Managerial integrity (Ukázka, strana 99)

98 G. W. Allport characterizes a mature personality using 6 types of behavior: 1. Having a broad awareness of your own “I” with activity in many areas of life and with adequate love of yourself.

2. Being capable of friendly interaction and warmth without possessiveness or jealousy.

3. Having emotional certainty and self-confidence and being able to overcome various obstacles and your own shortcomings without bitterness; knowing how to express your opinions and feelings with regard for others.

4. Seeing things realistically, as they really are, not as you would like them to be; attempting to achieve realistic objectives.

5. Having a view of yourself and humor. Knowing your weaknesses and strengths.

Being able to laugh at yourself and with others that you love without weakening them.

6. Having a harmonized philosophy of life – being consistent and having a dominant goal or topic, finding sense and tasks from life.

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managerial integrity

He is not a mind-reader.

He is able to listen to others and look at the world from their perspective. He knows that his view of the world around might differ from that of others. This is why he does not create different assumptions without talking about them with the people these assumptions concern.

He has doubts “about things”.

Having doubts about things means accepting that something might be different. It is not a passive stance, but active skepticism.

Of course, having doubts about things does not mean constantly doubting principles or values.

He trusts himself and others.

Having continual doubts about yourself and others means carrying a lot of uncertainty. Trusting yourself and others, meanwhile, does not mean blocking any feedback or self-reflection or excluding your conscience. Trusting yourself and others means having the ability to see qualities.

He does not talk negatively of people who are not there.

It is entirely unacceptable to doubt the qualities of a subordinate in front of his colleagues or his own subordinates without that person being present. You can, of course, be critical of certain behavior and provide clear and direct feedback about events for which you would like a different resolution or result. Always in the presence of the person whom the feedback concerns, of course. It is better if there is nobody else there. Sometimes, of course, perhaps at a meeting, we cannot resist comparison. Here we need to stay on the factual level, with no personal interpretation.

It is more complicated in the situation in which we are talking to our bosses about how we see our staff. In such a situation, the basic rule is to apply the same rules to one as to another, meaning comparison according to the same criteria.

He treats others with respect, does not devalue and does not use others to make sure he gets ahead himself (does not clamber over others).

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managerial integrity

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99

Follows on from what we have just said. Moreover, here we sometimes see the need to devalue the results of others to emphasize our own quality, something akin to, “The more I bring down others, the more I will stand out myself.”

You can respect and recognize the qualities of others without bringing yourself down. Respect is a category that is never exhausted by use.

He admits his mistakes without feeling hurt.

To many, making a mistake is synonymous with poor quality. If you make a mistake and have this feeling within you, you ultimately see yourself as less worthwhile. Just imagine your mother, a great cook.

What if she makes a bad meal? Does she stop being a good cook?

Our quality is not about the absence of mistakes, but examples of what we do well. As some people say, if you can do it once, you can do it again. Others, of course, are of the opinion that being able to do something once is more a question of luck. If you look at things like that, you are more sensitive to errors.

He is courageous. The world around and the future are opportunities to him.

As Ferlinghetti’s famous poem says, “The world is a beautiful place to be born in.” This does not preclude critical, skeptical examination of reality and, in particular, courage.

He has a sense of humor.

The kind that does not cause hurt. The mature personality uses humor to create an atmosphere, lighten a situation, and bring a new perspective to a problem.

How to be unhappy An unhappy person does not take life in his own hands, moans about injustice, about how fate is dumb, and looks for a culprit and the truth instead of dealing with the situation at hand. Obstacles and failure are evil. Threats are not a challenge. It is better not to make plans so as not to be disappointed. They think intensely in terms of “if only” and “when…”. They simply avoid different problems, blame themselves or others, and think in terms of wishes.

All this unhappiness makes sense, though; it is not pure foolishness. It acts as an excuse for not being successful and as a way of avoiding the bitterness of possible failure. What is missing here is an awareness that failure is almost always an essential stage of success. These unhappy people barricade themselves in against disappointment and failure, preferring not to get involved in anything. It is hard, then, for them to acquire a sense of their own worth, something that can be had only by doing things you know why you are doing.

Integrity appears in the competency models of various companies.

One example is the competency model at Philip Morris:

Integrity

Characteristic

Examples of observable behavior

Acts in complete compliance with the guidelines and rules of behavior adopted by the company, recognizes its aims and values, is honorable and trustworthy, an inwardly integrated person.

Fully recognizes the guidelines and rules of behavior adopted by the company.

His/her opinions, words and actions are in harmony with each other.

Always unambiguously governed by the truth in all his/her actions.

Takes responsibility for his/her own mistakes.

Shows the courage to stand up for opinions and people.

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100 Prominent humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers offers 5 characteristics of fully-functioning, healthy people: 1. An openness to experience. They are in touch with their feelings and listen to themselves without feeling threatened. They are open to all possibilities and do not block them.

2. T hey live an all-round life to the full. They are flexible and tolerant, but not experience hunters.

3. T hey trust their own judgment and do not succumb to surrounding pressures. Their decisions are not controlled from outside.

4. They are independent and are able to make room for freedom of choice, taking responsibility for it.

5. They have productive ideas and are creative.

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managerial integrity

I met many remarkable people at the company in question, people who inspired and influenced me a great deal. It is an ethical paradox.

A company whose products are ethically controversial to many, that has obviously managed to say that smoking kills, leads its managers in such a way as to know how to respond when a son or daughter criticizes them for working where they do or begins smoking underage. This was a very demanding thing to do from the perspective of integrity.

Moral integrity American psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg articulated the stages of moral development of individuals and this has been adapted to describe the stages of development of an organization: Moral development of an individual

Moral development of an organization

Pre-conventional level Stage 1 Obedience and punishment driven.

Moral conduct is determined by its physical consequences. Avoidance of punishment and resorting to violence are typical of this stage.

Stage 1 Social Darwinism. Moral conduct is determined by fears of extinction and the need for financial survival.

Stage 2 Naïve, purpose-driven hedonism.

Behavioral mindsets are determined by the need to satisfy individual pleasures (needs).

Stage 2 Machiavellianism. Company success determines action. Successfully achieving objectives justifies the use of any effective means, including the manipulation of individuals.

Conventional morality Stage 3 The morality of the “obedient child”. Behavior is determined by what others approve. A good person is one who satisfies the needs and meets the expectations of family, friends, and peers.

Stage 3 Conformism. There is a tradition of how to do things (rules of operation and procedures) and groups that attend to this.

Proper or improper behavior is based on societal norms and recognized professionals see to it that these are respected.

Stage 4 Morality based on authority. Most important is to meet the requirements of authority, adhere to the social order and “do your duty”.

Stage 4 Loyalty to authority. Moral criteria are determined by whoever has power. Those that have legal power in the societal hierarchy decide what is right and wrong.

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