The bestseller There Is No Such Thing as Business Ethics written by John C. Maxwell focuses on 'main idea that rather than business ethics, people should simply focus on ethics (personal ethics). He suggests that we should live our lives according to what he calls the “golden rule”: How would I like to be treated in this situation? Maxwell believes this is the “golden rule” because all human beings want to be liked, trusted and understood. People should use the Golden Rule as a kind of flashlight when we have to make ethical decisions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayWith Maxwell's success and collaboration with large companies, in the book he explains how to overcome difficult situations using the golden rule. Explore how people can overcome the obstacles of compromising their actions on their ethical morals and how to build morals in line with the Golden Rule within the business world. Finally, he discusses the concept of how being the richest does not measure your success nor your happiness. People who go for gold will ask more questions about themselves rather than the golden rule. John C. Maxwell is a self-acclaimed small-town man. His journey didn't begin with the thought of becoming a bestselling author. Maxwell began his life as a pastor in a small town in Ohio. He soon began to realize the leadership that was transforming within him along with the connections he was making. Coming from his church roots, he had the mindset of having a mission to help others reach their full potential, something he dedicated his life to teaching. According to his website he states that "I believe it has the power to change us individually, connect communities, be a catalyst for businesses, and transform countries around the world." He did more than achieve these goals of teaching and connection; he became a New York Times best-selling author and was named the world's number one leadership expert by Inc. Magazine. He has developed many organizations that respect what he represents and the wisdom he is able to share and teach to individuals or companies. Conclusion There is no better book to read for a business ethics course than the bestseller There Is No Such Thing as “Business” Ethics written by John C. Maxwell. I believe this book is useful to any business professional or anyone who has difficulty making decisions ethics. Maxwell addresses the thorny question of what the foundations of ethics are in business. After reading the book, I believe that chapter seven, How to Develop the “Midas Touch,” is one of the most important chapters about how true wealth is no longer what makes us happy, but rather how we treat others. The main point of the chapter is to develop a “Midas touch” with others by focusing on them and adding value to what you can offer them. Maxwell explains how you should treat people better than you are treated, doing what you can to help people who can't help you, doing good when it's natural to do bad, and keeping your promises no matter what. the Golden Rule and having self-reflective questions allows me and others to develop our actions with the thought of ethical decisions with this fundamental rule. Having attended a college focused on servant leadership, the thought of having the Golden Rule as an ethical compass, along with developing my “Midas touch,” will make the battle formake decisions when I enter the business world within the next year.AppendixWhen you think about the topic of ethics, what is your gut reaction? Is it positive or negative? Is this something you'll look forward to thinking about, discussing, and applying to your life? After all, do you believe that a person can be ethical and still win? Explain. When I think about ethics, I think about what is morally correct. I expect ethics to be a positive aspect in someone's life, but many people live by negative ethics. I strive to display a positive ethic in my work as a leader and as a student because I know others are watching and perhaps following in my footsteps. I believe if someone is flexible with good ethics they can still win. You can adapt good ethical practices to fit the situation and the group to make everyone better. Do you use one set of behavioral standards for all areas of your life or do you use different ones, depending on where you are, who you are with, or what you are doing? Are you essentially the same person who uses the same standards at work and at home, with clients and family, while playing ball or helping at church? Do you believe it is possible and desirable to use only one standard in every area of life? Explain.I think I use different behavioral standards, depending on the people I'm with and the environment. I predict that I will be more professional in school or work, which changes my behavior when I am with my friends or in a casual environment. I'm the same person, just some aspects of my behavior, like my choice of words, change to fit my environment. I believe it is possible, but not always desirable, to have a standard in every area of life. I think that because you should be able to be the face of a company, but there's a time when that formality isn't as necessary as your family. Think of someone you trust completely. (If you can't think of anyone, explore why you are reluctant to trust people.) Now think about why you trust him or her. List the qualities that describe that person. I trust them because they have given me no reason not to trust them. This person has always been honest with me, respected me when I felt uncomfortable, and is always willing to listen to me when I too need someone to vent to. Trust in my past has been lost with many people, but I try not to drag it into new relationships with people. What do you currently use as an ethical guideline? Describe it. I wouldn't say there is a set guideline that I use, but in many of my decisions I consider what a Christian leader would do or what would best suit everyone. The Christian leadership guideline follows in line with what the college teaches us to serve others as servant leaders to follow in the way our Lord has also enabled us to. Another way to treat others the way you would like to be treated. When you interact with people, how do you naturally evaluate them? Do you consider them in terms of talent, wealth, intelligence, beauty or human ability? Or do you use some other criteria? Now that you've identified your natural inclination, think about how it might affect how you treat people. What impact might this have on your ethical standards? When I interact with people I evaluate them, as people say, first impressions count. When I meet someone for the first time, I judge them by their appearance, which can be considered a bad thing to do. I know it's not a positive way to judge someone, but it's my natural instinct to evaluate someone by their appearance on my first interaction. Even if looks don't justify how I act towards them, someone's personality and actions towards me are how I evaluate them. I think the look issimply the natural instinct of my judgment, but I don't form an official judgment until I interact and have a conversation with a person. I usually don't behave differently when it comes to evaluating them, the only way I would behave differently is if I behave formally or informally with them based on the atmosphere I interact with. What has been your reaction to the many variations of the Golden Rule in world religions? Do you think the universality of the Golden Rule is relevant to the argument for a single ethical standard? Why or why not? I find this very interesting because in aA world that focuses on the differences and negative aspects of the world can create common ground with ethics. Since ethics is such a controversial topic and discover how similar many different religions can have the same basis of the Golden Rule. I think the universality of the Golden Rule is a good standard for ethics because you can see that many different religions have the same idea of how people should act, regardless of your background. What are the benefits of using the Golden Rule as a guideline for personal ethical conduct? For business? What disadvantages do you see? This question makes me think of the “business is business” argument. I think many business oriented people are looking for wealth and not the general concept of business. Many people argue that there are no guidelines for ethical business because decisions can be difficult due to many different and changing factors in an issue. Personally I think it should be a guideline for personal and business ethics. That said, I think everyone needs to be educated on the topic of ethics and ethical decision making as well. There are always people who do things just for money and I think this is the biggest drawback to creating a set of ethical guidelines. Can you think of a situation where it would be difficult to apply the Golden Rule as an ethical standard? If so, explore who would be affected by the decision and how they would be affected. If you still notice difficulty, discuss the issue with a friend or colleague and see if you can submit an application. One of the discussions in class was: Would you steal from your company if your child had a rare disease and the insurance company denied you because there is no cure. I predict it will be a difficult decision because you don't want to harm your family or your job. If the only way to pay for treatment was to steal it would make things difficult. Having practice making ethical decisions with the Golden Rule, I feel that you can combat the thought of stealing and have alternatives to get the money. Even if it means working harder, organizing a fundraiser, or expressing your situation to your boss. In a society where people are willing to help, there is a way to find money to satisfy the need to find a cure for your boyfriend rather than taking it unethically and having to live with that thought. Jim Blanchard said some of the benefits of using the Golden Rule at Synovus were "lower turnover, fewer EEOC complaints, almost a disappearance of any kind of harassment problem." What benefits can you imagine for your company or industry? Creating an environment where people feel safe and respected will only allow the company to grow in numbers and people. Employees seek acceptance and want to be heard, being in an environment that has this set in stone, people will want to stay and grow. This will allow people to think that it doesn't actually work if you like your job. This will enable growth at the highest level. What kind of education or training in morals or ethics did you receive while growing up? Do you consider your experience a strength or adefect? Please explain. Attending a public school there were not many opportunities to explore how to develop a baseline of individual ethics. My family were educated, hard-working people, so I believe the way they raised me was the greatest education I received. They allowed me to be independent and seek out a religion that I fit best into. I was able to start traveling at a young age, which led to me studying abroad in high school. I attended Bible studies every Wednesday as I grew up to understand God's calling. Which led me to making mission statements in middle and high school. I feel like I've never had as much formal training on what my ethics should be as someone would have with a private education. I feel that the training I received was realistic and allowed me to develop as a person and find my best fit in life. Describe a situation in your past in which a person in authority expressed value, appreciation, and respect for you. Why does that incident affect you? How did you answer? I am helping a boy who has cerebral palsy and during a shift everything went wrong. Patrick lives with his parents and when I come over his parents plan a date night so we can get out of the house. One night I was getting Patrick ready for bed, I stood him up, then his feet slipped out from under him causing him to lose his balance but hang by his armpits. It was one of the scariest situations I've been in because I couldn't do anything because we weighed about 200 pounds. I finally had to find a way to get him out of the harness, which caused him to fall to the ground. I held off until his parents got home, which led to me crying because I felt so bad that others had to come and help lift him off the floor. His parents (my bosses) expressed their gratitude to me and knew nothing else could have happened, then offered me a shot of vodka to calm my nerves. I found their reaction very calming and reassuring because I was very shaken and no longer wanted to be responsible for taking care of Patrick. Two years later, I still take care of him and they always remind me what a blessing I am in their lives. Describe a situation in your past where someone treated you with disrespect or distrust. How did you answer? How did this set the tone for your interaction with that person? Were you able to work things out to build or restore the relationship? At my summer job the last two summers I promised to have certain responsibilities, but as the season went on I never had the opportunity to have them. I would ask my boss when I could start with those responsibilities or if I could join others who were doing those things. He would dismiss the questions and then give me a more challenging job. After two summers of doing this, I avoided interacting with my boss because I felt disrespected that they were simply ignoring my requests. To date I have never managed to build or restore the relationship even though they asked me to return for a third summer. When you meet people who are noticeably different from you, how do you respond to them? How does your approach affect your interaction with others? Are you willing to try to see things from another's point of view? What will it take for you to make the change? What area of your life will be most affected if you change? When I meet someone who is different, I don't act differently just because I like to get to know people first. When I meet new people I try to be funny because I think it sets the toneto conversations and can be more welcoming. My perspective may have changed after talking to that person because it gives me a clearer idea of who they are. How might bad character limit college and professional athletes in their lives and careers? How might bad character work against someone in your career area? Personally, people skills are extremely important when it comes to success. Being able to express your thoughts, goals, lead and communicate can lead someone to success. People will be able to play or work with them, creating the respect that can lead them to success. With poor character, people will turn away from those who can leave her alone and less successfully. Have you ever met someone who asserts an ethical position and lives something different? How credible is that person? What impact does this have on your life and work? Yes, I still find them credible because they respect my position in the position and never have the intent to disrespect or shortchange me. They have a huge impact on me because I rely on this person a lot, but it makes things easier to accept their position when we both respect each other's opinions. What is harder for you: making an ethical decision on your own when no one will find out, or making an ethical decision when other people pressure you to conform to a lower standard than yours? Making an ethical decision when other people pressure me to conform to a lower standard would be more difficult for me. Knowing that people don't respect my point of view on things and want me to conform when they can't see my point of view on things. I would be willing to listen because they think their decision would be right, but that doesn't mean it will influence me to change my morals. I also don't like pressure, I usually fall under pressure, but if my moral compass is strong enough I know I can stand up to my decision. What has been put in place in your profession or career area in terms of responsibilities? Do you think it's effective? Explain.The thought of disappointment. Disappointing people is a big concern for me in life, especially my parents. They do so much for me and all I want in life is to make them happy for investing in my future and allowing me to do the things I want to do. I think it's effective because, regardless of the work I do or the goals I set, they are achieved. It allows me to have a purpose to do well in school and find my dream career, no matter what it takes. Has there ever been anyone in your life that you have asked for accountability? What was that relationship like? Would you call it a success? Why? In a new job I always look for responsibility towards bosses and employees. I think so because I have always had good relationships with these people, even if there were sometimes disagreements. Who in your life is currently a candidate for the position of holding you accountable? My parents. They help me pay for my education, so doing well in school allows them to hold me accountable for continuing to receive that help. Which of the five factors is most often your problem area: pressure, pleasure, power, pride, or priority? Why do you think you are particularly sensitive in that area? Pressure, I always feel pressured in certain situations because most of the time I just want to fit in. There have been situations where I could defend myself and not fall into the pressure, but most of the time I want to fit in and so I fall into it. When you're under extreme pressure, how do you respond? Is your natural reaction to relieve the pressure at all costs? Or do you seek to grow and learn from the experience? Make aexample. I go a little crazy from the extreme pressure, but the task or job always gets done. It's natural for me to relieve pressure by taking a break or venting my problems to people. I usually grow from situations, that I don't usually view pressure as a bad thing. I think this course could be a great example of high pressure, having a semester class moved into a time frame of less than three weeks. This isn't a bad thing, but it gives me the opportunity to work on my procrastination and time management. Discipline learned in one area of life can help build character in other areas. Describe experiences in your life through which you learned to delay gratification and develop discipline. How can experiences and lessons learned help you become more disciplined in an area where you currently need improvement? Explain. How will you make the transfer? When I started working with Patrick, I was going to school to become an occupational therapist so I could work with children with special needs. After a few courses I realized that that path wasn't for me and I thought about whether it was worth working for Patrick. I continued because I knew they were having trouble finding people to work with Patrick and I really struggled with the workload because it was a new experience. Because I stuck with the job I didn't want to do, I developed so many skills I never imagined I had. Going for a business job, I thought this job would not bring any benefits, but I was talking to a business professor about my resume. He looked at this job and said he would hire me immediately because it shows how responsible and personal I was. I never thought I could connect this work experience to the business world. Strong leaders appear to be particularly prone to abuses of power. How would you rate yourself as a leader (on a scale of 1 to 10)? Describe any difficulties you have had with your sense of entitlement. I would say 6-7 as leader. I never want to become the leader, but when no one in a group wants to step up I do. I don't mind being a leader, I just sometimes have a lot on my plate and don't feel like I can dedicate enough time to it, and I don't want that to lead to disappointment in the group. Define your priorities. What are the three or five most important things in your life? Put them in writing. Now think about the potential conflict you will face because of these priorities. How will you deal with this conflict without compromising your ethics? Happiness, family, friends, God. I want to move after I graduate, which would lead to me moving thousands of miles away from my family, the people I rely on most in my life. After talking to them, they know it will make me happy to move and they said they are willing to support me and help me with the move. Their constant support helps with my morals, because the way I grew up shaped me. Their actions towards my priorities can help me develop those ethical skills towards my friends and family.Chapter 6In your career or career field, what kind of opportunities do people typically look for? How would you define “a golden opportunity”? What character qualities would be helpful to someone who wanted to make the most of such an opportunity? Not yet in my career field, but I foresee promotions being an opportunity. A “golden opportunity” would be something that I thought could be offered to me later with hard work and passion, but was given the opportunity right before any credibility was built. Which of the eight characteristics outlined in the chapter have you worked on the most.
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