I got the call from my Line Manager, as usual, every Monday, since we started working from home, thanks to COVID. Our work trust has been put to test and our performance is now based on the results, not influence. We talked about my last week’s performance and other departmental new development.
My Line Manager told me that the company is cutting office building space since the company is moving to a hybrid Office model. What shocked me was what he said next. He said the Queen’s Warehouse will be our departmental hybrid Office. The Queen’s Warehouse is the old building that was used by Queen of London when she came to the City in the old days. Why this is a very important building for me? I was the construction manager for the reconstruction of the Queen’s Warehouse and convention from the warehouse to offices during the Durban 2005 programme. This was one of the challenging projects, I ever worked on. The project was challenging because we had to preserve the history of the building while modernising it to be an attractive office.
When my Line Manager told me about the Queen’s Warehouse, a few things came to mind. What if I overlooked some thinking because I was not the one using the building? Did I ensure that the building was structural sound, safe for the office environment and ergonomically correct for all individuals? These questions made me revisit my ethics as a human being. The principles of Building It as If It Yours came to mind. This principle emphasises the importance of ethics and karma (What you put out will come back to you in unexpected ways. Give only what you don’t mind getting back to you).
The principles of Building It as If It Yours led me to PositiveMind question what is in the word ETHICS, illustrated in the quote.
Ethical -: Do what is right, not what is easy
Truth -: Truth will always be the truth, regardless of lack of understanding, disbelief or ignorance (W. Clement Stone)
Honor -: Rather fail with honour than succeed by fraud (Sophocles)
Inspire -: Aspire to inspire before you expire
Courage -: Courage is grace under pressure (Ernest Hemingway)
Service -: Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth (Muhammad Ail)
PositiveMind 