It takes less time to do “Things Right” than to keep looking for “New Right Things”. Ethical behaviour is something that touches a SOUL; Ethos can overpower all lofty commercial promises that are made to sell a product

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Companies keep searching for a unique product and everything Unique to get the toplines and bottom lines moving. Crores shall be spent on achieving the right Manpower, right agency, right Infrastructure to get that Unique Selling Point (USP) that clicks in the market and get the Crores Inflow coming.  

In the midst of all this expansive search for excellence and exponential growth, something very simple - almost zero cost solution - what is totally missed is ETHICS.

A consumer while interacting with the End Seller/Channel partners is no doubt looking for the right product, but while doing his purchase decision is looking for a Product with a Rightful Parameters I.e getting the Genuine Product at its defined price without getting cheated; getting the virtues that it has promised, getting the service that it has been promised for.

A channel partner while dealing with a company, is looking for an organisation, that delivers what it promises not only on Product quality / Service but most importantly on promises that it makes - may it be on Commercial matters - Credit notes / Timely Deliveries / most importantly on Market- Channel Commitments.

Ethical Behaviour is something that touches a SOUL. Ethos can overpower all Lofty commercial promises that are made to sell a Product. It is the most overpowering deterrent that keeps all the Stake Holders may it be consumers or channel partners intact with the company for not only life but lifetimes to come.

Product offerings shall change in the marketplace dynamics can keep on changing but the USP of “Values” is something that remains forever. Most important it is not reactive to Ever changing Competitive Forces. It travels its own Journey and thus is something easiest to implement once there is a Will and determination. And the lightning speed with which the “ Positive Word of Mouth of Principles ” travels shall give results that can be unimaginable.

For a company of Huge Size, understandably it is not easy to instill the same values, right upto frontline level. But “Principles” need to be lectured extensively and permeated in blood of each of every employee while joining a company. Zero tolerance standards need to be set by Management when it comes to dealing with even an iota of Unethical Behaviour. Ethics must begin at top of the organisation. It is a Leadership Issue & Top Management itself needs to set an example by honouring its Commitments once it has been done to any stakeholders overriding the commercial implication. . A separate “ Ethics Implementation Budget” should be set aside by management may it be to reward the Moral behaviour of employees or may it be to fulfil even the wrongful proven commitments made by company employees at any level. There shouldn’t be any turning back on Promises made at any level by any business organisation may it be to a petty end consumer or may it be to a trade partner.

Even for Small Trading Organisations, “Morals” can be a very valuable tool in the market place to distinguish itself from Product Clutter / Price War / Commoditised Markets & a key enabler to Create an “Undefeatable Competitive Advantage” in Market. Rather than being only focussed on Selling Most Profitable Product, Recommending

Right Product for the Required Application can be an Un-Matcheable Differentiator in Customers’ Eyes.

As someone has rightly said that the most valuable investments i.e. “Your Reputation - Your Work Ethics - Your Trust Quotient" that you make; may be hard to measure. That’s why most businesses end up ignoring the 'Un- Measurable Magic Wand – ETHICS' and just keep INVESTING in 'Money' without realising the fact that that 'ROCE -Return on Commitments or Ethics' can be even a bigger and more Potent tool for the lifetime value of the company than to be only focussed on 'ROI Return on Investments'.

After all, it takes less time to do “Things Right” than to keep looking for “New Right Things”.

(The given article is attributed to Gaurav Aggarwal, Alumnus of Deptt of Chemical Engineering, Punjab University, Chandigarh; MDI Gurgaon. Currently Partner at BHARAT DISTRIBUTORS, PATHANKOT (Pb) - A Building Material Distribution House)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article above are those of the authors' and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of this publishing house