The Good, the Bad, and Your Business: Choosing Right When Ethical Dilemmas Pull You Apart

Does the need to make a profit outweigh the need to reward employees fairly? Should you tell your staff why you fired someone and risk being sued for defamation? Is it more important to make payroll or pay your vendors? Business professionals face ethical decisions like these every day. Such dilemmas will keep even the most seasoned managers tossing and turning at night. You can rest assured that at some point in your career you''ll be faced with making, or witness the making of, an ethical decision-and the action you take will not only define you, but also what your company stands for. The pressure to make the right choices is incredible; indecision or one small misstep can be the kiss of death in today''s highly competitive, fast-moving economy. Productivity can drop off, employee morale can plummet, dissatisfied customers can flee, and your competitor may take a large bite out of your profits-while the dilemma remains unsolved. The Good, The Bad, and Your Business shows companies how to run more efficiently by improving their navigation of everyday moral business dilemmas. Respected writer and journalist Jeffrey Seglin reveals how otherwise decent people can make mistakes and find themselves in serious ethical trouble. His practical approach uses real-life examples to help you see the difference between a "gray area" and an outright misdeed so you can act faster when faced with such ethical decisions. Without being preachy or theoretical, The Good, The Bad, and Your Business looks at how others have faced moral dilemmas and gives you the tools to help you reach your own decisions. You''ll see firsthand how businesspeople have grappled with difficult issues, from how to draw the line between lying and posturing, to whether it''s ever ethical to spy on competitors, to how to align personal beliefs with business practices. You''ll also discover the common misperceptions about ethics in business and learn how to define your "comfort" level so that you can conduct business knowing you''ve made thoughtful decisions with full knowledge of the possible consequences. The Good, The Bad, and Your Business: * Looks at how company owners and managers make difficult decisions as they try to keep cash flow strong enough to stay in business * Examines how to deal with employee issues, from how far to go to help a troubled employee to what policy-if any-to take on romantic relationships between coworkers * Reveals the motivations that lie behind how people decide where to "draw the line" on what they will and will not do * Focuses on how the decisions you make can affect the common good-the larger community in which you''re doing business "Well-written and lucid, this book does not preach; it teaches the reader how to think intelligently about hard choices. Every executive who wants to build a successful business and wants to do so with integrity-should read this book."-Jim Collins, Coauthor, Built to Last "It''s a rare business book that can truly change your life, and Jeff Seglin''s latest is just that. You''ll find no grandstanding or buzzwords, but rather a compelling blend of research and worldly experience, written by a master. He''s the perfect travel guide for the examined life we all must lead to achieve meaningful success. Don''t miss this one!"-Steven Leveen, Cofounder and President, Levenger "Finally a book about modern ethics and business that you don''t have to get all dressed up to read! Writing with a sure touch, lively language, and a wonderful wit . . . Jeff Seglin has found a way to wake up his subject without once getting bogged down. He never lectures . . . he knows his stuff and he respects his readers'' intelligence. This terrific book is the next best thing to talking to your smart, warm, and funny best friend about the toughest decisions you''ll ever have to make. It''s flat-out superb."-Nancy K. Austin, Coauthor, A Passion for Excellence