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It's difficult to think of a subject
touchier than that of what actions are "Right" and
what are "Wrong", especially when we're discussing
a real life situation. Ethics places not only our actions
and behavior under the microscope, but it also scrutinizes
our integrity and worth as a person. Since Ethics is so personal,
it is socially unacceptable to name names when discussing
specific situations. Imagine how you would respond if I used
an example in this article using your name, or the name of
your manager?
Despite this reluctance to speak frankly about ethical issues,
one need only read the headlines and newspaper editorials
to know there is a great and growing need for more emphasis
on ethical behaviour. Nothing can destroy a career faster,
especially if you have any amount of fiduciary responsibility,
than the exposure of unethical behaviour.
Based on today's headlines, one would suspect that people
don't have a firm grasp on the difference between right and
wrong. Yet I believe most of us know exactly when we are
acting unethically, and that we act unethically with deliberate
intent.
The legal system believes sane people have an innate ability
to determine "Right" from "Wrong", so
much so that it's includes the ability to tell right from
wrong as one of the definitions of sanity. In a real sense,
for someone to question your ethics is the same as questioning
your sanity.
If you're unsure whether or not an action is ethical, there's
a simple acid test to you. Ask yourself the question, "Would
I have any objection to having my actions detailed on the
front page of a national newspaper?" If you can honestly
answer "No" then the chances are good that you're
acting ethically.
This even works when it is our intent to act unethically.
The image of that glaring headline, and the obvious consequences
of such visibility, should be enough to force us to reconsider
our actions... not because they're wrong, but because of
the negative consequences.
This acid test speaks to the heart of ethical behaviour;
it recognizes than an action is deemed to be ethical or not,
according to public opinion. (That sentence is a loaded one,
and worthy of at least one semester of heated philosophical
debate, but for the purposes of this discussion, "It's
good enough") In some cultures there is nothing wrong
with the concept of Bakeesh ('tip' to a public official),
it is merely the accepted way of doing business.
This behaviour is not as acceptable in North America, but
Bakeesh isn't totally foreign to our culture. When I was
working my way through university as a plumber's apprentice,
It was made abundantly clear to me that the plumbing inspector
was "entitled" to go to the head of the line when
the coffee truck arrived. They also received large quantities
of booze as Christmas gifts, as did every other inspector
necessary to the construction of a modern building.
The question arises, when does the phrase "rank hath
its privileges" become a euphemism for "bribe"?
For the answer... go back to that question, would government
inspectors be comfortable having the details of all their
gifts publicized?
To bring this closer to home, I think we'd all agree that
when a manager responsible for dealing with vendors, is receiving
preferential treatment or gifts, that it might affect their
purchasing decisions... therefore it might be better if they
did not accept gifts or special treatment. When it comes
to vendor purchasing relationships, managers, like Caesar's
wife, must be above reproach.
That last point is an important one. Not only is it necessary
to act ethically, it is also necessary to protect ourselves
from any suspicion of impropriety. An accusation of wrong
doing always trumps a denial. This is why the newspaper headline
test is important. It guarantees in advance that when our
actions do become public, and they will if there's any sort
of story worth reporting, then our actions will be judged
as ethical.
© Peter de Jager – Peter is a Keynote Speaker
and Consultant. He speaks on Change and other issues related
to management. Contact him at pdejager@technobility.com
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