Seven reasons why global ethics should be part of the way you communicate.

Tom Venardos is a colleague of mine at the Institute of Management Consultants and we co-authored an article back in 1998. He wrote an excellent book on Consulting Success Using Higher Performance Standards (1997).

I re-read it today and decided that it is worth reviving, so I'm posting the link above and you can read the beginning of it here to decide if you want to see the rest... if you do, click on the title above.

Seven reasons why global ethics should be part of the way you communicate.


Communication World; 8/1/1998; Fung, Mei Lin and Venardos, Thomas



Professional consultants, companies and organizations that compete internationally will undermine their long-term profitability, professional development and client business if they fail to properly address and practice global ethics. These ethics include honesty in communicating with others, respect for differences, trust that others will engage in truthful transactions, and expectations that other people will keep their word. By observing global ethics and standards, professionals demonstrate their willingness to play by international rules and develop their business potential. They also show their sound and dependable character and reputation, their accountability and predictability during business transactions, their interest in long-term relationships, their potential as leaders in the global marketplace, and the uniformity in their professional life.

Consultants who choose to ignore or downplay global ethics in their practices are negatively affecting their long-term profitability, their professional development, and client business. Practicing global ethics is a must in today's diverse and global marketplace. Furthermore, it makes good business sense. based on our international experience we will illustrate a few concrete examples of global ethical issues, personal awareness along with a life-long learning approach to show how to make consulting practices more successful.

Some of the examples will be based on experiences all consultants encounter: learning about obvious social-cultural subtleties and differences, paying attention to current changes in various societies, being sensitive to unspoken or unwritten needs of the client, and promoting goodwill through use of high standards and professional communication.

What Is Meant by Global Ethics and Standards

Global ethics and standards exist in various forms and realities. These ethics include basic human interactions: respect for differences, trust that our counterparts will work with us in a truthful manner, honesty in communication with others, and expectations that each of us will keep our word and maintain credibility. The essence of global ethics and professional standards is based on self-understanding, tolerance of differences, appreciation for the unique, and curiosity of the unknown. Without the personal quest for experiencing new frontiers, and working with other professionals who have their own perceptions of us and ours of them, our professional life would be mundane.

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