1. Navigating Conflict In Today’s Public Agencies – Lessons From The Front Lines
Urban Water Institute, San Diego, CA
August 17, 2017
Moderator: Ed Means, President, Means Consulting
Steve Bucknam, President, Bucknam & Associates
Kevin Hunt, General Manager, Central Basin MWD
Introduce topic and panel

2. Sources of Conflict Social Elements Rising Costs Service Risks
Politics of water
Complex decisions
Financial limits
Competing needs
Info movement
Workforce
Stakeholders
Energy
Infrastructure
Regs
Chems/Labor
Supply
Decision making
There are three broad categories of conflict: Social elements, rising costs, and service risks
 demand
Infrastructure
Population growth
Climate change
Resource limits
Regs
Rising Costs
Service Risks

3. Managing Conflict Begins with Ethical Leadership
What is Ethics?
Rules or standards governing the conduct of the members of a profession
Any set of moral principals or values
Moral quality of a course of action, fitness, propriety

4. Why Ethics is Central to Leadership
The process of influence
The need to engage followers to accomplish mutual goals
The impact leaders have on establishing the organization’s values and in public management establishing and keeping public trust
Credit: Ellen Freeman-Wakefield , University of Nebraska at Omaha

5. Women and Administration, June, 2016
Ethical Choices
What you find is that the tough ethical choices are not between good and evil, but rather between two goods:
Truth versus Loyalty
Short term versus long term
Ethical behavior is necessary for a society to function in an orderly manner.
The need for ethics in society is sufficiently important that many commonly held ethical values are incorporated into law.
People act unethically because their ethical standards are different from those of society as a whole.
The person choose to act selfishly.
For example: Person A finds a briefcase containing important papers and $1,000.
He tosses the brief case and keeps the money
He brags to his friends about his good fortune
His actions are probably differ from most of society
Person B faces the same situation but responds differently
He keeps the money but leaves the brief case
He tells nobody and spends the money
He has violated his own ethical standards and chose to act selfishly.
The person rationalizes the behavior by saying; “everybody does it, the likelihood of discovery is minimal”.
Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have the right to do and what is right to do. Justice Potter Stewart.
Justice versus Mercy
Individual versus Community
Women and Administration, June, 2016

6. 5 Principals to Ethical Leadership
Respects Others
Serves Others
Shows Justice
Manifests
Honesty
Builds Community
There are 5 basic principals to ethical leadership
Ethical Leadership
Provide foundation for sound ethical leadership

7. 5 Principles of Ethical Leadership
Respect Others
Treating others as ends in themselves (their own goals) rather than as a means (to leaders’ personal goals)
Respect
Others
Follower centered – Based on the altruistic principals of placing followers foremost in the leaders plans. Providing clarity of expectations
Serve Others
Ethical leaders are concerned with issues of fairness and justice; they place issues of fairness at the center of their decision making
Justice
Ethical Leaders:
Treat other people’s values and decisions with respect: Failing to do so signifies we are treating them as a means to our own ends.
Allow others to be themselves with creative wants and desires. Respect includes giving credence to others ideas and validating them as human beings. At times this means we defer to them.
Nurture followers in becoming aware of their own needs, values and purposes and assist them in integrating these with others needs, values and purpose.
Approach others with a sense of unconditional worth and value individual differences. We listen closely to opposing points of view. When we treat others with respect others can feel it and others feel valued, competent and worthy.
Ethical leaders ensure:
No special treatment or consideration except when his or her particular situation demands it. When individuals are treated differently, ground rules for different treatment must be clear and reasonable, and must be based on moral values.
For example, when involved with an organization, the supervisor we like the best are those we think of as fair. If someone comes late to work we want them disciplined just as we would have been disciplined. If an employee has a personal problems and needs a break, we would want the supervisor to give the break.
Good supervisors are those who don’t have favorites and make a point of treating everyone fairly.
How they distribute rewards and punishment says a great deal about the leader and their concern about justice and their approach to fairness.
To be a good leader one must be honest.
When a leader is dishonest, others come to see them as undependable and unreliable. People loose faith in what the leader says and stands for, and their respect is diminished. Their impact is compromised
Leaders:
Are not deceptive, as this has a negative impact and puts a strain on how people are connected.
When we lie to others we are in essence saying, that we are willing to manipulate the relationship on our own terms. We do not trust the other person in the relationship to be able to deal with the information. Thus weakening the relationship.
Tell the truth with a balance of openness and candor while monitoring what is appropriate to disclose in a particular situation. Many times there are organizational constraints that prevent leaders from disclosing information (Personnel issues).
Do not promise what you can not deliver, do not misrepresent, do not hide behind spin doctors and do not evade accountability.
Reward honesty and honest behavior with in the organization
Ethical leaders and followers
Take into account purposes of everyone in the group, and
Reach out beyond their own mutually defined goals to wider community
In moving towards a common goal both parties are changed. The ethical leader takes into account the purpose of everyone and is attentive to the interests of the community.
Ethical leaders are concerned with the common good in the broadest sense
Honesty
Honest leaders are authentic but also sensitive to the feelings and attitudes of others
Concern for the common good means leaders cannot impose their will on others; they search for goals that are compatible with everyone
Builds Community

8. VIRTUE Ethics Vocabulary COURAGE IDEALS SELF - RESPECT OBLIGATION
RESPONSIBILITY
OBLIGATION
VIRTUE
MORALS
HONESTY
COURAGE
IDEALS
CHARACTER
SELF - RESPECT
PROFESSIONALISM

9. Determining an Ethical Action: Seven Practical Steps
1. Are the actions legal?
2. How will it make me feel about myself?
3. Is it fair to all concerned?
4. Is it the truth?
5. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
6. Will it cause anyone personal loss or pain, or violate confidentiality, or harm somebody in any other way?
7. Is there a conflict of interest?

10. Leadership and Ethics
“If…. You can’t be a good example, then you’ll just have to be a horrible warning.” – Catherine Aird
“Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have the right to do and what is right to do” – Justice Potter Stewart