Have you ever been told you need to do an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay? To me, this saying takes me back in time. It makes me think of my father and grandfather instructing me on chores. It makes me think of manual labor that brought sweat and satisfaction. When I look back, I am thankful for those lessons. I believe the motivation to do this consistently comes from one of our core values here at CPV.
Integrity.
A quick search will show the definition:
“The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.”
Integrity is foundational. There are many applications guided by it. We strive to have a relationship with our team members, customers, and competitors that is rooted in integrity because, at the end of the day, we need to look in the mirror and be proud of how we conduct ourselves. Integrity builds trust. We want to build and protect our reputation based on it. Being honest, doing the right thing even when it is difficult or more costly. Not cutting corners. These things matter and, if ignored, will be a quick way to lose an employee or customer.
We have all been young and have had times when we are giving an honest effort and times when our heart was not in what we were doing. Sometimes, people will call you out on this and other times, it may go unnoticed, but you always know the truth. Something I believe is that if you are working with integrity by giving your all, you will feel satisfaction from it. One of my most rewarding moments was a simple comment from a crew member at lunchtime when I was just out of high school. He commented on how hard I had worked that morning, and the rest of the small crew acknowledged it. The interaction didn’t last long, and I didn’t get a raise, bonus, or gold star. Yet, I still think of it fondly. It had an impact on me, and it still brings me inspiration. I encourage you to call out these situations when you see them because it matters to people.
“Integrity builds trust. We want to build and protect our reputation based on it.”
They say there are only two things we can control, our attitude and our effort.
Let’s try to only focus on those two things and let the other noises of life fade away. An honest effort and a positive attitude. I am all about simplifying my life. This relieves stress and allows me to let go of things that were never in my control to begin with. If we are known as people of integrity, it can open doors of opportunity.
Here at CPV, we can train you how to prep a fender, paint a tank or polish a saddlebag. We can teach you the art of color-matching paint or the process to layout a two-tone with pinstripes. We can even show you how to package a part so that it will survive a trip through UPS or Fed-Ex. But what we cannot teach you, is how to return a wallet you found; how to defend a friend or co-worker when others are gossiping about them behind their back; or how to admit to making a mistake and accept responsibility for it. These things stem from our integrity. They are the decisions we make when no one is watching. Integrity is a core value here for a reason. We are not perfect; in fact, I believe I make mistakes every day, but I can control my attitude and effort in spite of those mistakes, learn from them, and strive to do better next time.
You want to earn an honest day’s pay? I encourage you to be true to your integrity, only worry about what you can control, and enjoy the satisfaction and freedom it brings.
Authored By: Josh Robinson
