ETHICS & INTEGRITY BE THE SAME IN THE DARK AS IN THE LIGHT

1. ETHICS & INTEGRITYBE THE SAME IN THE DARK AS IN THE LIGHT INKAMBO YAKHO AYIFANE EKUKHANYENI NASEMNYAMENI YIBA QOTHO PHAMBI KWABANTU NASEKUSITHEKENI

2. INTRODUCTION • As people wind their way along city streets and highways, carefully navigating the most direct routes to their, destinations, most of them usually too busy to be bothered with the question of just who is operating the jackhammers, the bulldozers, and who is behind the business end of these massive projects. • It never enters their minds that it might well be a woman supervising a massive job site? Upon taking a closer look, they might find someone they didn't expect performing a job not often equated with them.

3. The "them" in this case are very distinguished Women whose aim is to not only change the general public's perception about Women in Construction but also to promote the abilities of women and minorities in the construction and property industry. It is indeed an honor for me to be amongst such powerful economic players - namely, women who are already transforming local and national economies.

4. INTEGRITY • The CEO lines his pockets at his shareholders' expense. • The politician commits to promises he has no plans of keeping. • The student "borrows" answers in order to pass the test. • A Pastor commits adultery in the name of "unmet needs." • The lawyer overbills his client in order to pad his income. The list goes on….

5. ARE YOU A PERSON OF INTERGRITY? If you were to ask people, "Do you consider yourself a person of integrity?" almost everyone would answer yes, including those just mentioned. Yet those with real integrity are the same in the dark as in the light.

6. DEFINING INTERGRITY HOW CAN INTERGRITY BE IDENTIFIED? • A person of moral integrity is not double-minded with contradictory thoughts, words and actions. • Does not pretend to have virtues or qualities that are really not present in the heart.

7. MORAL INTERGRITY To have moral integrity is to be undivided and consistent in your mind, will and emotions regarding what is right and wrong. • An undivided mind... Your eyes are focused on the right values • An undivided will... Your actions are serving only one master. • An undivided heart... Your passions are for godliness and not for worldly pleasure.

8. ETHICS EXPLAINED? • Ethics is a standard of moral principles that determine what is right or wrong for individual or group behavior. • The word ethic comes from the Greek word ethikos, which at the root means "moral character." • In philosophy, ethics is the study of various systems of right and wrong conduct. It examines good and bad motives, judgments and consequences.

9. BIBLICAL MANDATE FOR MORALITY • The Bible states the moral principles that God requires of everyone. The ten commandments found in Exodus 20:1-17. • Summarized in two commandments: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as your self. • The Bible describes sin as the source of moral failure. “Remember, it is sin to know what you should do and then not do it”. James 4:17)

10. CAUSES FOR LACK OF INTEGRITY • The first sign of moral decline is when one fails to yield to the warning signs in the Word of God. • If your moral decisions are based only on human reasoning... inevitably you will fail. • God generously gives you freedom to make decisions, and His heart's desire is that you choose the higher road to moral virtue.

11. THE FIVE SYSTEMS OF ETHIC • Cultural ethics - Morals are determined by popular opinion. • Situation ethics - Morals are determined by what appears to be most suitable. • Emotive ethics - Morals do not exist, judgments of right or wrong are not valid because feelings are neither right nor wrong. • Behavioral ethics - Morals do not exist; all human conduct is the result of genetic makeup or environment. • Biblical ethics - Morals are determined by the Bible, the unchanging Word of God.

12. CULTURAL ETHICS Making decisions based on popular opinion • Have your values been swayed because of the belief that "everyone is doing it"?Example: Engaging in sexual immorality • Have you gone along with the crowd, doing something against your conscience that you would never do on your own? If so, you have subscribed to cultural ethics.

13. SITUATION ETHICS Making decisions based on what seems good for the moment • Have you lied to protect another person's feelings or desires? Example: Answering the phone and saying he or she is not home when in reality that person is there. • Have you encouraged someone to do something that violates the Word of God because it seemed the most loving thing to do? - Example: Encouraging revenge or divorce. • If so, you have subscribed to situation ethics.

14. EMOTIVE ETHICS Making decisions based solely on your feelings • Have you thought, This can't be wrong because it feels so right? Example: Compromising yourself sexually because your desire was too strong to stop. • Have you indulged your desires to your own detriment? Example: Buying more luxury items than your budget could afford? • If so, you have subscribed to emotive ethics.

15. BEHAVIORAL ETHICS Making decisions based solely on natural inclination • Have you justified your negative behavior saying, "I just can't help it"?Example: Not making an effort to stop a negative habit like smoking or stealing. • Have you blamed your negative responses on your family upbringing?Example: Blaming your abusive talk and actions on your parents.

16. ROOT CAUSE • Every individual is born with God-given inner needs for love, for significance and for security. • Immoral behavior results when we seek to get these needs met in illegitimate ways. • Trusting in your own premise rather than in God's promise to provide your needs is embracing a false ethical system and compromising your integrity.

17. THE WALK OF INTEGRITY • Integrity loves the Lord and His justice. • Integrity lives a blameless life. • Integrity keeps its eyes from evil. • Integrity silences gossip and slander. • Integrity seeks fellowship with God's faithful and wisdom from the wise. • Integrity denounces deceit and dishonesty.

18. CONCLUSION • Depending on the position of your body while sleeping, you might awaken with a hand that's asleep, numb and insensitive to touch. If the supply of blood is restricted, your hand is physically numb. In the same way, when the supply of truth is restricted, your conscience becomes spiritually numb, asleep or dead! • The world and those who are acting on a system of ethics apart from God's moral laws have put their consciences to sleep. They have become insensitive to the touch of God!

19. It is my prayer that as you go from the kitchen to the bedroom and bedroom to boardroom in a cruel business world, you maintain the gently side of you and to be as tender as you have to be tough. Be Blessed through every meeting, every negotiation, every tough call to be a lady on the job. I trust this talk will help you uphold your principles as you start a new era in your lives, that of being the same in the dark as in the dark. Thank You.

20. CONTACT DETAILS I THANK YOU. Cellphone : 072 099 6212 SMS LINE : 076 155 7778 Email : zandi@owethu.co.za Facsimile : 0866 722 866