ETHICS FOR THE BEWILDERED

Law and Codes of Conduct A Code of Conduct is a certain law intended to govern behavior. A code like a law establishes a standard of conduct. Law establishes a moral minimum of conduct or behavior. Law does not require that we do our best- it only asks that we not do our worst. Law actually sets the bar pretty low. Professionals find comfort in the law or a governing code We are not required to be ethical. We are required to abide by the law or the code.

Law v. Ethics Law tells us what we have the right to do (or are required to do). Ethics helps us to understand what the right thing is to do.

How Should I Live My Life? Who am I? What do I believe? Who do I hope to be? Who and What will Define Me? Am I for sale to the highest bidder?

Your Values Identify what you believe are your most important values at this point in your life and prioritize them from 1 – 10.

Values as Anchors If things go according to plan our beliefs will inform our values and should be reflected in the decisions that we make and the actions that we take and if we repeatedly do what is consistent with our values, our values become our principles. (We walk the talk) Enron Values All that stands between you and those who would seek to use you to advance their own goals, their own agenda, is what you believe, what you value and how far you are willing to go to defend them.

Prioritizing our Values It isn’t hard to do the right thing, what’s hard is knowing what the right thing is to do. It isn’t hard to know what the right thing is to do, what’s hard is doing it.

The Nature of an Ethical Dilemma An ethical dilemma is not a choice between right and wrong, it is often a choice between right and right. An ethical dilemma is a conflict of values; a moral paradox.

Kidder’s Ethical Paradigms Truth v. Loyalty Individual v. Community Short term v. Long Term. Justice v. Mercy.

Why Good People Do Bad Things At Work .(Where Situational Factors Go Head to Head with Our Values) Meeting expectations of peers, superiors, subordinates, family Time Information- too much , too little, contradictory Distractions Scripts Moral Exclusion

Ethical Perception Remembering Willie Sutton

Ethics: Transactional v. Character Transactional – What will you do? Character – Who are you?