Trust is key! To connect with ourselves and our higher power. To connect with others and form rewarding relationships. To connect with the community and the world around us, TRUST in ourselves, trust in what energy we put out into the universe, and trust in the workings of the world around us is the KEY to living a beautiful life!
Although many may disagree with my opinion on how an organization should be ran, views on policies, procedures, and laws, I have a strong vision about how I want to live my life and run my own non-profit someday. Below I am going to share with you guys a reflection and post for a class in my masters program at Walden University about gaining public trust and policies/procedures/ethics.............
Public Trust and the
Non-Profit Sector
In this week’s video file, there
were great examples in how to maintain public trust and transparency, as well
as examples of things that shouldn’t be done because it can hinder the
organizations ability to build public trust and transparency which can lead to
the downfall of an organization. Andrea Ingram, the Executive Director for
Grassroots Crisis Intervention spoke of how blurred boundaries can lead to
problems for a non-profit and how a strong ethical code and policies for
individuals and the organization is extremely important for an organization to
maintain the trust of the community. (Producer, 2011). Ingram identified
specific boundary issues that she has witnessed as: workers becoming to close
or familiar with the clients due to close living quarters and the length of the
program (1.5 years), professional’s showing favoritism towards specific
clients, and professionals breaking rules for the sake of the client.
(Producer, 2011).
Many proactive measures and other practices can create a
strong and trusting relationship between the public/community and an
organization that serves client’s needs within that community. Proactive
measures that were identified as good ways to keep public trust and respect
include having a clear code of ethics and supplying comprehensive training for
human services professionals within an organization and a human services
manager/administrator holding their employees to a high level of expectation
and integrity in the way they handle themselves, both, within and outside of
the organization. (Producer, 2011). Other practices that can help an
organization to maintain public trust and transparency include making sure that
all employees are trained and have proper certifications for the job in which
they are assigned, regularly scheduled audits (internal and external), maintaining
the confidentiality of information in regards to clients and donor supports,
and keeping accurate and detailed financial records. (Producer, 2011).
In my opinion, the three most important steps that I can
take to maintain public trust within any organization in which I work would be
to:
- Make sure that I am properly trained to carry out the duties and assignments in which I am expected to complete.
- Live by my standards and the “golden rule” which, in almost all circumstances, would allow me to behave in a rational, fair, smart, and ethical manor while role modeling the behaviors that I hope my clients would adhere to.
- Be sure to always admit my mistakes and errors while asking for the community and the organization’s feedback on how they think I could do better, what I may need to learn, considerations I may need to make, understand others perspectives, and be committed to growth while being authentic in my attempts to understand their feedback, try new methods, and practice actions in which all would agree would be beneficial to my ability to carry out my duties.
I
truly feel that, even if one’s choices are not the best, if a person is true to
who they are, honest in their communications/actions with others, have good
intentions, and are willing to grow, even if others within the
organization/community do not agree in the individual’s actions or have differences
in opinion/practices, with authentic behaviors and transparency, the trust of
those individuals within the community/organization will be maintained. As long
as those factors are maintained, clear communication/dialogue can occur that
will allow all parties to understand and personal & professional growth can
occur which will allow for even further advancement and success of the
organization and its employees.
When
it came to this week’s video file, in my heart, I do not 100% agree with Andrea
Ingram when she stated that too much closeness and familiarity with clients can
lead to blurred boundaries and ethical problems for an organization. (Producer,
2011). Yes, I do understand that clear boundaries in the sense that there
should be some definite do’s and don’ts (black and white), such as no taking
money/gifts, not breaching confidentiality, no romantic relationships, no
actions that would make a client dependent upon you, and no playing favorites,
etc. I must disagree when she said that “we, as human services professionals
should not be their friend because they are there for a service.” (Producer, 2011).
Although I know the code of ethics and
when I am employed with any human/social services agency I abide by rules,
policies, and codes of ethics that have been established by these organizations
(and sometimes the state or nation), I hope to find a way to follow my own path
and have an organization that does not have so many internal rules, policies,
and procedures and hire individuals that have positive character traits, live
by their heart rather than other’s laws or rules, and show compassion, friendship,
trust, and a helping hand to anyone who needs it, for as long as they need it,
and create a lifelong relationship where growth, learning, mentorship,
role-modeling, and being the change that one wants to see in the world is at
the center of everything we do. An organization where we can show unconditional
love, support, and “FRIENDSHIP” while teaching and supporting one another.
In
the organization I envision, there would be no worry when it comes to public
trust because the actions of the employees, although maybe not perfect, always
good intended, self-sacrificing, and authentic. There would be no favoritism or
behaviors that would deliberately pose harm to the clients by those within our
organization because our team of professionals would do what comes natural for
them because they want what’s best for others and live by the golden rule.
Never would they have to alter their behaviors in any way for the client or for
the purpose of impressing anyone or gaining public trust, because
they have enough self-knowledge and awareness to know that they do not have to
act in a certain way because they were told that they “should” or “have to,”
but rather they are acting in ways that they have sought within and found to be
true and right, with love, kindness, forgiveness, understanding, and the
driving force to share that internal wisdom with others for as long as those
people need it.
Although
I know and fully understand the need for organizational codes of ethics,
policies and procedures, and to abide by certain rules, I do feel as though
there is a better way. Those laws, policies, codes of ethics, and rules were
made because people were hurting one another, serving purposes of their own,
and acting through thoughts of the ego. If we can help others to learn to get
past those aspects, which were created out of fear and mistrust, and to live a
life of trust, hope, and love, we will gain, in my opinion, much further ground
than one ever would by focusing on obeying laws, rules, and policies.
One
specific example of a time when I, as a human services administrator would have
broken the organization policy where I worked a few years ago was when I went
to my director and asked him if I could take the ABUNDANCE (and I mean
abundance) of leftover food from the cafeteria and give it to the homeless
people under the bridge on my way to school. I knew that the food got dumped in
the trash every evening so I figured that we could really help by feeding
hungry families. The director blatantly stated “no” while providing me with the
reason being that “if anyone gets sick or claims to get sick off of the food,
it was a liability for the organization.” Although I totally understand that
that very fact could happen and cause extreme liability for the organization,
if I were a human services leader, I would throw that caution to the wind and
take the wide array of food to those needy individuals on a daily basis. Yes, I
would know that there could be severe consequences, but I could choose to live
out of fear and allow those people to go hungry or I could choose to live from
love and hope and feed the many men, women, and children who needed it. I would
never want to put my actions/liability on an organization to which I serve or
another individual; however, if there ever came a chance for me to be that
leader of an organization, my choice would be an easy one!
You
see it everywhere, people getting sue crazy and claiming lawsuits to get rich,
others deceiving people for their own benefits/financial gain, fighting and
conflict over who is wrong and who is right, policies in the workplace to
protect the assets and liability of organizations, laws being made that we
shouldn’t even need because people should know better in the first place, etc.
All of these were made out of fear of what others could (and may even and many
times do) but our lives should never be lived over what “may happen” because
then we are already thinking that it will, which many times means it does, and
gives a negative energy out to the world and everyone around us. What actions
would lead more to a lack of public trust than an individual giving out
negative energy while showing a lack of trust for their coworkers/team to
choose to make the right decision or organization’s ability to trust the
community! In my opinion, creating
these laws and policies do just that, they scream “we do not trust you to show
kindness and good willed intent to the neighbor and treat others how you would
like to be treated.”
Again,
I am not saying that it is not important to have a code of ethics in place;
however, if we can get individuals to a point where they can do what is right
without it, that is what we all should thrive to achieve. Maybe one day, I can
achieve my dream of having my own organization that will allow me to throw all
other methods, rules, policies, and procedures to the wind and build an
organization where personal accountability, utmost personal character, and dedication
to learning and growth are at the forefront, I also realize that in order to do
so I will probably have to move out of the country because those damn federal
laws regulate everything would most likely prevent me in creating the future that I envision. One thing is for sure, I must stay true to
the person I am, accept others for who they are, and provide a safe,
supportive, loving, and nurturing environment for everyone to belong and never
will I lose the hope and faith in humanity to choose to do the right thing.
References
Laureate Education
(Producer). (2011). Symbolic framework: Transparency and the public trust
[Video
file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
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