Partner Article

Authenticity & Self Governance in Business

“Honesty is the best policy. If I lose mine honour, I lose myself.“ William Shakespeare

In a recent interview, [Ve Interactive](http://www.veinteractive.com/? target= “Ve Interactive homepage“) was asked about our policy on the importance of self governance in business and how we’ve gone about building trust in our industry, where handling cart recovery data and compliance, privacy and security play such key parts.

It was a great question. Self governance and trust are topics that are increasingly being discussed in business circles, especially post the Libor rate-rigging scandal.

And our response?

“Well, building a business reputation takes time. It’s not about promotion, it’s actually about building a responsible business environment where honest and unwavering commitment to the highest ethical standards of conduct and service is sanctioned at every level.”

However, sadly it seems there is a deficit in trust and values in the contemporary workplace. In The How Report, apparently only 6 percent of employees polled, observed that they work in a company with a strong sense of values to inform their actions! Something that has to cascade down from the business leaders themselves.

So to answer the question, we believe it’s about aligning your values and behaviours with your purpose and business strategy. It’s about being smart and earning your business’ reputation rather than managing it, and these self-governing dynamics will produce competitive advantage and superior performance in both innovation and in the company’s financial performance too.

In other words it’s about out-behaving the competition.

Or as the Roman Emperor, Marcus Aureluis put it, “If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Kathy Heslop .