What Do You Do When No One's Looking?

Several answers probably popped into your mind when you read this headline. We have all caught ourselves doing things when no one was looking that we might not dream of doing otherwise. What came to your mind?  Maybe taking a few office supplies home with you from work? Not telling the clerk he didn't ring up everything he sacked? These things are not unusual, and most, if asked, would rate them benign. Yet, the question of ethics is a hot topic in today's world. I hear speakers addressing ethics from all angles: ethical leadership, ethical social behavior, ethics in the workplace, and so on. Why is there such an interest in ethics and ethical behavior?

By dictionary definition, ethics has to do with our moral principles or values. What exactly does this mean?  Is it talking about what you say you would do under certain conditions? If given hypothetical situations, most people say they would do the "right" thing.

However, the true barometer of one's values is found in crises, not in answers to questions about speculative situations. The looting which has taken place during riots occurring in this country in the last fifty years speaks loudly of the values of those involved. The acts of kindness you have seen during crises resulting from hurricanes and tornadoes and other weather disasters also reflect the true values of those involved. 

What you do-good or bad-when your actions are not subject to review or consequences comes nearer reflecting your true values than anything else you do. If you don't steal or lie or cheat, etc. because there are laws against it or because you might get caught, then your behavior is not truly ethical behavior. It mimics ethical behavior but is not cut from the same cloth.

For your life to reflect these moral principles or values, you must continually assess your actions toward others, toward your commitments to others, and toward their property. You're probably thinking that's a principle easier said than done! But, there are questions you can ask yourself to test the ethics of your behavior on a daily basis. I'll touch on those in the next issue.

In the meantime, think about what you do when no one's looking.

All the best on your quest,
Dannye Williamsen
The Solopreneur's Coach