Before I get into how we define integrity and what it means to us at Profit&, I’d like to talk about what it looks like in action.  Integrity isn’t just a nice word we throw around—it’s a principle that guides our decisions, even when it’s tough or inconvenient.

Let’s Talk About Integrity—And Why It Matters in the Real World

We’ve been in situations where choosing integrity meant walking away from revenue, pushing back on unfair contracts, or even losing deals.  But time and time again, we’ve seen that acting with integrity pays off—not just in doing the right thing, but in building real trust and long-term success.
Here are three moments where we had to make a tough call to stick to our values.

1. Walking Away to Maintain Integrity

We were engaged as consultants to support the implementation of Anaplan for a telecommunications business. The project was managed by another consulting firm, and our contract prohibited us from direct communication with the client. However, as the project progressed, we witnessed significant failures that were not being confronted. The client frequently approached us with questions, putting us in a position where we had to choose between adhering to our contractual obligations or doing the right thing by the client.

Instead of compromising our integrity, we made the difficult decision to disengage from this project. We clearly explained that the situation was creating an ethical dilemma and that we could not remain involved under those conditions. Though this meant returning our consultants to internal projects and temporarily losing revenue, we maintained our integrity and used the time to add internal value—ultimately adding value to future revenue-generating projects.

2. Refusing Unfair Contracts Despite Financial Risk

We worked with a client who, without intent, failed to disclose important project constraints while locking us into a fixed-price contract. The unforeseen challenges made the project significantly more difficult and less profitable. Despite this, we honoured our commitment, completed the work and delivered the expected business value.  However, moving forward, we made it clear that we would no longer engage under similar contractual conditions. This stance carried a real risk of losing the client, but we prioritised transparency and fairness over short-term financial gains. By maintaining open, honest communication, we ultimately strengthened our relationship with the client, ensuring that future engagements were built on mutual respect and clear expectations.

3. Honesty in Sales: Losing a Deal to Win a Long-Term Relationship

Our approach to sales is different from many in the industry.  We believe in being upfront and honest about what it takes to achieve success, even if that means losing a new contract in the first instance. This happened when we first proposed a project for a postal and logistics business, where we competed with another consulting firm for an Anaplan implementation.  We provided a realistic estimate of the time and effort required, while the other party underbid and overpromised.

The client initially chose the other partner - as is often the case, but a year later, they returned to us. They admitted that the other party had underestimated the effort and failed to deliver the expected results.  By standing firm on integrity rather than chasing a quick win, we built a long-term partnership with this client, rescuing their implementation and starting a multi-year roadmap that continues to deliver value.

How do we Define Integrity?

At Profit&, we define integrity as the commitment to being whole and complete in our actions. This means honouring our word, even when it is inconvenient, and ensuring that every decision we make aligns with our values and ethical principles.  Integrity is not about right or wrong—it is about consistency, reliability, and accountability.

We always honour our word in one of two ways: first, by keeping our word, and on time; or second, as soon as we know that we won’t keep our word, we inform all parties counting on us to keep our word and fixing any issue we’ve caused to them.

What we will always do

• Honour Our Commitments – We keep our promises to clients and colleagues, ensuring that our work is delivered as agreed.
• Communicate Transparently – If we foresee challenges in a project, we raise them early and openly.
• Prioritise Long-Term Trust Over Short-Term Gain – We make decisions that support enduring relationships, even if they result in short-term losses.
• Uphold Professional Standards – We adhere to the highest ethical and industry standards in every engagement.
• Take Responsibility for Our Actions – If mistakes occur, we acknowledge them, correct them, and learn from them.
  
  

What we will definitely never do

• Compromise Our Integrity for Revenue – We do not accept engagements or continue projects if doing so would mean compromising our values.
• Misrepresent the Truth – We do not manipulate information to suit an agenda or mislead stakeholders.
• Ignore Unethical Practices – If we witness unethical behaviour, we do not turn a blind eye—we address it in the appropriate way.
• Engage in Work That Erodes Transparency – We refuse projects that lack clarity in scope, responsibilities, and expectations.

Our commitment to integrity defines who we are, how we work, and the impact we have. Because at Profit&, we believe that without integrity, nothing works.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.  Have you worked with consulting partners who demonstrated integrity—or perhaps ones who didn’t?  What was your experience?  And when it comes to project costs, do you see a risk in going for the lowest bid if it could impact long-term success?  Let’s start a conversation—drop your thoughts in the comments!