Working with integrity: without rounding a figure or inflating a result
At work, temptation is rarely spectacular. It takes the form of a figure rounded to our advantage, a result presented slightly better than it is, a task declared finished when it isn't quite. This quest invites you to do your task of the day honestly, without makeup.
What it looks like in your day
Integrity at work is played out in the details. Here are a few concrete situations:
- Hours. Declaring the time actually worked, without counting the extended break or the personal chat.
- Figures. Presenting results as they are, including when they are worse than expected.
- Deadlines. Announcing a delay instead of saying “It's almost ready.”
- Mistakes. Reporting an error as soon as you see it, instead of hoping nobody notices.
- Resources. Not taking equipment home, not using company resources for personal use without permission.
- Relationships. Acknowledging other people's work instead of taking the credit.
For your day, choose one area and apply it: “Today, I give an exact figure, even if it is worse.” If you are a student, it may mean handing in your own work, citing your sources, not inflating your references. If you are self-employed, it means invoicing fairly.
If you are short on time, remember this: one exact figure, one mistake acknowledged, one realistic deadline. If you are shy, integrity is often silent: it doesn't ask for grand speeches, only a consistent way of doing things, day after day.
What the Bible says
The book of Proverbs returns several times to rigged scales:
“A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight.”
At the time, silver and goods were weighed on scales. A false scale allowed the buyer to be cheated. God declares it an “abomination.” This principle of justice in exchanges is already written in the law of Moses:
“Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure. Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.”
And the prophet Micah sums up what God asks:
“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
Doing justice, loving mercy, walking humbly: three requirements that are lived out in everyday life, including at work. The weights and measures of your time are your figures, your hours, your invoices, your reports.
Pitfalls to avoid
Justifying yourself with “everybody does it.” Common practices are not necessarily honest. Keep your own measure.
Excessive rigidity. Integrity doesn't mean nitpicking. It is not about justifying everything to the second, but about not deceiving on purpose.
Pride. Being honest doesn't give you a higher rank. Stay humble with colleagues who do things differently.
Denouncing without thinking. If you discover dishonesty in a colleague, don't make it public lightly. Seek advice, speak to the person first if possible.
Getting discouraged under pressure. Sometimes integrity costs: a lost contract, a criticism. Keep in mind that integrity is worth more.
Today, spot an opportunity to be exact in your work (a figure, an hour, a deadline). Choose the truth.