Character Matters 1

Character Matters in Politics and in Business

My father was a Republican. (He even liked Nixon and Bush). I am a Democrat (I even like Clinton and Obama). He left us a couple of years ago and I now treasure our occasional political arguments. As I get older I more fully appreciate his good example and repetitive lectures that hammered into my brain his core “American” values of honesty, hard work, doing a job well and having the common sense to always do the right thing.

I originally became a Democrat because it was the party that represented labor. As the CEO of Rail Ops Credit Union in 1982, it was a good fit for me. My father, a barber, became a Republican because they represented small business interests.

The majority of Utahns are Republicans and many are intelligent, thoughtful and it behooves me to listen to their good ideas. On the other hand, I am happy to see Donald Trump leave office. His divisiveness, narcissism and overall lack of character has been disheartening. While Joe Biden may not have been my first choice, I feel some optimism for our future. President Biden seems to be at minimum a hard-working civil servant and appears to generally what’s best for the country. He is at least attempting to be the President of “all Americans” and will probably be most successful if he seeks “moderate” solutions to our problems.

Although we should never compromise our values or our character, in Politics is seems wise to compromise our positions to get some consensus in order to get things done.

Just a few things I know for sure!

1. Beware of simple solutions to complex problems.
2. You must do your own thinking!
3. Avoid “name calling” and focus on addressing the issue
   • Not all Democrats are “stupid” and not all Republican are “smart.” (And vice versa).
   • Not all Democrats are “socialists.” Not all Republicans are “radically nationalist.”
   • “Smart” people may occasionally say something or do something “stupid.”
4. Voting for the candidate with the best character is more important than their party affiliation.
5. Beware of painting with a broad brush.
   • Not all Democrats are left wing radical socialists and not all Republicans are gun-toting right wing wackos.
6. We all want clean air, low taxes, good health care, a good retirement and safety for our families. It’ll take all of us working together from all parties and view points to come to the best decision.

Business

Most of these ideas also apply to life and business. In short:

1. Hire and work with people that have good character!
2. Conduct your business, especially your marketing, with “honesty.”
3. Every decision can be a “win-win.”