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness; freedom
from deceit or fraud." Integrity is "adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness
of moral character; honesty." The difference, therefore, is that honesty simply means
telling the truth, while integrity means having high moral character and living by a strict
set of ethics and principals (i.e., doing the right thing, whether it benefits you or not).
You can have honesty without integrity, but you cannot have integrity without honesty.
Integrity means following your moral or ethical convictions and doing the right thing in
all circumstances, even if no one is watching you. Having integrity means you are true to
yourself and would do nothing that demeans or dishonors you.
How to Have Everyday Integrity
Keep your promises even if it takes extra effort.
Go back to a store and pay for something you forgot to pay for.
Never betray a friend's trust even if you get in trouble.
Inform the cashier he gave you too much change back.
Do not gossip or talking badly about someone.
Remain true to your spouse or partner.
When in a serious relationship, don't keep secrets from each other.
Return money that you noticed someone dropped without expecting a reward.
Ignore someone's advice on how to cheat on your taxes and not get caught.
Do not let someone else take the blame for something you did.
If someone gives you confidential information, never tell anyone what you know.
When it is obvious to you a relationship is over, don't drag it out but discuss it
openly.
Integrity in the Workplace
Work when you are supposed to and save socializing, snacking, searching the
Internet and personal phone calls for break time.
Turn in the extra change you found in the soda or snack vending machine.
Show respect to coworkers with appropriate conversation and empathy.
If you are in management, keep your employees informed so they will know what is
coming and what needs to be done.
Adhere to company policies and procedures.
Be responsible. Do what you say you will do.
Use materials for work and not personal use.
If you make a mistake and a team's project gets messed up or you miss a deadline,
own up to your mistake. Don't let teammates take the fall.
Work together as a team. This builds trust and shows integrity.
Never steal supplies from the workplace.
If you find yourself in a conflict of interest, get out of it as soon as possible.
Don't accept praise of acclaim for someone else's work. That includes stealing
someone's idea or pretending to have worked on a successful project.
When making a business deal, make sure everything is on the table and nothing was
left out.
If your company asks you to do something against your personal code of conduct,
refuse. If it means losing a good paying job, so be it. Find a more ethical company to
work for.
Integrity in Quotes
"Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing
because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity." - W.
Clement Stone
"Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know
whether you did it or not." - Oprah Winfrey
"Perhaps the surest test of an individual's integrity is his refusal to do or say
anything that would damage his self-respect." - Thomas S. Monson
"One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised." - Chinua
Achebe
"You are in integrity when the life you are living on the outside matches who you are
on the inside." - Alan Cohen
Remember, understanding the actions caused by integrity starts with knowing what is
important and holding fast to that idea, even when it is not convenient or to your
benefit.
“Live your life with integrity… Let your credo be this: Let the lie come into the world,
let it even triumph. But not through me.” – Alexandr Solzhenitsyn
When it seems like all the world is engaged in lies and
deceit, it can be tough to hold onto your integrity. Yet, this is so crucial to living life in harmony and
balance that it bears reconsidering the effort it takes to do so.
What is integrity?
Integrity is:
This all may sound easy enough. However, it isn’t always easy to live with integrity. At times,
everyone is tempted to take the easy way out, to compromise their beliefs, to give lie to their values.
While this may help in the short turn, it does nothing for your humanity. Each time you avert your
eyes and walk away from your integrity, it chips away at your spirit. There is a cumulative effect of
this negativity, of this denying of your true self. You may think you’ve escaped unscathed, but you
really haven’t.
How to live a life of integrity
If you want to learn how to live life with integrity, try this: Start with something small.
Take an activity you do regularly and examine how you can do your best at it. For example, if you
look forward to stopping off at a local coffee house to get your morning latte or cappuccino and
quickly hurry to your car to be on your way, imagine yourself being on a deserted island with an
espresso machine and no human being to keep you company or exchange pleasantries with. As a
social animal, wouldn’t you do almost anything to hear and reciprocate a few kind words? Now,
since you have the opportunity – and it only takes a few seconds – say hello and smile to the person
next to you in line. Say something kind to the barista or cashier. This small act can reap many
rewards. For one thing, you’re bringing a bit of yourself into the situation, sharing your humanity,
being real. You may inspire someone else to do the same, like paying it forward. It also makes you
feel good. Everyone wins.
The hard part about living in integrity is not suffering the lie, but doing something about it. Take the
example of someone gossiping or bad-mouthing a co-worker, boss, or someone you know in your
presence. Should you remain silent about these negative comments? Should you defend the
individual? How should you handle this situation with integrity?
It’s too easy to say it depends, but the truth is that you know, deep inside, what you need to do. You
can’t just say or do nothing, not if you intend to live with integrity. Here are a few suggestions:
Put a stop to it by saying that there’s work to be done and this is no time to engage in pettiness.
Praise the maligned individual’s good traits or stand up for your friend.
You can also walk away — but this is better done after you’ve made your point about not being
willing to listen to such negativity about a person you both know.
Maybe you’ll be ostracized by this bad-talker. Maybe you’ll be the next recipient of his or her
vitriolic comments. Maybe, but you will be living in integrity. You will be living in accordance with
your beliefs and values and living with authenticity. And that trumps negativity every time.