“You’ll Do!”

Here’s a story told by Zig Ziglar in his book, Something Else to Smile About.

Recently, at a major medical center, a new head nurse began her first assignment. She supervised all the nurses on the operating room team. She bore full responsibility for performing all the duties typically handled by head nurses. 

When the surgery was finished, the surgeon said, “Okay, it’s time to close the incision. I need the sutures.” The new head nurse responded, “Doctor, you used twelve sponges; we’ve only removed eleven.” The surgeon assured her that all the sponges had been removed and that he was ready to suture. She replied, “Doctor, you used twelve sponges; only eleven have been removed.” With a hint of irritation in his voice, the doctor said, “I will accept full responsibility.” 

At that point, the nurse's temper flared, and she stomped her foot, saying, "Doctor, think of the patient!" When she said that, the doctor smiled, lifted his foot, and revealed the twelfth sponge. He looked at the nurse and said, "You'll do." Her integrity had been tested, and she passed the test.

I don’t know, but I have a strong suspicion that you, like I, would want that nurse watching over me in surgery. The truth is that major surgery requires not only a skilled surgeon, but also several skilled assistants to ensure everything happens as it should. They function as a team. No one person, regardless of how brilliant they are, could pull off a major operation alone.

Here’s a question for you. How many of us, in the same situation as the nurse, would risk offending the surgeon, considering we might have miscounted? Would you be willing to challenge an experienced surgeon, or would you be intimidated by them? Would you have the courage to correct the surgeon or risk being wrong? The head nurse, though new to the job, felt that the patient’s life and health were at stake, and she, without hesitation, did the right thing. This nurse and people like her are the tea bags of life. They perform best when the water is hot. The nurse demonstrated integrity in action at work. She did what was right for the right reasons.

As I read the nurse's story, I began thinking about integrity. In these times, the world is integrity-challenged. Moral breakdowns are occurring with greater frequency and intensity. We're having an eruption of corruption. It may be time to return to where we once belonged, or better yet, to go back to the future. Until we reform, we only revisit. Integrity is not outdated; it’s essential for a better future. 

I researched on the computer, and here are some thoughts about integrity I found. 

What is integrity? Integrity is the quality of being honest and having a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values. In the original Latin language, integrity means soundness, wholeness, purity, and blamelessness.

What does integrity in life and the workplace look like? Workplace integrity is the consistent practice of strong ethical and moral principles in your words and actions, even when no one is watching. It involves being honest, reliable, and accountable for your responsibilities and mistakes, treating others with respect, and fulfilling your commitments. Employees with integrity build trust, foster a positive company culture, and are regarded as dependable and valuable team members. 

What are the key traits of workplace integrity? 

• Honesty: Always telling the truth and avoiding deception, even when it might be easier to hide the facts. 
• Accountability: Accepting responsibility for your actions and mistakes, rather than blaming others. 
• Reliability: Keeping promises and commitments, showing that you can be trusted. 
• Respect: Treating colleagues, clients, and others with dignity in all interactions. 
• Ethics: Following a strong moral and ethical code, making decisions based on what is right. 
• Trustworthiness: Being a dependable and trustworthy person whom others can count on. 

What does integrity in action look like, sound like, and feel like? 

• Being transparent: Admitting a mistake rather than trying to cover it up. 
• Honoring commitments: Doing what you say you will, even if it means doing extra work. 
• Maintaining confidentiality: Protecting sensitive information when necessary. 
• Respecting policies: Following company policies and procedures to make the right choices. 
• Speaking up: Reporting obvious unethical behavior when you witness it.  

Why is integrity important? 

• Integrity fosters trust and credibility, which in turn helps establish strong relationships with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders. 
• It promotes a positive work culture by encouraging open communication and a supportive environment. 
• Integrity boosts productivity. Think about how high-integrity organizations tend to have better teamwork and higher employee performance. 
• Additionally, integrity reduces risk by helping to prevent errors and unethical activities that could damage the organization. 

Wow!

Would you like to receive a “You’ll do!” from someone or some company you'd like to work for? Or maybe start your own company with customers who say, “You’ll do!” Or how about marrying a high-integrity person who says to you, “You’ll do.” Integrity is your best friend, not your worst enemy. 

Integrity is something we should strive for. We will never be perfect, but we can aim for integrity. Not only will integrity help you, but it will also help others. Integrity is part of God's nature, and it can also be yours, empowered by the Holy Spirit. God's wanting, willing, and waiting for us to say to integrity, "You'll do!"