The year I spent in China taught me a lot about the culture there and the concept of saving (or losing) face. I learned that job fairs were frowned upon because applicants were hesitant to appear in public looking for a job – something that might cause their employer to lose face. That taught us to conduct recruitment in a more private setting, allowing an applicant and his or her employer to maintain their self-respect. And face. Much different than here, especially now. Where boasting is acceptable and social media influencing is less about expertise and more about, well, boasting. Interestingly, China just introduced stricter regulations for social media influencers, requiring anyone who discusses professional topics such as medicine, finance, law, or education to provide proof of their qualifications before posting content. Imagine that – truth in advertising, something long ago abandoned here, creating a challenge for corporate policies that promote truthfulness and respect. That’s why workplaces and their cultures are and must continue to be bulwarks of ethical behavior and personal accountability. Standing for the principle of doing what’s right, whether anyone’s looking or not. That’s what we teach our employees and what we should be teaching our children. That there’s no greater loss than the loss of one’s integrity and, by extension, their self-respect. That’s a standard we should all promote and strongly support today.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869 – 1948): Indian lawyer, anti-colonial activist, and political ethicist. The honorific Mahātmā (from Sanskrit, meaning great-souled, or venerable), first applied to him in South Africa in 1914, is used worldwide.
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