❓❓ What does honesty and integrity mean to you in your business? 🤔
This question was sparked in our minds 🧠 as we were asked to do something that wasn't in alignment with our company core values. 🙏 We know for a fact, that if we fulfilled the request we'd make much bigger profits. 💰 TOTALLY tempting, yeah?? 🫣
But doing so, would come at the cost of doing something WE KNOW that isn't right 😣 and could bring negative consequences later. Even though others out there are doing it, it's not worth the risk to us. 🙅♀️ If you've been following us for awhile and are in our coach community group, you'd know we aim to do honest hard work and be the best we can be for our members. 🥲
Unfortunately, we live in a society that has lost its common decency. 😳 We've noticed more and more these days that there are dishonest entrepreneurs out there. There are those who ARE willing to compromise their morals in order to grab that larger paycheck. There are those who ARE willing to cheat, lie and steal from others in order to get ahead. 😬 The world no longer honors God and is not concerned much about "doing unto others". Sooo, what about you? Have you taken a hard look at your business practices and whether they are honest? Do your actions behind the scenes align with what you believe in? 🧐 Is having integrity in all that you do something you strive for? What about when it comes to supporting other businesses? Would you rather support a business who runs with integrity and is honest in their dealings? Your answers, should speak volumes! 🗣
Let's get started by taking a look at what honesty & integrity mean by definition.
💛 What does it mean to be honest? Free from fraud or deception. Truthful, ethical, fair, not lying or cheating. Being genuine, real, sincere, humble, good, worthy and marked by integrity. Having a good reputation.
🧡 What is integrity? The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. Having a consistent behavior to an adherence to a code of moral values even when no one is watching.
Since these two qualities are most always associated together, many assume they are the same. However, they do have some differences! Let's look at how these compare below:
💛 Honesty is the quality of being truthful, sincere and free of deceit. While integrity is steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code and doing the right thing at all times.
💛 Honesty deals more with words. Integrity deals more with actions.
💛 Honesty does not imply that a person adheres to a moral code. Integrity implies that a person does adhere to a moral code.
💛 Honesty is not a guarantee of integrity. Integrity is a guarantee of honesty.
💛 Honestly implies being truthful (even if not correct) about a subject at hand. Honestly, is to tell the truth. Integrity is having strong moral principles based on honesty and to follow those principles religiously.
In conclusion:
💁♀️ When a person is honest in his words and actions, they refrain from lying, cheating and deceiving. They also believe in speaking the truth at all costs. When a person is honest, others tend to have trust in that person.
💁♀️ When a person has integrity they always do the right thing no matter the cost. This is what takes honesty a step further. A person with integrity does the right thing as a principle that guides him. This kind of person will maintain their code of conduct even when no one is around. A person cannot have integrity without having honesty.
"Honesty is an expensive gift, don't expect it from cheap people."
WHAT might honesty & integrity look like in our workplace setting? 🤔
Integrity can extend to all areas of your business such as making important decisions, interacting with colleagues & partners, serving clients, the way you show up on social media and even the small day-to-day to-do list tasks. 📝
Here are a few character traits that a person with integrity should have and a quick example:
🧡 Expressing gratitude - A person with integrity doesn't take anything for granted and is very grateful to others always being sure to say "thank you".
Ex. Making sure to say thank you to someone who has taking time out of their schedule to meet with you.
🧡 Valuing openness & feedback - A person with integrity is open to hearing constructive criticism on how they could do better. They are open-minded and willing to hear other perspectives and learn something new.
Ex. You send out a survey asking for feedback on what you could improve on for their coaching experience. You receive the answers with an open-mind and are genuinely willing to see what you can do better.
🧡 Responsible & accountable - A person with integrity takes accountability for their actions. They are organized and proactive to ensure they deliver.
Ex. Making sure you send the meal plan or fitness program link when you said you would.
🧡 Respectful of others - A person with integrity value other people by showing them respect and keeping others' feelings in mind. They are careful with their words and consideration of what others' are communicating.
Ex. Making sure not to speak negatively about what someone is struggling with on their wellness journey.
🧡 Reliable, consistent & trustworthy - A person with integrity keeps their promises and follows through on promises without fail. They always tells the truth, even if the truth is ugly. Without trust, your clients will trickle away.
Ex. You are on-time for the coaching call and offer the discounted price that you promised the client.
🧡 Hardworking - A person with integrity strives to produce the best work possible and on time. They recognize that everything they do can impact their business. They show up on time and ready to work hard not trying to run the clock.
Ex. You make sure to double check the project you're working on before it is launched.
🧡 Helps those in need - A person with integrity is gracious to provide assistance to others when they can. They will go above and beyond to take care of someone who seeks help.
Ex. You are willing to extend a free resource to someone who is really struggling to get started and is on a tight budget.
🧡 Patient & flexible - A person with integrity is able to face challenges, delays and anything unexpected while maintaining calm. They are willing to find a different solution to the problem.
Ex. You are willing to find a solution for a client who has to cancel last minute on their coaching session and you remain positive and not let it stress you out.
🧡 Stands up for beliefs - A person with integrity stands up for what they believe in and practices it in their business. They do not compromise their beliefs in order to make a buck and sign extra clients.
Ex. You are a Christian and share faith-based tips even though others have asked you not to because it offends them.
🧡 Giving credit where credit is due - A person with integrity wants to shoutout others and make sure the original owner is recognized! They do not steal content and claim it as their own nor do they take content that they have not rightly paid for.
Ex. If you share content from another source (not created by you), you make sure to note it and tag them so others know who created it.
A few examples of business practices that LACK integrity:
Not treating every client fairly and with the same respect.
Underpaying or mistreating a client, colleague or business partner.
Misleading or misrepresenting your services and coaching abilities.
Overselling and then underdelivering on your promise.
Faking positive reviews and hiding negative ones.
Constantly being negative and talking bad about others.
Stealing other coach ideas and using them as your own.
Sharing paid content rather than referring to the source for purchasing.
"Integrity means doing the right thing, well, because it is the right thing to do! And that is what makes success."
🤩 Here are what some of the amazing coaches from our Facebook Group community had to say about honesty & integrity in their businesses:
Coach Christy - For me it’s about continuing the relationship past the sale. To really dig into helping them overcome obstacles that come up on their health and fitness journey.
To be coach with love but also accountability. Being true to no quick fixes and creating sustainable habits for my clients.
Coach Barb - Honesty & integrity in my business is being dependable & following through on commitments and being open & honest in my communications. I show up in my business ready to work & set a positive example in practicing what I’m saying/teaching.
Coach Suzette - Real service. Without expectations.
Coach Demetria - Honesty and Integrity look like leading with service and with the goals of the people you are serving in front, not your own. Transparency, honest conversations and mutual respect, even in the midst of disagreement.
Coach Jeannette - Honesty and integrity is making the connections and being there for your clients. Leading them, answering questions, helping any way you can. Giving them accountability but also showing them how to give themself grace when things don’t go as planned.
Coach Brandon - Honesty and integrity in my business is no different than in my personal life: being guided by service-centered thinking rather than self-centered thinking, under-promising and over-delivering, and honoring the gravity of the fact that people trust me with their health by being very mindful of what I say and how I say it and being emotionally attached to the positives and detached from the negatives. I could go on and on, but it all stems from the foundation of my mindset and thinking. Service-centered vs. self-centered, trusting the universe to provide.
“There are no moral shortcuts in the game of business or life, there are, basically, three kinds of people, the unsuccessful, the temporarily successful, and those who become and remain successful. The difference is character.” - Jon Huntsman, Sr.
Having honesty and integrity in your business is one of the most important qualities and the foundation of great leadership! 🙌 It can give your business a competitive edge, clients will favor & trust you, help save you in any difficult situations, make tough decisions easier and will cost you less in the long run. Remember, if we begin to compromise our integrity in small situations with little consequence, then it becomes very easy to keep compromising.
I think we can agree that integrity is a critical value for every Christian and entrepreneur. ✝️ As believers, we may live in this world but we are not of it. Our standards should be much higher than those of the world. 🌎
Sometimes the push and pull of everyday life may make us compromise our values or we may end up in situations where we don't intend to be dishonest. We cannot compromise as the world does. 👌 To always keep our word, to be able to walk with confidence and do what's right, we must rely on God to help us. He must be invited into our decisions daily. Our moral code is found in the Word of God. There are things we do that Jesus would not do and He should be our standard of integrity. 🙏
In Proverbs 28:20, God gives us a warning and a promise. He warns that "A person who wants quick riches will get into trouble." But to the one with integrity, His promise is, "The trustworthy person will get a rich reward." 💎 We encourage you today to make honesty and integrity a habit in your business! By staying committed to your morals, you can set a positive example for other entrepreneurs out there. 💖 Have any other thoughts on this? Make sure to join our Facebook Group and share in the discussion! We would absolutely love to hear how you practice integrity in your business or hear stories about when you had to face a tough decision in being honest. 🥹
"Integrity is being committed to a life of excellence, as our God is excellent. It is doing the right thing every time, no matter what it costs us."
"The righteous man walks in his integrity; blessed (happy, fortunate, enviable) are His children after him." - Proverbs 20:7
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