QUOTE OF THE DAY:  

“In the end, we are all the sum total of our actions. Character cannot be counterfeited, nor can it be put on and cast off as if it were a garment to meet the whim of the moment… Day by day, we write our own destiny; for inexorably we become what we do.”

~ Madame Chiang Kai-shek

ETHICS

I love this quote and I am always amazed by the author. Madame Chiang Kai-shek was a powerful political figure in her own right and was the wife and first lady of General Chiang Kai-shek. The General was the political and military leader of the Republic of China between 1928-1975, first in mainland China until 1949 and then in Taiwan until 1975.

She was one of the most powerful women in the world. Her circle of political contacts included: Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Harry Truman. She was an extraordinary woman.

She talks about ethics. What are ethics? Merriam-Webster defines ethics as “moral principles that govern a person’s behavior or the conducting of an activity”.

I will speak specifically to the water treatment industry. “We are the sum total of our actions…” We have a great opportunity in our industry to dramatically impact the end user’s environment. Whether it is removing hardness elements, eliminating iron from the water supply, or correcting a potential health hazard of bacteria in a water supply.

Our actions determine our level of morality. We must always say and do what is best for the end user. As a contractor you are there because somebody trusts you. This is a moral obligation to do only what is best for the consumer, not what is best for you.

“Character can’t be counterfeited…” you can’t fake it. You might be able to for a while, but eventually you will be discovered. The consumer might not know everything, but eventually they will figure it out. When they do you will be gone forever.

“…nor can it be put on and cast off as if it were a garment…”  Typically, we either have moral strength or we don’t. We need to do what is correct all the time. It doesn’t mean we are perfect, but if we make a mistake in sizing, we need to admit to it and make the correction. Bigger is not always better and smaller can do the customer a great harm.  If we made a mistake in installation we need to make the correction and not charge the customer, if we don’t know the answer to a question we can’t just say something that sounds good. We need to take the time to admit our lack of knowledge and get the correct answer for the customer. They deserve it and so do you. All will learn.

We all know what is correct in our business. It is important to us and our customer that we always take the “high road” and do what is morally correct. Sometimes there is pain in that decision, but we will all grow with taking the moral high ground and “… Day by day, we write our own destiny; for inexorably…we become what we do.”

Credit where credit’s due

This month’s edition was brought to you by John Wenzel, President of Lancaster Water Group

For beautiful water and superior solutions, you can count on us. 
Thank you for your business.