Honesty and integrity in the workplace are essential qualities of outstanding leadership. Most of us have heard both terms before, but most of us are not aware of their importance in the workplace. People believe that honesty and integrity are the same. However, there is a notable difference between honesty and integrity.
Honesty in the Workplace
Honesty in the Workplace is a critical trait that promotes productivity and profitability. Having honest co-workers promotes a healthy work environment and supports honesty in the relationships between colleagues and supervisors. The environment and leadership style at the workplace significantly impact the level of honesty that employees display at the workplace.
Employees who display honesty in the workplace are perceived to be more ethical in their dealings, and they also have higher self-confidence. Employees who trust us enough to tell us the truth about what is going on around the office are more likely to trust us with information and are more honest in their communications. Trust and honesty lead to honesty and integrity. Trust and integrity lead to more cohesive team management, a more profitable business, and happier employees.
There is nothing much destructive to an organization than dishonest employees and an unethical business owner or manager. Studies have shown that there are adverse effects almost immediately after an unethical practice surface. Trust and honesty in the workplace are one of the most critical assets an employer can build. Continual honesty in the workplace will promote productivity, increase profits, and enhance your employee retention rate.
Integrity in the Workplace
The concept of integrity in the workplace is related to the idea of trust. Trust is a central component of any relationship. It is essential in every relationship, whether it is professional or personal. When a person can maintain honesty in his dealings with his colleagues, this would imply his trustworthiness and integrity.
Therefore, integrity in the workplace implies reliability, truthfulness, respect, dependability, and conscientiousness. Any individual who exhibits these traits will definitely attract a higher level of trust, respect. No single behavior can satisfy the demand of this particular definition of integrity in the workplace.
Difference Between Honesty and Integrity in the workplace
A lot of people seem to confuse honesty with integrity when it comes to working in the office. While both are important qualities in a person that wants to be successful, you must remember that honesty and integrity are two different things. Honesty refers to sincerity or truthfulness, whereas integrity has a much broader meaning, encompassing honesty and moral soundness.
If you are honest, you hold yourself to a higher standard and expect others to be the same. You tell the truth without reservation and hold people accountable. The truth is always best served by the right person. However, the integrity of the fact is where the difference usually lies. Integrity goes along with honesty, but integrity goes above and beyond just telling the truth.
Honesty is simply the willingness to be open and honest with your coworkers, clients, and customers. Integrity is holding yourself to a higher standard and maintaining trust while being truthful. When you are honest in your dealings, you tend to create a more positive work atmosphere and create more satisfied employees. When you hold integrity at a high level, you will naturally draw a significant amount of trust from those around you. Trust is vital because it allows you to provide them with the service and product they deserve.
The Importance of Honesty in the Workplace
The Importance of Honesty in the Workplace is a lesson that one should learn no matter what their position is in the organization. An organization that places a premium on honesty will find that quality control, moral improvement, and relationships within the organization improve greatly. Employees are more honest and productive because they have confidence in the organization and its people. When you place trust in your organization, it allows employees to reach their full potential and work productively to meet the organization’s goals.
There are many ways to ensure that your employees know the organization’s standards. As a manager or company leader, you need to be clear about the importance of honesty in the workplace. Employees need to understand what kind of behavior is acceptable and what kind of behavior is not to avoid trouble in the future. There is a saying that goes, ‘The truth is hard to find’, but honesty is an important component of doing business when you want to run an organization. If you are not 100% honest, your company will not succeed.
Lastly,
When you are willing to establish an honest culture in the workplace, your employees will look up to you and will be more likely to be promoted or given a raise. Employees know that if they work harder and longer, they will reward them. That incentive is honesty in the organization and the success it enjoys. If you have not already implemented this into your organization, it is time you seriously considered doing so. Every business has to compete against others, and you want to be the best and do the best, which means being more honest in your dealings with your employees.
