Honesty in Business

Honesty in business. An underrated topic! I think if we would pair intuition with honesty in all business dealings - really all of life - we'd all be amazingly successful. But, fear keeps us from using either our intuition or our honesty.

We're afraid that if we follow our gut on decisions, we might be making the wrong judgment and therefore lose an opportunity. But, how many times have you ignored our intuition only to find out you were right? Imagine the last time you met with someone and you had that nagging feeling that doing business with him or her wouldn't be the best thing in the long run? You sensed that he's a flake and won't pay his bills or she's a control freak and will want every hour of your time? But, you forged ahead thinking you could ignore that little voice inside. Then, a week or a month or even a year later, you're facing some stupidity that your gut would probably spared you...had you only listened!

We're afraid that if we tell people what we think, we'll risk that next contract or even just being liked by people. Honesty doesn't have to be nasty. I'm not suggesting that you tell everyone you meet every little thing you think. Stan's tie may be the ugliest thing you've ever seen, but what does telling him that really accomplish? I'm talking about being courageous enough to tell the truth when it does matter. Instead of going along to get along, be willing to express your own opinion. And, instead of saying yes to every possible business deal, be okay with saying no and being upfront about your reasons. Delivered respectfully and concisely, honesty can be a huge help to your business dealings and relationships. Honesty brings focus and clarity. Remember, the truth can set you free!

Here's what I know at the ripe old age of 39. When I've ignored my intuition or decided to skip the truth, I've paid a price. So, I continue to practice trusting my gut and the truth. And though I sometimes succumb to fear, I find myself buoyed when I boldy step forward with true words and actions.

Post-Election Haze

I stayed up a little too late last night watching the election returns. As you might imagine, I'm pretty happy about what happened at the national level as the Democrats have taken control of the house. Now I hope they can make me proud. All I ask is that you do something. Stay out of trouble. If you make a bad joke, fix it right away.

Yesterday afternoon, I heard an interview with a journalist who had recently returned from Baghdad. He reported a number of interesting observations, the most mindnumbing of which being that in Iraqi-on-Iraqi violence, a preferred method of death by torture is by the use of electric drills. As I went about my day and heard chatter about how the war is a good thing, I couldn't keep the words and resulting images from my head. How is it good that we've ripped open the people of Iraq? How?

While I do not support our president or this war, I'm terribly happy to be living in the U.S. where I can earn a living that puts me in the upper financial echelon of the world. Where I have an abundance of choices. Where I can gripe and moan about politics all I want.

The Political Compass

Alrighty...I'm on a roll now. I've taken "The Political Compass" to see where I stand on two dimensions. Here's what they say about me:

Economic Left/Right: -3.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.10

This puts me in the company of The Dalai Lama. I'm okay with that.

Nila's Political Profile

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 35% Conservative, 65% Liberal

Social Issues: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

Personal Responsibility: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal

Fiscal Issues: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal

Ethics: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

Defense and Crime: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

I have wondered where I stand. So, I did a Google search and found this quiz. Check it out if you want to see where you stand.