Decency is not a trade he frequently discuss. Yet, people know what it is when they see it. We would agree that people who are decent are trustworthy, with strong character traits, such as integrity. They are respected and held in high esteem. Decency is an acquired state. It is a function of diligence, conditioning, and a propensity to do the right thing. It is combination of characteristics, attitudes, and positive personal values, which causes people to gravitate to the as a magnet.

You may not have it as a goal, nonetheless it is a byproduct of being a good person. Decency is a positive side effect of good behavior. The individuals possess high moral standards and a solid reputation and track record.

Google defines decency as “behavior that conforms to accepted standards of morality or respectability.” It is often used in the context of someone being modest.

Decency surfaced on my first interview trip as a district sales manager. I was sent to help a district manager fill vacant sales of territories. The company had a structured interview program based on behavioral questions. We looked for competencies or behaviors necessary to do the job. Past performance / behavior was a predictor of future performance. Whereas there were no questions related to decency, it was evident, among the candidates.

One candidate rose to the top of my list. He had the requisite potential to be an outstanding sales rep. This was during a time when we were hiring recent college graduates for sales positions. There was one sales territory that was hard to fill. My favorite candidate evoked the word decency. He had the requisite skills, but I kept thinking, he is a thoroughly decent individual.

Decency translated into a culmination of many positive character traits. His overall demeanor was supported by quantifiable, specific behavior related outcomes.

Our interviewing questions covered such areas as presentation skills, product knowledge, administrative abilities, persuasion, teamwork, tenacity, resilience, creativity, and organizational skills.

Sandwiched between his answers were examples of

• Fairness, equality, and good judgment
• A hard-working personality
• Faith centered living
• Integrity and moral behavior with clients and competitors

Decency is an attribute, we relish in people who lead us, serve us, and befriend us. They have integrity which is characterized by the 4th Monkey (Shizaru) which is “Do No Evil”. Decency is not something we feel we can teach, but believe it was necessary for longevity and success in the long term. It may be a function of upbringing, conditioning, modeling behavior, practice, and reinforcement. Decency is often described as; you know it when you see it, or you can feel its presence in your gut.

In a highly competitive marketplace, decency can be a tiebreaker in hiring employees and building relationships and collaborations. We should determine whether candidates can play well in the sandbox, are good listeners and strong team players. They could essentially play well with others, driven by a sense of fairness and purpose, emotional intelligence, likability, and a desire to excel and achieve their inner greatness.

When we visually survey our workers and coworkers, if we find they have a sense of decency we could probably see the following.

1. Authenticity
2. Integrity
3. Honesty
4. Strong work ethic, based on productivity, quality and execution
5. Treats people fairly, with dignity and respect
6. Moral character as reflected in the stories they tell
7. A sense of fair play

Answer the following question. Are you a decent human being? How do you know this to be true? Asked the coworker, relative or friend if they would consider you a decent person. Ask for examples.

The decent human being is the team player that people like to work with and want on their teams. Strong character individuals are sought after in every interaction that is important to us. It is advantageous to associate with decent people and hire, develop and promote in our organizations.

Copyright © 2020 Orlando Ceaser