10 Ethical Principles to Guide You

Ten Principles to Guide Your Professional Life

1. Honesty

It is fundamental to be honest in all that you do and say. Being honest not only means being truthful, but also being candid and forthright. If you know something that others would be affected by and need to know, you have to come forward with it. Honesty is especially important for an auditor because it is auditor’s job to never let a company deliberately mislead or deceive others with misrepresentations, overstatements, partial truths, selective omissions, or any other means. My mom has been the most important influence in my life when it comes to honesty. She always emphasized that honesty is what people base trust on, and if there is no trust, you can have not meaningful relationships.

“Honesty is the best policy. If I lose mine honor, I lose myself.” – William Shakespeare

2. Respect

It is important to have respect for many things: human dignity, a person’s independence, privacy, rights, and interests of all those who have a stake in important decisions. Equality is a necessity. As a respectful person, always be courteous and treat all people with equal respect and dignity regardless of sex, race or national origin. I believe respect is about following the Golden Rule; always strive to treat others the way you would like to be treated.

“Ethics is nothing else but reverence for life.” – James Schweitzer

3. Fairness

Strive to be fair and just in all that you do. Never use your power to take advantage of people. You should develop a commitment to justice, the equal treatment of individuals, tolerance for and acceptance of diversity. Fairness is also about being are open-minded and willing to admit you are wrong.

“These men ask for just the same thing, fairness, and fairness only. This, so far as in my power, they, and all others, shall have.” – Abraham Lincoln

4. Caring

Be caring, compassionate, benevolent and kind. Always consider the consequences of...