By John Langhorne / Guest Column
In three earlier articles, I discussed the broken windows principle, why ethical behavior is profitable and how ethics are a core element of who you are.
In this article I will suggest several general principles that guide ethical behavior. Such principles are person-specific – you must construct your own. These are not the Ten Commandments, rather ideas for your consideration. Each of these deserves a full page of discussion.
Show respect for people. Our behavior is mutually reciprocal, thus the more we can treat others with respect, the better our lives will become. I often tell business people that everyone – customer, client or patient – is an expert in evaluating how she or he is treated. There is hardly a better piece of advice than, “Treat others as you want to be treated.” As Peter Drucker said, “Courtesy is the lubricant that makes organizations work.”
Tell the truth. This is another simple idea that grows rather complex on examination. “Do not tell untruths” is a good solid rule that works most of the time. We have all seen instances of untruths coming home to roost. Unfortunately, there are two types of untruths: commission and omission.
Primum non nocere, or first, do no harm, is a core value of medical ethics, another simple precept to understand, but difficult to practice because sometimes we must harm people. For example, terminating a nonperforming employee may be harmful. It is important that we weigh the costs and benefits of such actions before we act.
Practice participation, not paternalism. One essence of management is engagement – doing things with people, not to them. Inviting people to provide input into decision-making improves the quality of the information base, gives people a sense of ownership and preserves the executive prerogative of the leader. This practice is also essential for successful families.
Always act when you have the responsibility to do so. In an earlier article, diffusion of responsibility was noted as a cause of unethical behavior. Lord Acton said, “All that is necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.”
Obey the law. This seems a simple principle until we examine it. The basic question posed is, what is the law? The law as we know it is so large and complex as to be almost unknowable, even for attorneys, and it is always changing, albeit slowly. Working in organizations, I am sometimes confronted with situations where two competent, well-informed attorneys are giving dissimilar advice on an issue.
These six principles are a set of values. Such a set of values is often difficult to put into practice. How can we create conditions in environments to facilitate the practice of these values?
Lately the term “stakeholder” is being used in business literature. The definition of a stakeholder is wonderfully telegraphic. A stakeholder is one who has a stake in an issue, decision or organization.
James O’Toole, a business management professor at the University of Southern California, has introduced the idea of “stakeholder symmetry.” Such an ethical practice begins with the definition of the various stakeholders in an issue, examining the stakes they hold and the positive and negative effects of the action(s) on these stakeholders. This analysis does not necessarily lead to a solution, but it does cause us to examine the implications of our acts.
Returning the “idea of leading a fine life,” Martin Seligman and his colleagues have formulated a list of character strengths. These are:
- Wisdom and knowledge: creativity, curiosity, judgment, love of learning, perspective
- Courage: bravery, perseverance, honesty, zest
- Humanity: love, kindness, social intelligence
- Justice: teamwork, fairness, leadership
- Temperance: forgiveness, humility, prudence, self-regulation
- Transcendence: appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude, hope, humor, spirituality
A brief search on Google will bring you to a personal self-assessment developed by Seligman. I have used this information in group settings and the resulting conversation is usually quite productive.
John Langhorne is owner and principal of Langhorne Associates, www.langhorneassociates.com. His most recent book, “Beyond IQ: Practical Steps to Find the Best You,” is available digitally at Amazon.
