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Two "wrongs" don't make a "right" in the business environment

In 2010, British Petroleum or BP was mining oil from a deepwater drilling rig working off the coast in the Gulf of Mexico. An explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon rig caused a leak that allowed more than 200 million gallons of oil that seeped into the surrounding ocean - still the single biggest marine oil spill ever in human history. 

 

The BP CEO at the time then refused to take any responsibility for this massive ecological disaster that still produces devastating effects, more than a decade later.  He blamed the construction of the Deepwater Horizon rig at first. Then he said that compared to the amount of ocean water around, the spill was rather insignificant. 

 

The company steadfastly refused to acknowledge their role and downplayed the significance of the massive effect on marine life in the area. It cost BP dearly. 

 

This is a classic example of two wrongs that do not make a right. However, keep in mind that very often the first wrong leads to many other sequential wrongs that follow up after the first was committed.

 

Our teaching and lessons in this regard focuses on ensuring that in your business environment, whether it is something as large as a corporation that holds the health and prosperity of marine life in the palm of its hands. Or whether you run a small bakery on the corner that has to ensure that you don’t in effect sell salmonella to your beloved customers…we point out the pitfalls or “two wrongs” and how you and your team can avoid it.

 

You see in our world, and should you care to go back to biblical times, this was the case then too, people think that two wrongs make a right. This type of assumption, argument and presumption is severely flawed and again just plainly leads to more wrongs. 

 

 

So very often we hear someone say: Yes, but everyone else is doing it.” 

 

How many times have heard drug cheats in sport say, “Yeah, but my fellow competitors were all doing it and I was just trying to keep up.” 

 

Classic two wrongs do not make a right. Not to mention irrational.

 

Hall of Fame baseball great Monte Irvin probably described this thought process perfectly: “My mother was a Bible student, and when I was a youngster, both my mother and father would say, 'If people would only live by the Golden Rule, there wouldn't be the problems that there are.' In other words, 'treat people the way you want to be treated.' If somebody mistreats you, two wrongs won't make a right.”

 

The moral, ethic, principles and values dilemma that you are faced with when it comes to these decisions cross most corporations, medium and small businesses’ path almost on a daily basis.

 

We will armour proof your thinking (and therefore your business) against letting this type of thought process and the resultant fall out ruin your reputation.

 

It’s not something that should even be negotiable. 

 

You probably will never be responsible for millions of beautiful and exclusive marine life perishing in an excruciating way, but the fall out for your company, for you personally or for your region, may be just as great in the long run. It has never been okay to allow two wrongs to explode into a disaster for your, your staff and your customers.

 

Speccon’s innovative thinking, coaching and tuition will assist you to avoid this. 

Business Etiquette Article

business etiquette

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