Driving home one afternoon, I caught a breaking news story on the radio that involved a prominent politician who had admitted to a moral and ethical failure. As I thought about his situation — and how much harm his it was going to cause his constituents, friends, and family — I was contacted by a client struggling with his own ethical dilemma. His issue was minor by comparison, but it caused me to consider the topic in greater detail.

While thinking about how to approach the subject for this article, I came to the conclusion that addressing ethical questions "head on" would be the better form of valor. In many cases, the subject of ethics is something that is not given much thought. Agents and brokers tackle their day-to-day business issues under the assumption that any ethical dilemmas will work themselves out. Agents and brokers who have implemented good business practices will see this reflected in their relationships with clients. As long as no consumer enters the office armed with a legitimate complaint or changes agents to find a more responsive agency, the subject of ethics is rarely broached.

However, situations will arise in your business operations that will test your own personal code of ethics. More importantly, situations will arise that will require that you make a choice to act in support of or in opposition to the ethical standards to which you subscribe. Recognizing these dynamics is important because too often there is a chasm between what people say they believe is right and what they do in the day-to-day situations.