Of Ethics and Priorities...

When reading the case study, I tried putting myself in in the shoes of Magdalena Yesil, seeing how I would react to each of the offers and decisions that she faced. I am not sure I would like the kind of life she was living. That is, I can’t see myself moving from company to company like she did. I like to have more stability and want to live in one area, avoiding having to move if I can. However, I can see why Yesil moved from company to company. She loved starting up new companies based on the ideas that she would get. She loved the feeling of companies taking off and thriving after opening. I want to have a similar experience in my future careers. I want to be in a career or company that I feel passionate about and where I can help others reach their dreams.

Reading through “Making a Living and a Life” was eye-opening to me. Seeing the different levels or grades that are given to people based on their motivations lets me know that I need to set my priorities sooner rather than later in order to better serve others.

This goes great in conjunction with the Personal Code of Conduct that we wrote. Here is mine so I can find it easier for future reference:

“I will never…” ethical guardrails –

• ·         I will never use company funds for personal expenses.
• ·         I will never cut corners to finish a project on time.
• ·         I will never blame others for my mistakes.

“I will always…” ethical guardrails –

• ·         I will always be honest.
• ·         I will always put my family first.
• ·         I will always keep the customer’s interest in mind.
• ·         I will always look for teaching opportunities.
• ·         I will always listen to my wife’s counsel.

I may add to this list later in the future as I think of new ideas. As I follow these ethical guardrails, my motivations will be able to stay at the A-level, with a love of God and fellowmen being first with income second. It was a little hard to write this list of ethical guardrails since I’m not married yet and I don’t have an established career. Writing them out will be very beneficial, though, as I will have them for when I do have a wife and career.