 To Do or Not To Do…That is the Ethical Question
by Patty Kreamer, CPO
Did you ever get stuck making a decision about something that just didn’t feel right? If so, you are not alone. Life is nothing but a long series of choices—some are no-brainers, but others may not be as black and white as we would like. This is where a great deal of intense decision-making is required.
So what’s so hard about that? Well, another ingredient you need when making decisions is a healthy dose of knowing the difference between right and wrong. That is where the problem lies.
Ethical behavior revolves around making smart, gut-based decisions – to do or not to do…that is the ethical question.
The National Speakers Association has a Code of Professional Ethics by which its members must abide. I think it would be helpful to look at each article of this code and break down its meaning in layman’s terms. So here goes.
Article 1: The NSA member shall accurately represent qualifications and experience in both oral and written communications.
In other words: Don’t lie about who you are, where you’ve been, or what you’ve done.
Article 2: The NSA member shall act, operate his/her business, and speak on a high professional level so as to neither offend nor bring discredit to the speaking profession.
In other words: Put the PROFESSIONAL in professional speaker.
Article 3: The NSA member shall exert diligence to understand the client's organization, approaches, and goals in advance of the presentation.
In other words: It’s not all about you; it’s about the client.
Article 4: The NSA member shall avoid using materials, titles, and thematic creations originated by others, either orally or in writing, unless approved by the originator.
In other words: Don’t steal the material of your fellow professional speakers or the materials created and owned by others. Don’t forget, this includes music. It is not flattering to hear someone else presenting your material.
Article 5: The NSA member shall treat other speakers with professional courtesy, dignity, and respect.
In other words: Treat others as you would have them treat you. Never badmouth your fellow speakers – it’s bad karma and it will come back to bite you sooner or later.
Article 6: The NSA member shall maintain and respect the confidentiality of business or personal affairs of clients, agents, and other speakers.
In other words: The rule is confidentiality unless otherwise specified. Put simply, don’t blab.
Article 7: The NSA member shall protect the public against fraud or unfair practices and shall attempt to eliminate from the speaking profession all practices which bring discredit to the profession.
In other words: Don’t help spread nasty rumors; be honest; and clear up any misunderstandings.
Article 8: The NSA member shall not be a party to any agreement to unfairly limit or restrain access to the marketplace by any other speaker, client, or to the public, based upon economic factors, race, creed, color, sex, age, disability, or country of national origin of another speaker.
In other words: Don’t discriminate.
Generally, this code of ethics is not hard to live by. But some situations are not always so clear. For this exact reason, NSA has an ethics committee that you can email or call should you come across a scenario that is not clear to you, or you are not quite sure of how to approach the situation. You can contact the current Chair of the Ethics Committee, for 2005-2006, Gary Rifkin, at Gary@EncoreEncore.biz to file an ethics complaint.
If you ever wonder just how you can determine the right thing to do, try putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. For some people, this is a natural reaction; but for others, it never crosses their mind. Let me tell you, it works. Always ask yourself, “If I were on the receiving end of this, how would I feel?”
Sometimes with ethics, there is no black and white answer, but your gut is screaming what is right. Never ignore your gut.
If you want to live your life and run your business ethically and with integrity, just do the right thing—even when nobody is looking—and you should stay out of trouble.
To do or not to do…that is the ethical question.
Here's to simplifying your life!
© 2006 Patty Kreamer
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