I AM writing this week’s column in Vienna.
I am here partly on vacation with my wife. We come to her home country, Austria, every year in the summer. This year however, we are both also here on a work assignment as consultants for the World Branding Forum.
The inaugural World Branding Awards Animalis Edition was held, here, on June 21 .
We both really like Austria’s capital city. Vienna is a heady mix of the old and new. It was the seat of the Habsburg Empire for centuries, and as such it is steeped in tradition, culture and amazing architecture.
More importantly, for the eighth year in a row, this year, Vienna has been rated the world’s most “liveable” city.
The survey by renowned consulting company Mercer, looks at various factors including the political, social, and economic climate as well as more practical things like medical care, education, and infrastructural conditions such as public transportation, power and water supply.
I find that the people of Vienna stylish, urbane, and quite erudite. They are laid back, and yet they seem thoughtful about things. They take proper living very seriously. This must be why they came out top of the class.
There was something else really interesting that caught my eye these past few days.
I used the U-Bahn or the subway a few times as it is an easy mode of transport. For €7.60 (RM36.30), you can buy a 24-hour ticket. This ticket is valid on all public transport means in the city, including trains, the subway, the over-ground tramway, and city buses.
In itself, there is nothing unique about this. Most cities with good public transportation infrastructure have such integrative systems, and at comparable prices. What is distinct though, is the way tickets are policed in Vienna.
The first time you buy your ticket, you put it through a franking machine, and activate it. The ticket gets marked with a time-stamp. From that moment on, your ticket is valid for exactly 24 hours.
As I went in and out of the U-Bahn stations, I looked for validation points, like entry and exit controls. This is something I am used to in Malaysia, and in other parts of the world. But, there were none.
I then figured that in some cities like Melbourne and Manchester, there were regular ticket inspections on board trains and trams. Again in the three days I used the system, there was none.
I investigated further. It turned out that they do have checks. Apparently, plain clothes ticket inspectors patrol the public transport network at all times.
If you are caught without a valid ticket, you will have to pay a penalty of €103, and this includes a free trip to the nearest police station, if you are unable to show the ticket inspector a valid passport or any official ID.
But in reality, these checks rarely happen.
Fundamentally, the entire system operates on trust. The residents of Vienna understand that they have a civic duty to pay for public transportation. And, they seem to have no qualms about this.
To be honest, I have not verified the efficacy of this system. I do not know if the Vienna Metro is losing money because of fare dodging.
But, I can verify that I see lots of people paying for tickets. And, I can confirm that the system operates exceedingly well. It is clean, efficient, and the trains, trams and busses are very comfortable.
Perhaps, the people of Vienna understand the value of integrity. And, perhaps this is what makes this city so liveable, making it, literally the best in the world!
A city is nothing without its people.
Likewise, a company is nothing without its people, either. And, its people must exhibit strong core values.
In my experience as a consultant, a management trainer, and an executive leadership coach, there are specific core values I look for in an employee.
But the first criteria, is always whether they are able to demonstrate integrity, or not.
Integrity is a fundamental, and non-negotiable value, I look for in a person.
My early failings in life were because I did not demonstrate sufficient integrity. I am not so proud that I cannot admit I had to learn this the hard way; through failed businesses, disastrous relationships, and botched friendships.
At the time, I sought to fault others. But with the benefit of hindsight and experience, I can say without hesitation that I cannot apportion blame to anyone else, but myself.
Now, I advise my clients to only hire employees who demonstrate sound moral, and ethical principles at work. I make the same judgment for my own businesses, and to those I want as friends.
A person who has integrity lives their values in their relationships with co-workers, customers, and stakeholders.
They are principled, and can be counted on to behave in honourable ways, even when no one is watching.
So, if you want to be successful, be like the people of Vienna, have integrity.
Shankar R. Santhiram is managing consultant and executive leadership coach at EQTD Consulting. He is also the author of the national bestseller “So, You Want To Get Promoted?”