Outswimming the Sharks: There's good reason to act as if your mom is watching

I had the great honor several months ago of being inducted into my high school Hall of Fame at St. Paul Central. Previous honorees include Charles Schulz, creator of the "Peanuts" cartoon strip; Richard Schulze, founder and chairman of Best Buy; and Dave Winfield, of Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame.

About 500 students were invited to the auditorium for the ceremony and a few remarks from this year's recipients. I shared four ideas, the first three being:

• Believe in yourself -- even when no one else does.

• Don't quit.

• There is no "I" in team.

I want to touch here on my fourth point: Act like your mother is watching.

Unfortunately, the business community does not get stellar grades for ethics the past few years. Too many companies have tried to fool the public. Ethics and integrity must be the cornerstone of your existence. If you want your employees to tell the truth, a company better start by being truthful with its employees.

Our mission statement at MackayMitchell Envelope Co. is "To be in business forever." It stands for no hidden liabilities; no cutting corners; no small print under the small print; no red flags.

We in the business community must set a good example. Surveys show that a disturbing number of students cite corporate and political scandals to justify dishonesty.

It's critical to use good judgment so that you aren't hauled up before a court. And I'm talking about the court of public opinion as much as any court of law.

A mother was invited for dinner at her son Brian's apartment. Brian's mother couldn't help but notice how beautiful Brian's roommate, Jennifer, was. Brian's mom had long suspected a relationship between Brian and Jennifer. Reading his mom's thoughts, Brian volunteered, "I know what you must be thinking, but I assure you Jennifer and I are just roommates."

About a week later, Jennifer came to Brian saying, "Ever since your mother came to dinner, I've been unable to find the beautiful silver gravy ladle. You don't suppose she took it, do you?" Brian said, "I doubt it, but I'll send her an e-mail just to be sure."

He wrote: "Dear Mom: I'm not saying that you 'did' take the gravy ladle from the house, I'm not saying that you 'did not' take the gravy ladle. But the fact remains that one has been missing ever since you were here for dinner. Love, Brian."

Brian received a reply from his mother that read: "Dear Son: I'm not saying that you 'do' sleep with Jennifer, I'm not saying that you 'do not' sleep with Jennifer. But the fact remains that if Jennifer were sleeping in her own bed, she would have found the ladle by now. Love, Mom."

Mackay's Moral: Never lie to your mother ... or anyone else.