The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset Issue 6: Winter 2017/18 | Page 11

The revolution starts here!
by Dick Jenkins, Chief Executive of Bath Building Society
The papers are full of it! Every day! People behaving badly, that is.
Whether it’s sexual harassment and bullying in Hollywood and
Westminster, or aggressive tax avoidance by wealthy people or global
companies, we seem to be surrounded by people behaving badly.
And I can’t just point the finger at politics, the
entertainment industry or multinationals, the morals of
my own industry have been found severely wanting over
recent years. Inevitably, when the incentives are high for
pushing the limits, and the chance of getting sanctioned
are small, people seem to be more inclined to do it.
Some will defend themselves by saying “everybody
else is doing it” or saying, “well, it’s not actually illegal,
as such.” Whenever I see that people use the phrase “no
wrongdoing” to describe their actions my hackles instantly
rise. Most often those people know full well they have
acted wrongly but the “no wrongdoing” tag so often
means “you can’t prove it” or “you can’t prosecute me
for it.”
In my long and grizzled experience most people know
the difference between right and wrong, but what people
actually choose to DO when in a situation where they
could get away with behaving badly is all about character
and values. You can regulate and legislate all you like
and punish offenders when caught, and doubtless these
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measures curb the worst instincts in people, but we rely in
a modern Society on people behaving with some integrity,
“doing the right thing.”
This is why I take my hat off to those parents who spend
time teaching their children how to respect others, teachers
in the classroom who reinforce good behaviour, companies
who bang on to their staff about their values and most
especially role models who; in spite of all temptations to
the contrary, behave well. It’s often a thankless task, as
any parent of toddlers or teacher can tell you, but this is
noble work.
So to all those people who misbehave when they know
better, you don’t get my vote, I won’t watch your films,
and I won’t drink your coffee. I sometimes feel if we all did
that it would get through to them. Who’s with me?
Dick Jenkins, Chief Executive of Bath Building Society
@BathBuildingSoc
05/10/2016 17:16
05/10/2016
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE
2017 17:16
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