Getting "PIN" -ed Down

The company, Target, had their bulls eye painted on their chest this past week.  We all read about the loss of nearly 40MM sets of credit card data.  What we didn't know, because they told us it hadn't happened, was that the PIN numbers were compromised as well. 

Once that truth came to light, then all of their credibility was lost and they now have a real consumer problem on their hands.  It begs the question, "Why didn't they just tell the whole truth the first time?"

There are so many examples we have of other companies who get in a crisis that it's not like any of us are learning this for the first time. We also know that the companies that are applauded for their transparency and forthright actions are the ones that we remember positively and keep on buying and consuming from them. 

Target chose the other path, or it so appears, and that might well haunt them for many years to come. 

True Freedom

"We are going to get to the bottom of this!", said the CEO with a raised voice and emphatic tone.

The room emptied in a scramble and everyone was in search of one thing and one thing only; what was the truth?

This is not an unfamiliar scene.  It happens everyday in companies across America. It's not always the CEO who is in search of the truth, it can be anyone who feels like something has been hidden, a corner cut, a shortcut taken, a little white lie told, a misrepresentation made, a pointed finger position held. If we calculated the cost of searching and finding the truth in corporate America, I believe we would be staggered with the number we would find.

So, why does the truth matter?  Because the truth is what truly sets us free.  Tomorrow we celebrate our county's independence and ultimately our freedom.  That freedom, which brings certainty and security, is based on a set of truths that we are to always pursue. Finding the truth is not always easy and it is frustrating to think that we must spend as much time as we do on retrieving it, understanding why the truth was compromised and bringing to justice and accountability those who broke the truth, but that is what we must do.

Any organization, whether a business, a club, or a community must adhere and pay attention and also share a commitment to the truth if they want to truly experience what freedom can be.

Happy Independence Day and don't forget to give thanks tomorrow for all of the freedoms that we do have in this great country!  Enjoy the couple of days away from the office.  See you Monday!

(For a further faith based application of this post you can visit: http://purposedworking.blogspot.com/)