IN TOUCH

MARCH 2015, VOL. IX, ISSUE NO. 26

fcu and associates

IN TOUCH
a newsletter for our partners and friends

The Importance of Ethics in

Organizations
By: LUANNE KELCHNER, DEMAND MEDIA

CONTENTS
The Importance of Ethics in Organizations
PAGE 1
10 Ways to Make Your Customers Fall In Love
With Your Business
PAGE 2
The 3 Biggest Obstacles To Entrepreneurial
Success
7 Tasks Successful Leaders Never Delegate

thics are the principles and values an individual uses to govern his
activities and decisions. In an organization, a code of ethics is a set of
principles that guide the organization in its programs, policies and
decisions for the business. The ethical philosophy an organization uses to
conduct business can affect the reputation, productivity and bottom line of
the business.

LEADERSHIP ETHICS
The ethics that leaders in an organization use to manage employees may
have an effect on the morale and loyalty of workers. The code of ethics
leaders use determines discipline procedures and the acceptable behavior
for all workers in an organization. When leaders have high ethical standards,
it encourages workers in the organization to meet that same level.

PAGE 3

EMPLOYEE ETHICS

Congratulations to Our Newly-Certified Clients!

Ethical behavior among workers in an organization ensures that employees

complete work with honesty and integrity. Employees who use ethics to
guide their behavior adhere to employee policies and rules while striving to
meet the goals of the organization.

PAGE 5
DIS/ISO 9001:2008 Orientation
Meet Our New Clients
PAGE 6
FCU in Action
PAGE 9
FCU Team Goes to Thailand
PAGE 12
Jokes Corner
From the Editors
PAGE 13

ON THE WEB

ETHICAL ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

Leaders and employees adhering to a code of ethics create an ethical
organizational culture. The leaders of a business may create an ethical
culture by exhibiting the type of behavior they'd like to see in employees.
The organization can reinforce ethical behavior by rewarding employees
who exhibit the values and integrity that coincides with the company code
of ethics and disciplining those who make the wrong choices.

BENEFITS TO THE ORGANIZATION

A positive and healthy corporate culture improves the morale among
workers in the organization, which may increase productivity and employee
retention; this, in turn, has financial benefits for the organization. Higher
levels of productivity improve the efficiency in the company, while
increasing employee retention reduces the cost of replacing employees.
Source: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-ethics-organizations-20925.html

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http:www.facebook.com/fcuandassociates
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MARCH 2015, VOL. IX, ISSUE NO. 26

By: BRIAN HONIGMAN, THE HUFFINGTON POST

Nurturing relationships with your customers is a crucial

part of growing a successful business. In this age of
automation and innovation, caring for your customers
has never been more important.
At any moment, an unhappy customer can share their
opinion with the masses through social media and the
web and negatively affect your business. That's why it's
even more important than ever to create an excellent
experience for your customers to help develop your
company's relationship with them into love.

Walt Disney said it best, "Do what you do so

well that they will want to see it again and
bring their friends."
A customer-focused culture of this nature is a business
opportunity that should not be overlooked. Most
businesses are failing when it comes to the customer
experience, which is your opportunity to swoop in and
enchant those same customers into falling for your
company. Here are 10 ways to help make your customers
fall in love with your business:

1. Treat your Customers Right - Genuinely Interact.

Happy customers who get their issues resolved tell 4 to 6
people about their experience. So that's a way to
significantly influence the word of mouth about your
business. Don't act as a nameless or faceless business;
genuinely talk with your customers as a person
representing the business. Address your customers by
name, and tell them your name at the very beginning of
your interaction.

when trying to resolve an issue they have with your

company.
Keeping your patience is key to giving your customer the
time to air out their issue. And, in turn, it creates the
opportunity for you to help resolve the issue and make
them comfortable. The more comfortable the customer is
the more likely they'll share valuable feedback that can
help prevent similar issues from occurring again in the
future.
3. Always Listen - Hear What Your Customers are Saying.
At a time when it's easy to have a two-way dialogue with
your customers, it's important to truly listen. When
listening to your customers, take into account what
changes your organization should make from this
feedback, and then follow through. Your customers are the
lifeblood of your organization, and not dealing with the
reasonable requests could cause backlash.
Use the following methods to gather feedback from your
customers:

Surveys
Focus Groups
Observation
Point of Sale

Customer Service
Social Media
Communities and Groups
Email and Web Forums
(Continued on page 4)

2. Don't Come on Too Strong - Respect Your Customers.

A third of consumers say they experience rude customer
service at least once a month, and 58 percent of them tell
their friends. This is exactly how word of mouth can work
against your company's reputation for the long term. It's
very important to be respectful of a customer's mood
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MARCH 2015, VOL. IX, ISSUE NO. 26

The 3 Biggest Obstacles to Entrepreneurial Success

hile many people dream of

starting their own business,
not everyone takes the plunge.
Meanwhile, among those who do
embark on an entrepreneurial
pursuit, many face the difficult reality
that 50 percent of new businesses
will fail within five years.
Sometimes, success or failure
depends less on external factors and
more so on an entrepreneurs
mindset. Indeed, as economists have
noted dating back to the 1930s,
psychological factors have major
impacts on economic behavior.
Here are the three biggest
psychological
impediments
to
entrepreneurial success and how to
overcome them:

PERFECTIONISM
For entrepreneurs, practice doesnt
make perfect; action does. You
simply cannot wait until you are 100
percent ready before you take action.
I remember thinking that I needed to
write out 25-page business plans
before I could do anything. After all,
thats what I was taught in school. In
reality, by the time your perfect
business plan is out of the printer, its
already dated.
We always want to think things all
the way through, but sometimes you

By: PAIGE BROWN, ENTREPRENEUR MEDIA

need to just go for it, foregoing

your perfect business plan and
winging it with a five-page deck
instead. The hardest part of
giving up on perfectionism is to
own your decision. While it is
never going to be easy, if you
let go of perfectionism, you will
achieve better results.

FEAR
Entrepreneurs resolve is tested
from the very first step of
starting a business. In fact, one
of my entrepreneurship professors
compared starting a business to
jumping off a cliff and assembling
your parachute on the way down.
While it is that scary, if you succumb
to your fear and never take the
plunge, you have zero chance of
succeeding.
In addition, entrepreneurs must
overcome
the
fear
of
rejection. Heres one exercise: Send
out applications for awards,
incubators and programs for which
you are afraid you might not be
qualified. It worked for me. I took a
chance and applied for the NYSE Big
StartUpSM competition in 2012 and
soon found myself standing on the
podium ringing the Closing Bell. Not
giving in to fear of failure or
rejection was the secret to my
success.

7 TASKS SUCCESSFUL LEADERS NEVER DELEGATE

ve made the point before that knowing when and how to

delegate is a trait of good leaders. It shows trust in your
employees and ensures that you are focusing your own time
and skills in your zone of genius the tasks that only you
can do.
But Id like to argue that there are some things that
should never be delegated because they will make you too
far removed from your team, open you up for criticism, or
ultimately paint you in a bad light.
If youve delegated any of the following tasks, I suggest you

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WORRY
As an entrepreneur, worry comes with
the territory. In fact, over a third of
entrepreneurs told Gallup they
worried a lot about yesterday. While
worry is a quotidian experience, it is
not productive. You have to
make peace with the things that
concern you, and not let them stop
you from taking action and pursuing
your dreams.
To
achieve
success
as
an
entrepreneur, you must embrace
action and let go of perfectionism,
fear and worry. You have the power to
transform your future by giving up on
these three biggest impediments to
reaching your goals.
Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/243143

By: BERNARD MARR, LinkedIn

move these back into your zone of genius:

1.

2.

Core functions or responsibilities

Neither a company nor an individual employee should
ever outsource their core competencies the tasks
that add the most value. As an employee, if you
outsource these tasks, your boss may wonder why he
needs to keep you around at all.
Praise and discipline
These tasks are two sides of the coin. People will
naturally trust and be more loyal to the person who
doles out praise and incentives, and the higher up you
are in a company, the more important it is to do these
(Continued on page 4)

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MARCH 2015, VOL. IX, ISSUE NO. 26

10 Ways to Make Customers Fall In Love With Your Business

(continued from page 4)

Transparency means your employees' personal and work

persona blur.

4. Continue to Satisfy - Offer Ongoing Support and Specials.

The #1 reason for customer attrition is dissatisfaction with
customer service. Do everything in your power to provide
excellent service to your customers on an
ongoing basis. Respond quickly and
enthusiastically, and be ready to present a
special offer or discount with the hope of
up-selling the customer to buy more.

8. Follow Through on Your Word - Follow Up on Promises.

Your word is your bond.
Following up on
your promises helps show the transparency of
your business, while helping to build a feeling
of trust and dependability with your audience.

5. Treat a Customer Like a Valued Partner

- Communication is Two Way. As previously
mentioned, take your customer's feedback
seriously and act upon reasonable requests.
What's the point of listening if you're not
going to act on that feedback? Make sure it's
clear that you want your customer's feedback and that your
business truly values them as a partner.

show your

9. Recognize Responsibility - The Customer is

Always Right. No matter the circumstance, the
customer is always right. This is a rule to guide
your business through its growth, from
customer service to user experience to
product development. To help set this in
motion, create a customer service policy to
customers they are always right.

6. Build Trust - Alert Customers to Large Scale Changes, Good

or Bad. It takes 12 positive service experiences to make up for
1 negative experience. This is how sensitive trust is between a
business and its customers. No matter your size, keep your
customers in the know when it comes to positive and
negatives changes to your products and services that affect
them.

10. Always Say "Thank You" - Kindness and Gratitude will

Take You Far. Last, but certainly not least, always say "Thank
you." As many as 3 out of 4 customers say they have spent
more with a company because of a history of positive
experiences. Kindness and gratitude for a customer's
business is an undeniable way to further enchant them for the
long term.

7. Be Transparent - Honesty is Crucial When it comes to

Mistakes. Being transparent in the digital age is a must. Much
like the principles discussed above, transparency is a critical
factor in building trust, satisfaction, and love from your
customers. What does it mean to be transparent?
Transparency means that you are not afraid of feedback.
Transparency means that you have nothing to hide.

Craft every thank you sent out from your company to be

specific to the customer, relevancy is key. Be as appreciative
as possible to your customers for taking the time to go
through the process of resolving their issue. Finally, follow up
with a good old fashioned "Thank you."
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-honigman/10-ways-to-makecustomers-fall-love-with-business_b_2838322.html

7 TASKS SUCCESSFUL LEADERS NEVER DELEGATE

activities yourself. Likewise, while disciplining
employees is
possibly a managers most unpleasant
task, it shouldnt be passed off to a subordinate.
3. Team building and talent nurturing
Perhaps a managers most important job is building,
training, and nurturing his or her team, which is why its
vital not to completely outsource these tasks. Bringing
in the right talent, putting together a team that works
well, and understanding which members need training,
mentoring, or incentives are the tools for success.
4. Fundraising and investor relations
Especially if youre a CEO or entrepreneur, you cant
completely delegate these tasks. Investors want to hear
from the person in charge whether the news is good or
bad.
5. Mission, vision, and company culture
As with team building, you cant outsource the core
values that bring you together as a team. Whether you
are the CEO or a team leader, maintaining the vision
that drives your team cannot be forgotten or
outsourced.

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6.

7.

(...continued from page 3)

Crisis management
No matter how big the crisis is in the grand scheme of
things, your presence is required. Its important to
show all parties that you are monitoring the situation
and involved in finding a solution. It doesnt matter
whether your organization is negotiating a hostage
situation or trying to salvage your biggest account; a
wise leader will be present and involved.
Traditions and etiquette
There are just certain situations that require your
presence out of politeness and tradition. It would be
unthinkable to send your assistant to the funeral of an
employees relative or a team members wedding. Go or
dont go, but dont delegate this one.

The most powerful leaders in the world understand the

power of delegation. But the best leaders will make a point
of keeping these items on their personal to do list, no
matter how important or powerful they grow to be.
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-tasks-successful-leaders-neverdelegate-bernard-marr

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MARCH 2015, VOL. IX, ISSUE NO. 26

A.B. Taylan Construction and Development

A.J. Taylan Construction Corporation

Kenneth Construction and General Merchandise

APD Construction

Rabbit Construction and Development Corporation

WEE Builders
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MARCH 2015, VOL. IX, ISSUE NO. 26

DIS/ISO 9001:2015 ORIENTATION

October 24 2015
Legaspi City, Albay

MEET OUR NEW CLIENTS

Ascentia Construction, Incorporated
Asset Builders Corporation
Elgrade Incorporated
Greenlight Power, Incorporated
Greenmetal Electric Manufacturing Corporation
Lourel Development Corporation
Mega Philippines, Incorporated
Quadcore Construction & Development Corporation
Quadstruct Incorporated
Universidad de Sta. Isabel Health Services Department (Mother Seton Hospital)
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MARCH 2015, VOL. IX, ISSUE NO. 26

DIS/ISO 9001:2015 ORIENTATION

December 1,2014, Metro Manila

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MARCH 2015, VOL. IX, ISSUE NO. 26

DIS/ISO 9001:2015 ORIENTATION

December 5,2014, Cebu

December 11,2014, Davao

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MARCH 2015, VOL. IX, ISSUE NO. 26

FCU IN ACTION
NYP New Year s Party

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MARCH 2015, VOL. IX, ISSUE NO. 26

FCU IN ACTION
Strengthening our Team

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MARCH 2015, VOL. IX, ISSUE NO. 26

FCU IN ACTION
Sharpening the Saw

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MARCH 2015, VOL. IX, ISSUE NO. 26

FCU TEAM
goes to

THAILAND

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MARCH 2015, VOL. IX, ISSUE NO. 26

JOKES
CORNER

WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?

A man joined a big Multi National Company as a trainee.
On his first day, he dialled the kitchen and shouted into the
phone: Get me a cup of coffee, quickly!
The voice from the other side responded: You fool; youve
dialled the wrong extension! Do you know who youre talking to?

FACTORY WORKERS

No replied the trainee.

In a small town in the US, there is a rather

sizable factory that hires only married men.

Its the Managing Director of

the company, you idiot!

Concerned about this, a local woman called

on the manager and asked him, Why is it
you limit your employees to married men?

The trainee shouted back: And

do you know who YOU are talking to, you IDIOT?
No! replied the
Director angrily.

Is it because you think women are weak, dumb, cantankerous or

what?

Managing

Not at all, Maam, the manager replied.

Thank God! replied the trainee and kept the phone

down.

It is because our employees are used to obeying orders, are accustomed to being shoved around, know how to keep their mouths
shut and dont pout when I yell at them.

READ BETWEEN THE LINES

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR BOSS

What these words on yearly performance reviews really

mean:

When you take a long time, youre slow.

When your boss takes a long time, hes thorough.
When you dont do it, youre lazy.
When your boss doesnt do it, hes too busy.
When you make a mistake, youre an idiot.
When your boss makes a mistake, hes only
human.
When you take a stand, youre being bull-headed.
When your boss does it, hes being firm.
When youre out of the office, youre wandering around.
When your boss is out of the office, hes on business.
When you have one too many drinks at a social, youre a drunken
bum.
When your boss does the same, he appreciated women.
When youre on a day off sick, youre always sick.
When your boss is a day off sick, he must be very ill.
When you apply for leave, you must be going for an interview.
When your boss applies for leave, it s because hes
overworked.

OUTGOING PERSONALITY Always going out of the office

GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS Spends lots of time on
phone
ACTIVE SOCIALLY Drinks a lot
INDEPENDENT WORKER Nobody
knows what he/she does
USES LOGIC ON DIFFICULT JOBS Gets
someone else to do it
HAS LEADERSHIP QUALITIES Is tall or
has a louder voice
EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD JUDGEMENT Lucky
CAREER MINDED Back stabber
LOYAL Cant get a job anywhere else
OF GREAT VALUE TO THE ORGANIZATION Gets to work on
time
EXPRESSES THEMSELVES WELL Speaks English
RELAXED ATTITUDE Sleeps at desk

FROM THE EDITORS

All

I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

Dear Friends,
This years first issue of our newsletter features the importance of ethics in
business. Business ethics are the code of values and principles that direct the
actions of persons about right and wrong. We make decisions everyday and
our actions can affect the lives of others. We believe that youll find our
articles helpful because ethics and character are critical to the success of
every business.
Enjoy reading and stay In Touch!
- Cherry and Sukh

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