A Note from Bill Tindal

Relationships
Written by Bill Tindal

I’m proud to say that throughout my career, I’ve been able to work with anyone as long as they behave with integrity. Most definitions of integrity include a moral component. The example Tim writes about above shows why. Falsifying time is stealing. Period. It has no place in our business and shows both a lack of integrity and morality. What I’d like to highlight are the disagreements we sometimes see play out in the news. I enjoy debating issues with people who have strong convictions. A passionate debate about important issues is one of the things that make this a great country. But we need to avoid the trap of seeing the other person as “wrong” or “bad.” If I’m bit by a snake while hiking, I may be frustrated. But I shouldn’t be angry with the snake. It’s behaving with integrity.

A colleague I once worked with had a terrible reputation for being hard to work with. I have to admit he could be very “direct” at times, and you certainly knew where he stood on a topic. Some people really liked working for him. Others didn’t and they frequently found other departments to work in. My guess is that he was just fine with that. There were times when I disagreed with how he treated people. While I learned a great deal from him, I admit some of what I learned was what not to do. That said, he was a man of great integrity. You could count on him to say what he thought. And, if he made a commitment, he kept it. And if there’s one value that is a foundation to many others it’s integrity.

Trust, Transparency, and Teamwork all require Integrity as their foundation. So, remember when you have to work with someone that you’d rather not, focus on their integrity and your own. Let that be the foundation of your relationship.