But here is the thing – I get the quality focus and the “get it right” philosophy process – like Six Sigma – no? What does Integrity have to do with it? Ethical behavior as a way to create quality control? Efficiency? Anyone pay attention to the news lately….

And then it struck me…that is the point – read the news and look at the mess much of the corporate world has gotten us into. It seems honesty might be a debatable virtue and even a line of defense. The sad and dirty truth is that many of the rules (or lack of them) allowed bad behavior and manipulation – ergo, there was “honest” behavior – or an approximation of honesty if you allow that all you did was push some rules to the limit in some cases, and in others as there were no rules, how were you to know?

And there you have it – honesty is just not enough. So what then is integrity? How do you define it so that it makes clear what mere honesty seems to leave in the world of fuzzy thinking.

And here is where today’s quote hopefully brings some clarity:

“Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.” – Oprah Winfrey

Do you see it?

Real Integrity has nothing to do with the rules – written or unwritten. It has nothing to do with who’s watching or not or how many regulatory bodies have you in their sights or how many promises you have made or papers you have signed.
It has everything to do with what you know is right or wrong – and with how you deal with that knowledge in the quiet and solitude of your own soul when your only audience or monitor is yourself.

I can point to just about every great relationship I know – business or personal – and bet that if it’s successful there is a high level of integrity involved. And I’m ready to bet the higher the integrity, the closer the relationship and the greater the level of trust. And the greater the level of trust, the more you can get done…see where this all goes.

Integrity – a mantra for a world where honesty has taken a clear beating and has lost so much value – a way to develop trust and credibility – a filter for our own behavior that is truly one’s own to be applied in the darkest dark of night when no one else is watching….

What do you think?

Clearly – before you all jump – it’s not always feasible There are times when it is in your client’s best interest for you not to pick up. Having said that – it’s the service concept that is at the core here.

Follow the path. Hold on for a call from Mr. Sable – reminds me of telemarketing – stay on the line to hear an offer you can’t refuse….

Again – sometimes expediency requires a boost – a little nudge. And people understand – but ask yourself – hold on for…by the way politicians are brilliant at this in the United States – as they “dial for dollars” – that is look for donations they use a dedicated cell phone and call directly (doubt they punch the buttons). What sounds better – Hi David this is Barack or please hold on for Senator Obama – which one has the better “offer” and shows more human insight?

We are invited to customer/client events. We do the minimum and leave. Or we do the maximum and stay the course. Would you – if you went to a family event leave before the main was served or before the ceremony was completed? If it was your event would you be bothered? Be honest – and by the way this is no different – a relationship is a relationship.

Rank…as I’m a Supervisor and you are not – or they are a junior client and I am a more senior agency type – is also problematic when viewed through the lens of relationship. One – we can learn from everybody; two — people are people; three — and practical in today’s world – you would be surprised (maybe not) at who holds budget power. Bottom line it pays to be nice; is practical and a good strategy – if for no other reason….

Simply put the real insight here is simple and succinct:

Once the game is over, the King and the pawn go back in the same box.
~Italian Proverb

And there you have it. At the end of the day – in the dark – naked – not a lot of difference – is there?

We live in a schizophrenic world. On one hand we talk about how globalization has made our planet a small village—making us all more alike than different. On the other hand, the news is full of examples, many violent and sad, of just how different we really are and how important understanding those differences can be.

Ergo: All Relationships Are Local.

Advertising smoothes the rough edges of global positioning and execution: look and feel, graphics, tone and manner. You know the words. Ok, there is an occasional gaff—a product name that doesn’t translate without a rude context; colors that have deeper cultural and often counter to concept meanings; headlines and tag lines that are meaningless. Yet on the whole, it works.

But, by definition, relationships are social in nature (Stewart Pearson and Mark Taylor are the evangelists for this). And by definition that makes them super local, as local as you and I speaking or having a meal together – face to face.

To me, this principle, All Relationships Are Local, is the mantra of the new age of marketing. Globalization gives us audiences for products but relationships are what sell. And…All Relationships are Local!

It’s not one or the other – globalization is a factor and an important one. It’s the realization that the tension between globalization and localization is complex, yes, but it’s also addressable.

As the following says:

It’s a small world, but I wouldn’t want to paint it.
- Steven Wright

And there you have it! Put away your paintbrushes…

Your thoughts?

p.s. – Newsweek carried a piece by Daniel Gross that was really focused on US business audiences but does carry the kill the big paint bucket message and in that sense is universal. The Article was called “Mickey’s Management Mojo” (http://www.newsweek.com/id/69532) and here is an excerpt:

“Finally, every CEO should take at least three or four rides on It’s a Small World and then spent the rest of the day in Epcot. For years, the United States has been shrinking as a global economic force, a trend that is accelerating with the continuing boom in Asia and the domestic slowdown. For more and more companies, future growth and prosperity will depend on penetrating foreign markets. But Americans aren’t so much innocents abroad as ignoramuses abroad. A day at Disney can remedy all that. It’s a Small World is like an animated version of Thomas Friedman’s “The World Is Flat.” Epcot allows visitors to immerse themselves in the cultures and cuisines of 11 countries, from Mexico to Norway, in 40 compact acres.

Of course, it should be noted that despite the great efforts made to create authenticity—the Japanese hibachi joint was staffed entirely by Japanese—Epcot doesn’t provide a uniformly realistic experience. In Epcot’s European countries, the dollar still retains some value.”

So while this does skew towards our US colleagues – there are lessons for all…