Pastor Eric Appah Marfo of the Resurrection Power and Living Bread Ministries International, Cape Coast branch, on Sunday urged Ghanaians to let integrity permeate every aspect of their lives.

He said integrity meant doing the right things, at all times, even when no one was watching or supervising.

Preaching on the theme: “Elements of Strong Work Ethics,” Pastor Marfo quoted from the scriptures saying: “It is required of stewards that they are found faithful concerning what they have been entrusted with”.

He said integrity should permeate every aspect of one’s life including his or her job – “from how we dealt with clients, to how we treated our co-workers and superiors.”

“The greatest impact of integrity is seen in your relationships with people around you, specifically on how you handle these relationships and help in the achievement of goals, whether shared or individual. This is why integrity is one of the most important ingredients of trust.”

“Integrity, in this context, also means behaving in a consistent manner.

For example, if you are part of a team, your behaviour should be in tune with everyone, in accordance with a clear set of guidelines in working together towards a clear purpose,” he said.

Pastor Marfo mentioned other elements of strong work ethics, which include quality of work, discipline and professionalism, and a sense of responsibility.

He said those who shone and stood out at work were those who laid emphasis on quality of work, and showed commitment towards producing such results.

“In Daniel 5:12-31, Daniel was described as having an excellent spirit and this was because he added a touch of perfection to every service he rendered. Due to this trait, Daniel served under four different Kings and held topmost positions throughout the reign of any of these kings.”

“There are too many people doing shallow work, leaving very few who actually lay emphasis on quality work. The latter do more, perform better, and definitely go the extra mile to come up with results that surpass expectations.”

“Clearly, these rare types of employees are those who belong to the group with a solid work ethic. While some employees do only the barest minimum, or what is expected of them, yearn to be part of those who go beyond that,” he said.

Pastor Marfo, expounding discipline and professionalism, said discipline was one of the key elements employers expected from an employee and that if an employee was instructed to do something, it was the trait of discipline in that individual that would let him respond to the instructions.

“However, if he does not have enough discipline to adhere to rules and follow through with the expected performance, there is no way he can become the productive employee the company desires. Discipline involves focus, dedication and determination on your part to do what you should,” he said.

Pastor Marfo said the word “Professionalism” was broad in scope and covered everything from one's appearance to how one conducted himself in the presence of other people.

He said a sense of responsibility meant an employee would be concerned with ensuring he fulfilled his duties and responsibilities.

“And you will also feel inclined to do your best if you want to get the best results.”