1. Playbook
  2. Integrity

Integrity

Integrity is one of the core principles for how we operate at Datopian. We want to develop people in using this value effectively so they can elevate their performance and we have high workability as an organization.

What integrity is NOT?

Within Datopian, the word "Integrity" will be used in a somewhat different way then it is used in the context of day to day life. To be very clear on what integrity IS, we need to be clear about what it is NOT.

Integrity is NOT:

  • Morality - You are not a bad person for being late;
  • Ethics - You should not do/ say certain things to prove the ethical views you have in your profession;
  • Legality - we don’t want you to break the law and at the same time we are not policemen;

In other words, if your integrity is lacking, it doesn’t mean you are a bad person. It doesn’t mean you are not good enough at what you do. Within this context, we will strictly relate to whether you did what you said you were going to do or not, and if you did it on time.

What is integrity then?

We relate to integrity at Datopian as "honoring your word". In other words, doing what you said you would do by when you said you would do it. It is a condition of being whole and complete and of maximum workability. When integrity is present, there is a solid foundation for outstanding performance.

Why integrity?

Integrity, as it is defined here is one of our core values because we value performance and a commitment towards getting work done excellently.

You cannot be performing at the highest degree if you have promised not kept and you are not letting people know you won’t be keeping those promises.

We want this to be present in our culture because we want our contractors to be fulfilled and happy in their day to day life. We believe in a healthy balance between work and private life. One cannot have peace of mind and be present to their family and friends if they are out of integrity. Their mind will constantly be on all the work they need to do and how overwhelmed they are.

Imagine you are a character in a fighting game and your job is the enemy. The more you are out of integrity, the more your Health Level Bar will decrease. Overworked people feel a little bit like this about their job.

Whenever there are promises that are not kept, they start to chip away at the workability of our life. Including the peace of mind and power we have in dealing with everything that comes our way!

Restoring integrity - a never-ending source of power

So what is one to do? The most powerful way to experience getting your power back is to restore your word to yourself and/ or the other people involved.

The following structure is a very powerful way to restore integrity:

  • First state what the agreement was. ( e.g. I have an agreement to be in the meeting at 3PM and I was at 3.01) Acknowledge the broken agreement (e.g. I was late 1 min to the meeting)
  • Acknowledge the impact that broken agreement has on you or others.
  • Declare what structure you will put in place so that it does not happen again. (e.g. I will set up an alarm 5 minutes before).

"I will be on time next time" or "I will try harder" is not a structure! It is more like positive thinking. It should be something "external", something outside of yourself. You obviously want to be on time every time.

What about times when the circumstances are out of my control?

You may not be able to foresee a car accident, or someone close to you getting hurt. Certain circumstances are outside of your control. As soon as you find out about something like that be in communication about promises you may therefore not be able to keep due to these unforeseen events.

Our commitment

Our commitment is that people have a life that works and they are in love with it. We want our contractors to be able to know themselves as high performing individuals who are empowered in their job/ role. Ultimately, we want them to relate to this value as something that gives them peace of mind and freedom, as opposed to blaming themselves when things don’t work.