From The President: On Right, Wrong, Ethics and Charity

Wow! I just went through compound strangeness last week that has me questioning things again!

Are most people so suspicious of each other and other people dishonest enough to feed into it that when honest generosity comes along people don’t know how to deal with it?

I have always prided myself with a strong sense of right and wrong. I see things as black and white and wonder what people are up to when they emphasis ‘shades of grey.’ It almost seems to be a way of self-justifying practices that would be leaning towards unethical.

In the world of philosophy one of the oldest topics that has been addressed is the one of ethics. With millennia between us and some of the earlier philosophers, you would think we would be closer to the answers. Instead, we seem to be further away than ever. Instead of even arguing the topic we have so justified the ‘shades of grey’ that there is virtually nothing to anchor the topic of ethics to.

This has not been limited to sales and marketing but extends into multi-media, media, government, management, business practices, finance, and even our own industry. We have become so adept at compromise that most are willing to accept dishonesty in virtually everything and constantly look for the ‘what’s in it for them/me,’ and not whether or not the action is right or wrong.

This has even extended into whether or not individuals meet their side of any obligations. In effect: “why should I do what I agreed to? They are obviously using [whatever] for their own gain.”

While it is important to see things from a different perspective, and everyone has their own view of the world, I am not talking about ‘compromise’ in the form of a negotiation or agreement. I am talking about compromising values. In fact, we have gotten to the point of when those performing the unethical behavior do not have to justify themselves anymore. Not only does the community justify and defend (condoning) these individuals, there are many instances where the offender is upheld as a hero.

One year from now SUCCESS by DESIGN and a group of partners will be throwing a charity event supporting families of autism as our celebration of winning multiple book and publishing awards this year and as a way of promoting our industry. We have stated that 100% of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the local charity that will be working with us and at least one national autism group (to be announced in May, 2009). Those who know us have sent letters and emails of support, but we were actually asked by one of the groups what was in it for us.

I am a strong supporter of friends and clients who have supported us past and present, with only a few exceptions. I do this by only taking on projects from companies I believe in and can feel justified in placing our company loyalty with them. The same thing goes for business associates in our network and personal fields. We stay clear of shady characters, companies, events and business practices.

Some people view that as a weakness; I see it as a strength. Ask any of our clients whether or not we perform and the response should be ‘well above expectations.’ We’re not perfect, otherwise there would not be any room to grow, but we sure are trying.

My children do not have autism. I have been blessed with sharp, talented, ethical boys and I thank God for that. I do have a great many friends and relatives and have met many in the R&M community who have been touched by autism within their families or circles of friends. They have all been supporters of our efforts, in all areas, throughout the years. I have seen, from the outside, what it takes and the energy and love that is required. Yet many of these same people have been able to extend their support one step further and have put up with many of my antics, or have called to congratulate, or to put me back on the straight and narrow.

Who else better to benefit from my success and the success of SUCCESS by DESIGN. It is the right thing to do, especially as a number of these friends were going to selflessly throw a party for the book and publishing awards anyways.

So, instead of throwing a publishing and book party after the awards at the BookExpo America (BEA) show in New York at the end of May, we have a lot to organize for the charity event so will have the event in April, 2010, which also happens to be National Autism Awareness Month. The event will include book signing, dinner, a variety show, and a couple of short speeches by industry and public figures, of which a number of commitments have already been made.

All sponsorships and donations for the event will be made through the Autism Society of Illinois, who are our local organizers (details will be provided on how to sponsor or donate in our April 21, 2009 newsletter and sponsorship letters. If you wish to prepare, please email me directly at howard@motordoc.com). As a 501(C3), this allows all such sponsorships and donations to be considered charitable donations. The funds will be used for the venue, entertainment, advertising, other event expenses, and the remainder split between all of the autism groups involved. SUCCESS by DESIGN personnel and all volunteers will be volunteering their time.

For more information, or to keep up on announcements, etc., you can go to http://autismbookevent.blogspot.com where we will be posting information as it becomes available.

The volunteers and I are very excited about this event and look forward to your participation. If it is a success, we are considering making this an annual reliability event.

Sincerely,
Howard W Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP
President, SUCCESS by DESIGN®
Editor-in-Chief, IEEE DEIS Web

howard@motordoc.com