Partnerships of Trust

 
Perhaps one of the more potentially controversial statements in the Conscious Business Ethics Manifesto is this:

I have no need to do business with the dishonest.

So, it may need a little more explanation.

Simply put, I want to do business with those who believe in the same basic ethical rules that I espouse. This will simplify a great many things in our interaction one with another.

This puts me in mind of one of the great lessons my father taught me though his daily actions. As a general building contractor, he had a large number of sub-contractors he worked with. There were plumbers and electricians, framers and landscapers.

They all worked in a relationship of trust: he trusted them, and they trusted him.

Consequently, when he needed something done, he could simply call them on the phone, ask them when they could have the project done, and set them to task. There was no need of a lengthy negotiations for each project.

Because of their trust, their business dealings were simplified—no lawyers or attorneys always getting involved.

Warren Buffett, the famous investor, is well known for doing business on a handshake. He discusses it, among other related topics, briefly in the second half of the following video (though the whole thing is worth a watch to get a better understanding of how he treats people in general):

For me, he says a couple of key things:

You can’t make a good deal with a bad guy.

I prefer to do business with people that I like.

I see no reason to do business with people who cause my stomach to churn.

He followed the last one up by saying doing so anyway was comparable to marrying for money—a stupid thing to do, especially if you’re already wealthy. What a great analogy.

For me, the cost of doing business with the dishonest is just too high a price to pay. I’d much rather spend my time finding the honest, than keeping the dishonest in check.

I encourage you to do likewise.