In business management classes across the country MBA students study business ethics. In fact, there are now MBA degrees available that are called Ethics MBAs. But in the real world how ethical is the business community? How ethical is our own government?

How many business travelers for their corporations charge personal items to their credit cards of their corporations? Corporations watch this very closely to make sure everyone follows the rules. Not everyone follows the rules and often there are people who go to extreme lengths to hide their misdeeds.

From a business ethics standpoint corporations and their workers are much more honest and forthright than those who work in government. In fact government credit card abuse at all levels of government is at an all-time high. It is so bad that the federal government actually had to make another law to try to curb the abuse of government credit cards. Has this new law helped?

Actually it looks as if it has on paper audits but in reality those fine folks in government still abuse their government credit cards, which is taxpayers money. The problem is so severe and the punishment so little that nothing is really being done. That is to say the problem is running rampant still.

Simply instituting controls and checks and balances on government credit cards does not alleviate the fraud. Dishonesty in government is the norm and although many people believe that those who work in government are of less IQ they are still clever enough to beat the system and steal taxpayers money.

From an MBA standpoint of fiscal management this is a good case study. A piece of corporate credit cards or government credit cards must be followed up on. It is essential to make sure that the purchase is made by government employees are indeed for a facial government business and not personal pleasure; such as gentlemen's clubs, personal car washes or a dinner for a family of four for personal use.

It appears we cannot trust those fine folks in government and it is about time that we enforced the letter of the law on to the government and the workers who think they are above it. Consider this in 2006.

The widespread government credit card abuse has forced the federal laws to change to protect the American taxpayers money as government workers would violate the trust of the American people and spend money, which is supposed to be used for official government business.

The Government Credit Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2006' has so far it not been able to cure the fine folks in government from cheating us and stealing taxpayers money. When a government worker it uses a government credit card for expenditures of personal use they are stealing and yet we are not putting these people in jail but rather reprimanding them and in many cases not even taking away their government credit cards. Does this mean the American taxpayer is forced to endure widespread government credit card abuse?

I find it ironic that we already know that stealing is against the law no matter who you are and we are told that no one is above the law. But apparently those people who work in government do not believe they are to follow the law in Washington, DC and this is the exact attitude that is causing problems. We need to start putting people in jail for stealing in our government.

There are so many cases including law enforcement, the Justice Department and many agencies, which are supposed to help the American people doing this. And it yet we still do not have this problem solved. Why do we need another law or federal legislation to prevent government workers from stealing? Why can we trust our own government and why should we listen to them when they are ripping us off blind?

I wish someone would answer my question because I believe trust in your government is a very important thing for the ongoing vitality of our nation. Perhaps I am just naïve and belief in a dream and bought the story of a noble government; hook, line and sinker? Let us remove the crime and the rotten core of dishonesty, misrepresentation and fraud from Our government. Please consider this in 2006.

In Today’s Vent I’d like to talk about emotional business practice. This is a subject in my network of colleagues that unfortunately has become more popular in the recent months.

To determine your action by emotion rather than reason will derail you in seconds away from what you should be focused on. When you run your own business or even work for another company as an Independent Contractor your daily activities should square up your pay or rather what you do and how you conduct yourself will determine your paycheck.

I network among very bright individuals in the same field; network marketing. I’ve seen an emotional environment filled with negativity that I’m sure has placed us all back a few steps.

We are being sized up by the public eye and whether we like to admit this or not, we make an assessment of one another all the time. Now I’m not suggesting we cannot “tell it like it is!” But in a public environment we should use discretion and if not for anyone else at least for our own sake. Yes, we have the freedom to act or judge on our own, but we should be doing this wisely and objectively.

We as human’s are emotional creatures. I’ve stated this before. I’ve also made note that network marketing is almost like a religion to some of us. It becomes a huge part of our daily lives. So it’s no wonder that when we feel we must protect or defend that emotions will fly and sometimes right off the handle and especially when in an arena of others equally feeling anxious to challenge criticism.

No matter what happens to us individually or the companies we work for we must remind ourselves that in this public event we need to be mindful of others and ourselves. It’s only in our best interest and that of our company we work with.

Well…I’m taking my Tension Headache Excedrin and Therma Care Heat Wrap to bed tonight!

Many street sweeping companies, which have big large contracts with retail outlets and shopping malls often cheat the company on their services. In fact, as I travel around the country I am appalled at this particular industry. It seems that so many of the contractors who have street sweeping businesses cheat the customer. I asked myself why this is? It appears to me that the lowest bid will get the contract and many of the companies bids are so low that they cannot afford to do the work or by adequate equipment to do the job right.

I have watched Street sweeping folks come into a parking lot and drive around a few times put a little bit of dirt in the air kind of like when you take your home vacuum cleaner and forget to clean out the bag and the vacuum blows all the dust all over the place while you are vacuuming. Then the street sweeper leaves without cleaning anything, as there is still debris in the parking lot and trash. This seems rather dishonest and I guess no one notices that they did not do their job.

Who is to say how clean a parking lot is supposed to be? As long as they showed up and drove around who is to say they didn't do what they said they were going to do? My question is why show up at all if you're not going to do the job? It seems there is a lack of integrity in many street sweeping companies. A very smart national firm, which operated professionally and responsibly could probably through economies of scale do the work for the same price and actually do what they say they're going to do. Please consider this in 2006.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is getting ready to make a huge bust on a giant Chinese Spy Ring, which goes very deep and involves many players. In fact, the group has been operating for years in the United States and stealing technology. The number of companies they are involved with is astounding and the number of college students who are involved is also interesting.

In fact the number of important bureaucrats and officials is scary. The number of nationalities involved in this ring and ad hoc circle of friends we'll give you a headache just looking at the spider web of all the people involved.

Luckily the FBI has got to the bottom of all this and is getting ready to make a huge announcement. I know this because I heard about it in a dream and I always trust my dreams how about you? Much of the corporate espionage involves military contractors and equipment manufacturers, which the Chinese spy ring has infiltrated.

The spy ring is happening in more than one country. This is an interesting development but it is nothing new as intelligence officials and the community is well aware that this has been going on and although there have been a few arrests over the last five years there are now said to be over 4000 Chinese Spies operating independently and almost like terrorists cells. It is great to know that the FBI is working on real cases finally and we will see what they come up with. Please consider all this in 2006.

There is an unlimited drive to innovate in nearly any area. And the easiest way to innovate is to copy a concept that has been invented in an adjacent or remote area.

Donations where originally reserved to non-profit organizations (Amnesty, Greenpeace, Red Cross, WNF, etc) to fund their (ideological) activities.

Now you see this donation pattern on a regular basis on the internet. The best example I saw was on a internet site of which the owner exhibited a self development ideology -- acting against the traditional order (society). The owner had just switched from an adsense method to this donation mechanism because the adsense income fell short.

Even though it seems a harmless idea borrowing the concept of donation for a profit business -- which did seem to work in his case -- you might wonder whether you act in line with conventional ethics. In the case I saw, the site owner wasn't really concerned about something earthly as ethics, yet others that follow this example should.

Donations go hand in hand with some kind of an ideology. If there is one you are free to use the concept, both as a buyer or as a seller.

If you have a strait forward profit in mind you are misusing the concept. This is not a problem for the one with the malicious business, they are everywhere. You as a potential buyer should know better. Be prepared before you engage yourself with this kind of businesses. Take a minute and think about the ideology you value.

We always seem to be hearing in the news that a government contract has been awarded to a company, which has not fulfilled its responsibilities. As a matter of fact this is so commonplace that one should be asking why does this keep occurring? Well, there are a number of reasons why this is the case.

Sometimes politicians persuade bureaucratic agencies to lean towards a certain government contractor and the bureaucrats know that they must comply otherwise they could lose their job and or their agency will not receive the funding it needs for next year's budget. Those companies, which pander to podium pushing politicians through lobbying and fund raising for their campaigns tend to get the best contracts. We all know this is true.

Another common reason is that the government is known to be after the lowest price. Therefore many companies underbid the contracts just to get the work and then cannot afford to do the job correctly. Likewise many companies refuse to bid on government contracts because the government is so slow to pay and if you are a smaller company the cash flow could kill your business.

It is interesting that the government at all levels promotes small businesses and yet at the same time strings them out on accounts receivable sometimes for as much as 120 days or more. This seems quite un-reputable and unfortunate, but it is the truth. Some might say the government does not deserve the very best companies in the marketplace and that is upsetting considering the taxpayer is footing the bill. Please consider all this in 2006.

Sometimes stealing pays, especially if said stolen item is $24.99 or less and is stolen from Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart recently announced that it is changing its zero-tolerance rule when it comes to theft. Previously, Wal-Mart would prosecute anybody caught stealing from one of its stores - even if it was just a pack of gum. But, the zero-tolerance theft rule has now changed. Henceforth, prosecution happens only if an item stolen is worth $25 or more.

It's all about economics. According to a J.P. Suarez, who is in charge of asset protection at the department store, "it was no longer efficient to prosecute petty shoplifters. If I have somebody being paid $12 an hour processing a $5 theft, I have just lost money. I have also lost the time to catch somebody stealing $100 or an organized group stealing $3,000."

This raises the question, Should Wal-Mart be publicizing this new rule? Isn't this like publicizing that anything in the store priced under $25 is free? Perhaps that's why there are so many smiley faces pasted all over billboards in the store. Free equals happy! Happy shoppers can now feel free to steal items valued under $25 without fear of reprimand. I can just see some of them waiting, anxiously, for a sale to see that item that that they’d been watching drop in price, from $25.99 to $24.99.

Of course, I'm exaggerating; most shoppers are ethical and wouldn't steal, no matter what the store's theft policy is. Stealing doesn't pay, kids.

On the other hand, I'm sure all Wal-Mart employees, by now, are well aware of the new theft rule. I'm just afraid that some will consider it a company perk, a way to supplement their minimum wage income – Steal from thy employer, as long as said stolen item is priced at $24.99 or less.

I am an expert at 6th grade math. I am fair at recognizing SPIN. I have told my friends that oil’s end product, gas, was selling at retail 2 yrs ago, for $1.17 in Phoenix, Az.

At that price, the oil companies were making a good profit. Of that retail price, a maximum of 30% was imported oil. Let’s do the math;

1.17 x 33% [same thing as 30%] is 3 8.6 1or .39.

.39 was imported and the rest was HOME grown. OIL has now gone up from $35 a barrel to 75 a barrel. Or 2.3 times.

OUT of each gallon we buy, 33% is imported, so, 33% we bring in per gallon at $75 a barrel.

1/3 of our gallon of gas has gone up 2.3 times. Our 1/3 used to cost us .39 x 2.3= .81. Our new gallon of gas at war HIGH costs, should cost us 1.17 + 81 = 1.98

WE are paying about $2.98. That is $1 per gallon more than can be explained away.

WE are told about Iran, Iraq, and other nation’s battles and arguments. Who cares? We are talking about .81 per gal of gas. FOUR years ago, that was our retail price. .81!!

Someone is getting an extra $1.00 a gal. ON the house. FROM our US pockets. They have done nothing extra to earn it. Except lie and spin.

“Fix your credit”, easy process. So says many internet ads I read daily. I thought, well, that should be easy without their help since the FEDERAL law requires it. THE law says “a credit bureau, when proven their data are wrong, must correct the error[s] within 30 days. REALLY? Ok. NOW, has anyone CONVINCED the bureaus? Apparently not!

HOW can I say that with such conviction? Cause I am now dealing with the FTC [Federal Trade Commission] to get my bureau reports corrected!!! THE BLOODY FTC had to be contacted. That SEEMS like having to call the FBI when the neighbors steal your newspaper when you have a front-of-the-house security camera!

My story is important, thus my rantings! It can help you.

I am a real estate broker. Part of my tasks-- when I help someone to buy a property--NOW includes making sure they have good credit if they choose to use an institutional lender.

It seemed to me I can’t guide others very well if I can’t get control over my own record!

I reviewed my records from several years ago and laughed at the errors. And the “pulls”; a notice that a broker or lender reviewed my credit with one or more of the 3 MAIN bureaus. I had at one time 160 pulls reported. That was and is excessive and it did drop my score. I asked the three bureaus, individually, via snail mail “how much did my score drop from these pulls? They did not answer--that was 3 years ago. When I finally received in snail mail, my three scores, I was given such numbers as 815, 800 and 740 [each bureau gives a separate score in a tri-merge PULL]. Interesting numbers. Since I am also a college instructor of business, I like to know where numbers that others use, originate--[meaning, what math or formula is being used to arrive at a consequential number]? Again, from the three bureaus, NO answer.

Hmmm.

I inevitably got a few loans for my clients and for myself.

Then one of my mortgage brokers told me he needed help--he wanted my correct social security number-- since more than one was listed on a bureau’s report. I felt his comment was the dumbest joke I had ever heard--“no bureau is going to be that stupid to list two social security numbers!” He was correct--Experian had listed two for me. I called Experian. “Sorry, we do not comment on data on the reports.” Huh? Federal law? “We are not interested in the Federal law.” Huh? THE USA federal law that governs what you can and cannot do?

“We do not care what the federal government says or does.”

NO way!!

I hired an attorney to investigate as this situation was beyond my comprehension. Two weeks later I got a response from Experian. “We do not respond to second party queries [meaning from attorneys].”

That was as funny as it was absurd. When they get a judge’s judgment, I want to hear them say that as they are led to jail!

I got an update from the other two bureaus. One has given me 6 different names, an address I never lived at, and other absurdities. And of course, no score printed. Only the banks and brokers who subscribe to their service get client's scores.

I sent Experian proof of who I was and where I lived. “We are not interested. IF you want to correct something, apply for new credit. Whatever is on that report will be your new data reported.” They were serious!

I contacted my AZ attorney general. They were not interested. I contacted my federal Senators and representatives. They were not interested. I cannot easily believe that Experian and the other two bureaus have our government in their pockets.

ONE article re. inaccurate data said to contact the FTC. I did so. Experian informed me via snail mail said they got the FTC report or query and are answering it. Experian again asked for proof of my real birth date. Since it is accurate on about 500 documents they have and wrong on one, I will leave it wrong.

NOW, when a client asks me about his credit, I actually say; the following are facts and make little sense when viewed together;

A; all credit report’s scores increase when one pays off debts perfectly.
B; all scores are ARBITRARY numbers and thus, have no specific meaning.
C; all negative data on one's reports falls off after seven years [or sooner].
D; most, if not all, good data on reports can stay on indefinitely.

NO action on the part of any bureau, law firm or company can get any specific report modified IF the bureau wishes not to change it and no specific score can be altered to gain or lose any specific number --it is random and arbitrary.

With this in mind, it makes no sense whatever why any financial institution uses these Bureau’s scores to guide them on a lending basis.

YOU can have a score of 250 and if you make every payment perfectly thereafter, in seven years, Your score will rise to 800 or higher. That is a fact.

Banks and mortgage firms want customers to fight with the bureaus to get scores with errors corrected--but that is illogical since the bureaus do not care and rarely change anything.

IF you have different facts, plz send them to me. I wish this year, that the 3 bureaus Face competition and disappear.

Shredding has recently become a whole lot more popular. Why is that? In two words: identity theft. Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the U.S. And what is worse for homeowners and small businesses is that, with recent court decisions and legislation, sometimes you can be held at fault along with the thief.

There's now a law in effect that if you employ even one person, even in the home only, such as a nanny or gardener, you can be held liable if they are subject to identity theft. All that's needed is for you to have access to their personal information, such as a Social Security number, and fail to properly protect it.

What counts as proper? Shredding, burning and secure disposal.

You're required to exercise due diligence and shred documents containing important information. Alternatively, you can burn documents. But burning is often illegal outside the home in certain counties, so you have to carry it out in an approved manner. Can you spell Catch-22?

Of course, you always have the option of using a business that specializes in document and information destruction. Whether that's cost-effective depends on the business' specific rates and the amount and frequency of your needs. The rates, naturally, vary with quantity, location and several other factors.

Those businesses come in two basic forms: they come to you or you take it to them. Once again, which is better depends on your circumstances.

Until recently security was much tighter at offsite locations. Most mobile document destruction services have overcome that by clever techniques that vary from company to company. Good ones have bonded employees who have gone through background checks.

Both employers and individuals need to take due caution to keep information secure and that can go beyond destruction of paper documents. In the last 10 to 20 years, as both PCs and the Internet became universal, information storage expanded to floppy disks and hard drives to CDs and DVDs and out to servers that the individual doesn't even control.

Beyond encrypting documents and establishing good password policies, there's little an individual or small business can do to protect computers they don't own. But with the popularity of inexpensive CD and DVD burners, files have moved off the hard drive and onto those newer media. Those also need to be secured and sometimes destroyed. Shredders can do that too.

Protect yourself and those who work for you by shredding and using other forms of information destruction. It's not only the law of the land, it's also the least expensive form of insurance for what can otherwise be a very costly event.

Most reasonable people will a still that if a franchisor is selling franchised outlets to the public then they have a viable business concept that is profitable. However, this may not always be the case and to assume this is risky if you are a franchise buyer. I would agree that if you are a franchisor and you have perfected your business model then absolutely you have the right to sell it to others to help them achieve their American dream of owning their own company or franchised outlet.

Although as a retired Franchisor and now consultants I have in the past had new franchisor entrants want me to consult them and I ask them how long they have been in business and they have maybe 3-years total including the day they got their business license before opening? You think to yourself what? How can anybody and thickly with two sell franchises when they have not perfected their own business or prototype model?

But then comes the real kicker and one, which just makes me cringe as a franchisor consultant; then these would be Franchisors tell me when I ask how much capital they have they say that they have approximately $35,000 available.

This is a scary thought indeed; why you ask, well it takes a million really to franchise a concept and you burn thru it fairly quickly unless you do not mind eating Top Ramen, putting in lots of hours and treating the money like you earned it washing dishes at $5.15 per hour. If you are thinking about franchising your current business please consider all this in 2006.

Many people believe that when they buy a franchise that the franchise business model has been reviewed by the government, yet this is not the case. In fact, franchising companies are only required to register their franchises with some, but not all states that they choose to franchise in. There are only 13 registration states in the United States of America, which require that the franchise or submit their disclosure documents to the state for review prior to franchising.

They are not looking to see if the business is viable or if the business model is even successful. Their only objective is to make sure that the franchisor has indeed submitted the required disclosure documents and has them available for prospective franchise buyers. They do not check to see if they are correct or if they have lied in these documents.

Another interesting thing that most people do not know is that; The Federal Regulators and State Regulators answer to literally "NO ONE" and that is the biggest fraud of all. No one is watching those OUR government is being paid with taxpayer’s monies to watch out for us. That is Scary. You would not believe me, if I told you what I have seen in life.

Nevertheless, franchising is a relatively safe industry despite all this. Generally the regulators will look into complaints made by consumers who feel they have been fraudulently induced into buying a franchise where the Franchisor misrepresented the investment in the franchise.

Often, the franchising regulators will is still the Franchisor is guilty even though 85% of all the complaints from consumers are themselves misrepresentations of what happened. Suffice it to say if you are going to buy a franchise or Franchisor company you need to study up on what franchising is all about before you take the plunge. Please consider all this in 2006.

I walked outside to my car and saw a disturbing sight. Someone had keyed the entire passenger side. It had to get fixed. Fortunately, I was covered.

Of course they always hit the best looking side. And they didn't key my hood, which needed the most touch-up. Some of you are saying, "Hey stupid. Why don't you claim the hood as part of the damage? Your insurance wouldn't know the difference."

Simple. That would be a lie...

It was just prior to Christmas when I ordered a $500 correspondence course with an expiring $50 coupon for a total of $450. It arrived, but on the final week of the year, it goes on sale for $250. I could have returned the course, reordered it under the sale price, and saved $200—but I didn't.

Was it because I was doing well and didn't face money challenges? NO. Just the opposite.

You're thinking I must really be a sap. I got no money coming in on one end, and I'm throwing it away on the other. Just how gullible is your editor?

Hey I don't like overpaying for anything, but if something was worth the price, then I'll make an effort to get it. And in this case, the course was worth more than $500. The information alone was worth more than five thousand dollars.

(It's funny, but when people buy a five thousand dollar item—they treat it like a five thousand dollar item. If they get the exact item for free, it usually collects dust.)

Which leads to the volatile topic of personal integrity...

Do you lie on your income taxes? Do you plagiarize? Do you cheat on your partner? Do you break your word? Do you falsify information? And even more acceptable—do you try to get even?

I'm sure none of you are of this caliber, but let's assume the rest of the world made these common practices. They believe it's no big deal to tell a lie because it's really harmless and besides, everyone gets away with it. Or maybe they've been burned by someone who got away with it, so why not join them and do the same to others?

For one thing—this eviscerates the Golden Rule of doing unto others, as you'd have them do unto you:

You don't want to be a victim of cheating, so why would you become a participant? You don't want to be taken advantage of, so why join some plot to abuse your talents? You want to reap the good, so why sow to the bad?

And for another thing—what goes around, comes around:

Some call it karma. Others call it sin. Whatever it's called in your circle—it seems to haunt you later in life. It bites you in the ass and leaves painful marks.

If you want to be treated right, you should treat others right first. If you gossip about others, others will gossip about you. If you profit from the expense of others, others are forming a line to take a shot at you.

But you reason, "You don't understand. You haven't been through what I've been through. I've kept my word - my end of the deal - and I got burned. I've got to teach them a lesson!"

Hey, save it. You'll waste too much time trying to collect what you're due. It's usually more profitable to forgive and move on. You won't become its slave and you'll sleep better at night.

Here's what I mean...

My mentor's books are illegally published in different languages. When he appeared in one of those countries for a keynote, they treated him like a famous rock star. He got the royal treatment and spin-off deals because he didn't waste time collecting what he was owed. He leveraged his loss of income to make even more money without lifting a finger.

That's the same power we've been granted. We have the power to choose our actions. Do we pursue our wrongdoers, or forgive them?

Tough choices we must make...

Is your editor applying for sainthood? No, not even. This is the same stuff he struggles with.

I was in Chicago for a company launch. My group leader offered his group a discount to join him. I was at the lobby when I met up with him.

The lady from Atlanta was shocked she had to pay full price for her group. She whined to our leader about the discount. To avoid a scene, he joked about it and quickly gave in.

I was next in line. Would I pay full price or would he offer me the same discount? No dice: I paid full.

Now you're probably surmising: "You're not a Super Saint—but a Super Sap."

I disagree. Because it goes far deeper than just dollars and cents. Allow me to explain...

I sought no favor with my leader. He's well off and doesn't need the money. He was probably testing me to see if I would whine also. If I got anything from the incident, I think I won his respect. And that can stretch a very long way.

How about you?

Have you won people's respect? Do they see you as an Institute of Integrity? Do you have a reputation that's beyond reproach?

Advertise your answers in your daily walk and until we meet again, you have my best wishes.

Is it possible to run a company in today’s business climate without taking the cut-throat, winner-take-all approach that seems so predominant? While all the big news lately has been about those companies that have failed, and particularly those that have failed while using questionable tactics and obfuscating accounting practices, not to mention showing little concern for the average employee, are there still companies thriving while being run in a fashion that recognizes the value of ethics and the contribution of employees who feel like family?

One example that comes to mind here close to home is Celestial Seasonings. In spite of the various changes the company has undergone over the last 15 years, including a stint as a Kraft subsidiary, a time as an independent company, and now as part of a larger health-food company, Celestial Seasonings has stayed true to its roots. The company treats employees honestly and with kindness, and shares the profits of its success with them. It is a company that seems to wish everyone it touches—vendors, distributors, customers, even the competition—to benefit from that contact.

So it seems that it is possible to run a company in such a fashion that employee loyalty is bred by good treatment, that strong financial results can be achieved without scams or accounting schemes. Why don’t more companies try it?

My theory is that too many of the executives today were trained early in their careers that stepping on others to get where you want to be is not just expected—it is the only way to get to the top. Now that they have reached the goal, they are not easily convinced that a different strategy might work equally well.

The good news is, the change is coming. It is coming not from the senior people, but from junior execs who are coming of age in a different time. More and more, people are coming to the realization that what we do affects everyone else, and the ‘everyone else’ is not ‘them’. It is ‘us’. We are all in this together, and the dawning awareness of that fact is what will drive a sea change in our world over the next few generations.

Our planet is gradually recovering from centuries of abuse at the hands of uncaring and ignorant populations. As we take better care of Mother Earth, the chances of our race surviving another century rise slowly. And much of the recovery will be the responsibility of the businesses of the planet. Governments can spend huge sums to clean up past ecological disasters and can legislate proper behavior, but business is best equipped to prevent it in the first place. If the top management of a company has the attitude that taking shortcuts and violating either our home or the people who live here is the worst possible path to take, this gradual improvement in conditions will snowball with lightning speed.

My vision is not one that will easily come to pass. On the other hand, Mo Seigel probably had little inkling of what Celestial Seasonings would become when he and some friends picked herbs in the fields outside Boulder to use in his first batch of Mo’s 36 Herb Tea back in 1969. Vision is not about the ‘how’ of it. The realization of a dream seems to take care of itself when people come together to share the dream. As more and more of us come to share this vision, we take another step toward it becoming reality. We make it our reality.

I bet if you have been on the internet very long you have seen a few programs that market themselves with a matrix system. In the 2X2 matrix, the recruit would sponsor two and those two would sponsor two, filling the 2X2 matrix with six people.

There are questions by many whether this is legal or not. That is almost like asking if concrete is legal. It really depends on how it is used. The matrix system itself is not illegal, unless it is used to perpetuate a fraud or a transaction or exchange of money without any substantial product or consideration for the money spent.

The 2X2 is limited in its width, but is still based on a pyramid with three levels. Level one has 1 person, level two has 2 people and level three has 4 people for a total of 6. A pyramid is not illegal in itself unless it is a pyramid scheme designed to separate people from their money and not deliver any goods or services in exchange.

If a company or individual is selling a product and uses a matrix system as a means of measurement then it certainly is not illegal or fraudulent. If the person parting with funds receives a tangible good or service for their money regardless if there are other considerations or possible bonuses for doing so, then that transaction is legitimate.

There are many products being marketed with a matrix system. Usually you fill up a matrix and move up to another level, which measures your performance and entitles you to move up to the next level, which has greater rewards for filling it.

You most certainly should do your due diligence to check out any program before you become involved with it, but don’t let names, titles or fears rob you from benefiting from these legitimate programs.

As long as there is immediate transfer of goods or services and not just a promise of hot air, you are good to go. Then there is the question of the main product the system is marketing. Is it a good product? Is there a great need or market for the product? Is it something you could see yourself being involved in with pride?

The biggest question of all is, will you be left on your own after you give up the money? There are many great programs around, but even a great program, great marketing plan and exceptional product does you no good if you can’t sell.

Oh yes, someone has to make contact, and make sales. There are systems now springing up designed to answer this difficulty. Some systems now offer to do the selling for you. Now isn't that nice. You get leads and let someone more equipped on the team do the talking.

I know that most of us fit into that category. Who wouldn't like to have a sales force built into their new business venture?

No doubt there are opportunities popping up and you have to be careful to choose the right one for yourself. I am involved in a few of these myself, so I have had to make many of these choices.

Do your homework. Check everything. Check it again. Make sure of the people involved. Take your time. If they want your money before you get much information, run for the exit.

Any legitimate company will be willing to give you most any information you need to make a decision. If not bid them goodbye. There are some great opportunities to make some real residual income. Just make sure you do your homework before you take the critical step.

But don’t become paralyzed with fear to the point you can’t be objective or you might as well unplug your computer.

Look around. Today, more than ever before, it has become fashionable to cheat. One could say, and come away without too much criticism, that everyone expects it. The funny thing is the person who expects it, or observes it, or knows someone who does it, never seems to admit doing it themselves. Ironically, they actually believe they are not infected. As noted, this is a national pastime.

Why is this? Why do husbands cheat on their wives and wives cheat on their husbands? Does not the vow to love, honor, cherish, and "obey", (some leave out the "obey" part now), mean anything. Well, it appears the times indeed are changing.

In America at least, spousal cheating, encouraged by theater, movies, partytime, and yes, peer pressure, is at epidemic proportions. Does anyone feel guilty? Absolutely, just before it is time to maybe do it again. Kids today, as a result, have groups of parents i.e. first there is the real father and mother, then there is 1st father and 1st mother, and 2nd father and 2nd mother, and so on and so forth, not to mention step brothers and step sisters galore. When we talk about extended families today, we are certainly not talking of the family of 50 years ago that included aunts, uncles, and cousins right down to twice removed. Now, there is no way to keep up.

Then there is the work environment. Parents who cheat at home, cheat on the job. They lie and steal to get ahead. Oh, it is not the felonious type of stealing, although that is always possible, it is the subtle kind -- stealing someone's ideas, words, concepts, suggestions, as well as time from the company on the phone, at lunch, leaving early on weekends, calling in sick when one is not sick, and taking paper, pens, pencils, paperclips and anything not to heavy to carry. If one is in construction, they take bricks, boards, mortar and tools. Cheating on the job has taken on national epidemic proportions. Wal-Mart with their 360-degree cameras strung from the ceilings from every store watch the employees as much as they watch the shoppers.

And what about the churches and among clerics, the courts and legal profession, our schools and among the educators, the health field and medical professionals, government at all levels and among the legislators? What do we find? Cheating permeates every level of our society.

And what about the kids? Where do they fit into this?

Over 70% of them admit to cheating before they graduate from high school. By the time they finish college, 80% are willing to admit they have done it in some way.

When college business students are asked what is the most corrupt field to go into, over 90% suggest it is business. Yet, they willingly choose it as their field of specialization because that is "where the money is."

What about the tiny tots? At what age does a child learn to cheat? Studies now show that 3 out of 4 know how to do it by the time they are 5. And where do they learn it? Why, the parents, of course.

So the old adage, "do as I say, not as I do", really does have a beginning and a significance because it seems most have done it and really do fear their offspring or their charges will do it too. Why? Simply, because it is wrong. We all know it. We all feel it, and we all do not want our youngsters or our charges to do it. We really do want them to be better than us. The internal gut wrenching feelings get us every time. And if we don't feel anything? Well then we are psychopaths, socially detached from society and any responsibility for good.

In today's world the word "ethical" has taken on a new meaning of "squeaky clean" and "please look at me or my organization for we are ethical practitioners." Do the new awareness responses mean much when you really know the facts? Lawrence Kholberg's theory of ethical development may be hard pressed to determine why as human beings we seem to be stuck in moving forward. It seems the further we go in greater prosperity and technology development the be-hinder we get in moral development. Is it an illusion?

Actions speak louder than words. To be ethical, one must act ethically. One has to lead and show by doing and not accept society's drifters who proclaim when observing ethical breeches that "they're just kids" or "everybody does it" or "it was only a fling", or "I had no choice". Unless somebody is holding a gun to one's head, everybody, no matter how small or how old, has a choice. They may not like what the potential outcome may be but they had a choice to do the right thing.

Is it tough? What do you think?

Discrimination against older workers is out there, and none of us will ever know (for the most part), whether we were discriminated against because of our age.

During my many years on this planet (60), I've never gave any thought to ageism. But, years ago, I couldn't understand why I was having so much trouble finding work...including temporary work. During my entire lifetime, I have had no use for racists and bigots, so the issue of ageism never crossed my mind.

Then one day, I read an article in the local newspaper about the subject of ageism. It said that discrimination against older workers was the number ONE COMPLAINT at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). And, the article went on to say that complaints were rising at a rate of 15% per year over the past three years! At this time, I was over 50 years old, and after I read this article, I started to pay more attention to the subject of ageism. And, that's because I had to find a better paying job!

A few months later, I read another article that came over the Internet, and was written by a writer at a business magazine. It gave some frightening numbers, with respect to discrimination against older workers. It said that a survey was conducted by an employment agency, who specializes in recruiting and placing executive personnel. Their survey showed, that an incredible 88% of those over 40 who responded, felt they had been discriminated against when it came to getting a job! And, a chilling 92% of those who already had a job...felt they had been discriminated against, when they were up for promotion! The question was asked in the article, "Could boomers be discriminating against other boomers?

Anyway you slice it, these are terrible numbers! So, after I saw these numbers, I sat up and took notice! After I read the two articles, I began to think back, as to how ageism could have been one of my problems in my job search. Over the past decade, I have been laid-off from SIX jobs...all for legitimate reasons like companies closing or moving; defense cuts; the economy and so forth. I have never been let go because of poor attendance or an attitude problem. Over the years, I've just had my share of bad luck!

My first job lay-off came, when I worked for an engineering company, where I had worked for over ten years. This company also moved out of town and was eventually eaten by a bigger fish! This lay-off happened when I was in my late forties. After working several months as a temporary employee, I got a job, which lasted about four years, before the company closed...and, another lay-off! It was about this time that I really started having trouble...not only finding a regular job, but getting temporary assignments as well. This period of time was a very difficult for me!

After I lost my third job, and like many others, I had to work as a temporary employee, until something permanent came along. But, what will always amaze me, is the fact that I had to sign up with 24 temporary agencies...that's right...24 temp. agencies to survive! As I said earlier, I didn't give ageism a thought, but after reading the two articles, I had to wake up and smell the coffee and get my head out of the sand!

Of the 24 agencies I signed up with, only 12 of them ever called me for work, and those assignments were only for a few days...never any long-term assignments. And, never did I get any Temp-to-Hire jobs either! The sign-up dates for most of these agencies had gone back three to five years...and NOTHING...NO CALLS! Even if I called in available every week, I GOT NO CALLS!

After the 9/11 crisis, is when things really got bad for me, with the economy almost falling apart! At that miserable time, I had to start living off credit cards to pay the rent; buy groceries; buy gas, etc. I called the agencies twice a week, to get on the "available list," as my life headed downhill fast! Being as naive as I was at that time, could it be true that people would discriminate against me and others? Later, I would find this to be true, as this horror story would unfold!

One day in October, I was called by a temp agency to go work at a printing company, which was to be a three day assignment. I took it because there was nothing else! This is where I got the answer to the possibility about ageism, and how it affected me, etc. The answer came in about three months when this assignment was over!

The three days was to have ended the assignment on Friday afternoon, and the supervisor came to me and asked if I could come back the next week, and I said yes. They had me all over the production floor, helping other regular employees. The following Friday came along, and the same thing happened...I was asked to come in the following week.

This went on for THREE MONTHS...as I was asked to come back week after week. The job started in the middle of October and ended in the middle of January. I worked the day shift; the swing shift; overtime; on week-ends; came in at 3:00 in the morning to get special orders out, etc. So, I did everything they asked me to do! This was a temp-to-hire position, meaning that after a certain period of time working there (usually 60 days), I would be eligible to be hired on, and I was happy about that!

So, after three months of being called back to the company, my work record would speak for itself, which was very good. As it turned out, when this job was over, I could either get hired on as a regular employee by the company, or there would be another assignment waiting for me by the temp agency! But, it was not to be! After the assignment was over in January, this is where I can really point the finger to ageism! I was NOT hired on by the company, despite my good record as a temp and perfect attendance for over three months. (They hired someone off the street)

After the printing company job, I got another assignment elsewhere. But, just to do a little experiment on the subject of ageism, to satisfy myself, I called the temporary agency, who sent me to the printing company. I called in (available) every week, for about three months...AND, I NEVER HEARD FROM THE TEMP AGENCY AGAIN!

I'll give you an example of a scenario that may happen, at a temporary employment agency. Three people call in available for work...and all are qualified to do the job...one is 25 years old; another is 35 years old, and the third is 55 years old...who do you think is going to get the job? I can assure you that it's not going to be the 55 year old! I'm pretty certain of that! So, why did I get the job at the printing company? Because the job was supposed to be for only three days, and there was probably nobody else around they could send...so they sent me! (it's called left-overs!)

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, I KNEW THAT AGEISM PLAYED A PART IN MY DOWNFALL!

Because of so many job lay-offs, I had worked as a temporary employee longer than I would have liked. And, as I thought back at some of the incidents that happened during this long period of time, at the companies, as well as at the temp agencies, I could tell that ageism played a part, and I would never know by who; where, and I would never be able to do anything about it!

Because of my experiences, I prepared about a 30 page booklet about my work history, that went back about a decade. In the booklet, I talked about how the temporary industry has grown, and the government has to be more watchful as to what's going on. I hand-carried the booklet to the EEOC downtown, and guess what? I never heard from the EEOC concerning the matter!

* * *

A few years ago, I saw an interview on television with three of the writers of the popular M.A.S.H. series of the 1970's. The show was quite popular and ran for over ten years. In the interview, the writer's said they would not put down (on their resumes), the fact that they were writers on the M.A.S.H series, because, in doing so, would date them! Isn't that terrible? At the time of the interview, these writers were all in their early 50's. Do these writers think that leaving off the credit from their resumes, was going to help? Make them look younger? Change their appearance? Get them another job writing? This is silly!

Bigotry in this country is doing well and fine, in my view, and, there's not much any of us can do about it! If I were a writer on a popular series, and was in my early fifties, I would flip-off the bigots and find something else to do with my life!

Discrimination against anyone in this country, is a big black eye for America! In other countries, the elderly are respected and revered. In this country, many of the elderly are called names, put out to pasture and forgotten! In many cases, not even their own kids want them, because they're a burden, which is appalling! And, the numbers on senior abuse continues to rise, which is another black eye for America! It's a shame that bigots exist anywhere in America, and especially in the work place, where it is important for all of us to make a living!

All true winners in life have certain characteristics. If you want to be a winner, you have to develop the same characteristics. These characteristics are the keys to ultimate happiness and success. Here are the two most important keys.

I've been writing about how important it is to have high, unconditional self regard. Every winner in life has high self-esteem. High unconditional self regard creates high self-esteem.

In the 1950's unconditional self regard was all the rage in the mental health field. Carl Rogers became famous for his form of therapy. The therapist treated a patient with unconditional high regard, hoping that the person would take on this attitude towards himself, and in most cases it worked.

You can give yourself unconditional high regard, accept yourself no matter what. Understand that you are doing the best that you can. Be gracious; understand that others are doing the best that they can. This is a simple yet extremely effective formula for having successful relationships with people.

Now some of you might think, “This is the ticket, I just get to accept everything I do, good and bad, and I get a free ride. I can do anything and it is okay.”

Ah, but that is not the way it works. In order to have true happiness, you have to have true self-esteem; you have to have true unconditional high self regard, which means you must do only things that you are proud of. How can you regard yourself highly if you are ashamed of yourself? You cannot go around doing things that you are ashamed of. It does not work, if you truly want to be a winner. This is the second secret - living with integrity.

The first secret, which I have discussed in earlier writings, is giving yourself unconditional high self regard, accepting and loving yourself. The second secret is do only things you are proud of. That maintains your integrity.

Maintaining your integrity:

Integrity means doing things that are ethical, doing the right thing. First and foremost, keep your word. How much do you admire a person whose word you can trust? Live in such a manner that people can say of you, “Her word is her bond.”

You do not go around making promises to people just because you think that is what they want to hear, and then not following through with it. If you are giving a party, you want a person to mean it if they say they are going to come, you do not want them saying that they are coming, expect them, and then be disappointed.

If you do this to people, they are going to catch on and start losing their faith and trust in you. They may say something like, “He seems like a pleasant fellow, but you know you can't really count on him.” When it comes to doing business, they’ll find somebody else.

It's obvious, if you don't keep your word in business dealings, people won’t trust you and keep doing business with you. You may trick somebody into a one-time sale, but you will not get repeat business - and repeat business is the most lucrative business - and you can imagine what kind of word-of-mouth you get. Without integrity, your business and your life will be one long struggle.

You will wind up not only feeling bad about having a poor business; what is worse, you will feel bad about yourself.

Do you want to be a winner?

Then remember the second secret of being a winner is to be a person of high integrity.

Only do things which you can be proud of.

Keep your word.

The world admires and benefits those that have high integrity. If you are a person of integrity, a person of quality, a person of excellence, the world will reward you. This is an important key to being a winner in life and business.

People will be attracted to you, be persuaded by you and willing to help you toward your ends, to do the things that you want them to do.

To be a person of high integrity, go the extra mile, do more than you have promised. If you an appointment, you are early for your appointment. You respect the other person’s time, you do not come late. That communicates your time is more important than theirs.

Which brings me to the other issue, some people might say, “But, if I have high esteem, I’m proud and really like myself, won’t I be arrogant?”

That's not true, unless you think you are better than somebody else; that is what arrogance means. Arrogance says, “I am better than you.” True high self esteem means that you are excellent and the other person is excellent. You regard them as highly as you regard yourself. It is a win-the win situation.

We have been talking about going the extra mile, doing more than promised, being on time for appointments, respecting the other person’s time, making promises that you keep. If you really want to go the extra mile, what you should really do is under-promise and over-deliver. That is, promise less but give more than the person expects. That will amaze them, they will feel good about you and you will feel good about yourself.

You can feel good about yourself even when other people do not feel good about you, but it certainly helps and makes it easier when other people feel good about you too.

The person of integrity is always honest, which can be a challenge. I remember sometime ago I took my family on vacation to Travis City and on the way back we stopped at a nice restaurant. So we ordered a meal. When it came time to pay the bill, I discovered that I did not have my wallet. I realized I had locked it in the trunk, along with the key to the trunk. In those days there were two keys to the cars, an ignition key and a trunk key.

I explained my problem to the manager and he was understanding and gave me his address and I fully intended to mail him a check the very next day I got home. Well, I was surprised how I hesitated writing that check. I have to admit that I thought to myself, oh geez, he’s miles away, I will never see him again, I could use that extra money.

It took me about an hour of arguing with myself before I finally wrote the check and sent it to him. I soon felt good and felt proud, I know I will never see him again, but I realize that whatever you are doing, someone is watching. Someone is watching, I am not talking about God, although that might be true, but there is someone that we know is always watching everything you do - that person is you.

You have an observing part that evaluates and judges you. And you know, you know deep in your heart when you are doing the right thing. When you do the right thing, how proud you feel of yourself. And you know when you do the wrong thing, you might forget it and think that although you did something that was not quite right, you will get away with it. But I knew that if I did not pay that bill, that knowledge would be down in my brain, lurking, just beneath my conscious mind and I would not be feeling proud and good about myself.

You want to be able to hold your head up high, look people in the eye and you will communicate something to them on an unconscious basis perhaps, but they will know you are a person of integrity and quality. They will respect you, trust you, do business with you and you will accomplish more than you ever dreamed that you could.

Let me sum up. To have ultimate happiness, you must give yourself unconditional high self regard. Accept yourself no matter how many imperfections you have, no matter how many mistakes you make. In order to accept yourself totally, you have to do things that are not always easy, but things of which you can be proud.

Let me end by challenging you to always be a person of high integrity.

This is an important key to being a winner in life and business.

Most public and private entities today are trying to promote “Green” processes as a way of doing business to help the environment or are touting their “green” attitudes to improve their corporate image. Common examples may include using recycled copier paper, buying items with a minimum percentage of post-consumer waste, and encouraging recycle programs for their own waste. While all those methods are valid, implementation can be very costly and may prevent the programs from being successful and widely accepted. What some “Green” coordinators do not realize is that utilizing and implementing technology solutions that eliminate waste can be just as good or better.

The common misconception is that technology equals huge dollar expenditures and long implementation schedules that may cost more than they are worth. This may be true in some cases, but not for electronic reverse auctions. Public and private entities can save thousands of dollars and trees every year by posting their bids online in either a reverse auction format or electronic RFQ, The specifications and terms and conditions documents can be uploaded to a website so they do not have to be printed out every time a request for them is made. The vendors can then respond to these bids by uploading their responses or placing bids during the live reverse auction.

Hard dollar savings can be achieved by both parties by reducing the amount of paper, the mailing costs associated with issuing bids and responding to them, and the time it takes to process and report paper bid results. With an electronic bidding process, bids documents can be uploaded and results can be instantly reported on and saved without ever having to print anything on a piece of paper.

Reverse auctions with http://www.eDynaQuote.com are easy to implement since you do not have to download anything to your computer to use them. This means that your IT department does not have to dedicate any resources to maintain your account. All documents and completed event results are archived in your account or can be saved in electronic format on your computer. We also offer many flexible and customizable payment options for your convenience.

Within the past four and a half years or so, I have been "fortunate" to run into – and in certain instances – work quite closely with - some unscrupulous, or "not very honest", entrepreneurs. In most cases, I was heartbroken to find that the impressions I initially had, tended not to be accurate representations of what they did in reality(I say "fortunate", because I learnt quick, valuable lessons as a result, that now make it possible for me to write THIS article for the reader's benefit).

Quite a number of these individuals seem willing to - every once in a while - allow themselves a little indiscretion here and there. Some are greedy cheats, and will go out of their way, given the slightest opportunity, to take advantage of another person - even if s/he is a relative!

Yet they KNOW it is wrong to deceive or defraud customers, clients – or indeed anybody. James Cook in his book, “The Start-up Entrepreneur” was obviously familiar with the widespread nature of this problem, and hammered quite a bit on the need for entrepreneurs to be ethical in all their business dealings, at all times. The fact remains that no matter how many people openly engage in dishonest or fraudulent business practices, it will still be wrong for YOU to do the same thing!

But Why Do People Do It?

We must not be too abstract in the way we discuss this problem. To understand it, one could ask the question: Why do some people in business appear to so readily succumb to the temptation to cut corners?

The truth is that many who embark on entrepreneuring with honest intentions, often encounter traumatizing trials, challenges, setbacks and disappointments. In Think And Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill acknowledged that an individual, due to the pressure of a prolonged period of adversity may become temporarily dishonest, in a bid to secure some relief for the pain s/he feels.

So the necessary suffering that a person undergoes in the pursuit of a challenging goal might make him/her do one or two things that are dishonest, for a while. Ideally however, his/her conscience would eventually force him/her to take corrective action to discontinue the bad habits.

Where it becomes a problem is when the affected person, or another who does not even have such a problem - but who seeks a quick and easy route to success - makes engaging in dishonest or insincere acts a regular habit. In other words, s/he adopts routine and repetitive corner-cutting or crooked dealings, as a preferred alternative route to reach a desired goal(s).

You Do Not Need To Do It

I want anyone confronted with this kind of challenge to understand that IT IS POSSIBLE to weather those rough periods of adversity without engaging in unethical business conduct. Simply dig in, learn quickly from your experiences, and correct your mistakes. Keep in mind ALWAYS, the proven fact that periods of difficulty and hardship WILL help you develop psychological stamina, and become more resourceful in dealing with problems you encounter while pursuing your goals.

Again, and at the risk of sounding boastful, I know this to be true because I’ve been there. Had it not been for those terrible losses and disappointments that I have continually overcome in pursuing my goals, I would not have become as self-confident, as I am today, when it comes to discussing entrepreneuring or what it takes to persistently pursue challenging life goals under situations that appear utterly hopeless and discouraging.

What Will You Do, If/When Confronted With A Fraudulent/Tempting Offer ?

Before you give me an answer, I will ask you to read the following statement I use to guide myself: “you will never know if you will steal, UNTIL the day you find yourself presented with a perfect opportunity to do so, in a way that you can be certain no one will ever find out that you did it”.

Now that you have read it, think about my preceeding question again. Do you KNOW for certain what you will do if/when confronted with a tempting proposition to do something dishonest or unethical in business(or elsewhere) in exchange for a reward/return you place a high value on? For many, what they are willing to do is usually dependent on how they feel it will make them look to those who KNOW about it. This is the reason why people keep getting caught for corruptly enriching themselves: they ALWAYS think no one will find them out!

I believe every person who desires to achieve authentic success, must be able to successfully say NO to the above stated type of fraudulent/tempting opportunity (i.e. one known only to him and which s/he is sure no one will find out about). It however takes HAVING a compelling vision, strong values, plenty of self-discipline, great will power and an achievement orientation, to behave in this manner consistently - especially when you experience painfully prolonged periods of lack and hardship.

Work Hard To Immunize Yourself Against The Temptation Of "Corner Cutting"

You must work hard to develop the needed moral strength to resist the temptation when it does come...and it will! In the case of the entrepreneurs described above, they allowed their desperate desire to succeed quickly, to cloud their judgment of what was proper and ethical, and consequently adopted shameful practices.

Sometimes (especially in societies where entrepreneuring is not yet widely accepted as a viable means of earning a living, and social welfare schemes are absent or in their infancy) clients or customers may push the point(where they consider "switching from honest to dishonest"), by refusing to pay up after the entrepreneurs had delivered requested products or services. When this happens, those entrepreneurs who are unable to stay strong under these conditions, look for ways to cushion the “pain”: they begin to cheat those who do bring business to them! Having said that, there are certain entrepreneurs who don't need any "tempting", because they are just naturally greedy cheats - perpetually on the prowl for unsuspecting persons they can take advantage of.

BUT the truth must be said: Whether or not you have been cheated by clients, punished, exploited, or betrayed, there is absolutely no excuse for becoming fraudulent in your dealings with others. You won’t last long if you go on doing that. So, it’s up to you to decide where you want to stand. I hope when you take your decision, it will be the right one: which is to act with integrity at all times, in all your dealings, be it in business or life in general.

Self-Development/Performance Enhancement Specialist – Tayo Solagbade - works as a Multipreneur, helping individuals/businesses develop and implement strategies to achieve their goals, faster and more profitably.

In the case of JonBenet Ramsey accused killer, John Mark Karr, the media has found themselves in the unusual position of actually defending someone charged with a crime.

The media is normally quick to back acquisitions of wrong doing. O. J. Simpson, Robert Blake, Jim and Tammy Bakker, Tom DeLay, and others were quickly vilified by the press as soon as they fell under suspicion. Not so with Karr. Almost immediately following his confession, media giants began to deny that he could actually be the killer. Their behavior shows a shortcoming inherent in political and business leaders.

Soon after the lifeless six-year-old body was found in the Ramsey basement in Boulder, Colorado, the press honed in on her mother and father. The Ramseys were convicted in the court of public opinion despite their claims of innocence. Now that someone has actually confessed, particularly somebody that the press had not previously considered as a potential suspect, it seems that the media feels a necessity to overcome their earlier Ramsey conviction by proving Karr could not possibly have been the killer.

Politicians and business leaders are often in this position. They take a stand or form an opinion. After expounding prolifically about their opinion more information surfaces. Rather than acknowledging the new facts as having a potentially changing impact on their original position, they work hard to deny that the new facts are viable or feasible. They become more entrenched in their original position even though that original position begins to lose credibility. In many cases this will later cause them to embarrassingly have to admit that they were wrong. Of course admitting one's wrong is difficult so if a way can be found to avoid the submission, it becomes a favored path of omission.

No leader can journey down this path without losing the honor, respect, and admiration of followers. All but the most stringent of Bill Clinton's followers will admit that their viewpoint of his integrity was lessened by his failure to fully recognize his sexual indiscretions in the Oval Office, particularly after the truth was revealed. Richard Nixon will be remembered by many as the President that covered up Watergate rather than the President who restored relations with China.

All leaders must reach the point that they can confidently be completely open and honest with those whom they want to follow them. If the media were to do so in the Ramsey case, the coverage would change from an emphasis of why he could not be the killer to an open an objective reporting of both sides of his potential guilt or innocence.

Rick Weaver is an accomplished business executive with a wealth of experience in retail, market analysis, supply chain enhancement, project management, team building, and process improvement.

Rick career began in retailing as a stockclerk, eventually becoming the Director of Vendor Development at Kmart Corporation during it’s heyday. In this position he worked with hundreds of Kmart’s suppliers to improve mutual processes, procedures, and profits.

As a consultant, Rick has worked with companies in various industries to develop leadership and business strategies.

As an entrepreneur, Rick has founded or co-founded six successful organizations, including non-profit and for profit.

Now in his role as president of MaxImpact, Rick uses his vast experience helping individuals connect to their dreams and teams connect to a common vision.