Working with Ethical Gray Areas
 |
Free Download - 10 Commandments of Leadership-Tone Setting By Tim Schneider |
One of the most challenging areas that emerging leaders have to get their hands around is dealing with shades of gray related to ethics and ethical behaviors.
As a line level team member, questions of ethics become very black and white. Cut and dried. It is either right or wrong, usually based on a published code of behavior or conduct that includes great detail about what is acceptable and what is not. Unfortunately, when people ascend into leadership positions, the clarity of right and wrong is often blurred and shaded with areas awaiting decision and judgment.
First, one must recognize the difference between personal morality and ethical behavior. Morality is an internally derived code of behavior and values that are most often developed in earlier life. By contrast, ethics are usually externally driven through laws, regulations or defined practices and experience plays a great role in defining ethics. This is an important contrast because many leadership dilemmas occur when morality overrides ethical values.
A simple example of this is the office romance between married co-workers. This situation occurs because personal morality overrides the company policy or ethical statement against such behavior. Another, more complex example happens when a person has a moral belief against a particular life style choice and then violates ethical practices by openly discriminating against this job candidate.
Secondly, it is important to remember that no code of conduct or code of ethics will ever cover every situation ever encountered by a leader. There is no substitute for good judgment and no substitute for good decision making practices. Many of the ethical lapses that made headlines in recent years are more attributable to bad decision making than to a lack of ethical standards.
The bottom line in leadership is that ethics cannot be codified or dictated. Ethical behavior is dependent upon the judgment and decision making by the leader. The best leaders are consistent and deliberate in their decisions when ethical gray is present. They communicate the decision, and more importantly, the reasons for their decision. They often collaborate the decision, not to cover their rear ends, but to seek wise counsel and tap into the judgment of others.
Assume for a moment that you lead a group of sales professionals that is currently underperforming. The headquarters has told you that two of your people, the newest two, will be laid off in the next thirty days and not to say anything until that time. Through your relationship building with your team, you know that one of the layoff candidates is about to remodel her home and install a pool.
Corporate said don’t tell. This team member is about to encumber a fifteen year mortgage for remodeling that she cannot afford if unemployed. She could lose her home. She is the mother of two young children. If the bigwigs at corporate headquarters discover that you told someone, you could be fired. Obviously, the right and correct course of action is to not tell her. Or is it?
The best two guides for ethical gray area include using the sleep test. After the decision, are you, the leader, able to sleep well or are you tossing and turning, constantly replaying the decision or the consequences of the decision. This internal guide is a powerful tool that can guide a leader through most gray areas.
The other baseline for gray area decisions is the recognition of our final roll call. Regardless of your particular belief system, most people believe that we all face a final roll call or a final judgment. It is at that moment of time you may have to explain your actions or inactions. If you cease to exist tomorrow, are you comfortable to explain your actions in this final accounting.
Scholars and leaders from a variety of disciplines have worked for years in sophisticated scientific studies to try to narrow ethical gray areas and provide decision point guidance. Despite this effort, ethical gray areas still needs leaders with exceptional judgment and decision making skills.
Working with Ethical Gray Areas - To learn more about this author, visit Tim Schneider's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
| Article Tags: |
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
|||
Kalena JordanKalena Jordan is the search industry’s first agony aunt, here to answer your tricky questions about search engines. Kalena is Co-Founder and Director of Studies at Search Engine College, an online training institution offering instructor-led short courses and downloadable self-study courses in Search Engine Optimization and other Search Engine Marketing subjects. She’s been marketing websites online since 1996 and blogging about search since 2002. For her full bio, view Kalena’s Linked In Profile. When not working, Kalena likes to go geocaching, hiking or fishing. She also plays a mean darabuka. - Visit Kalena Jordan's Website |
|||
Marcus ArkanMarcus Arkan currently serves as the President/Principle Broker of Syndicate Mortgages Inc. After working with a number of Canada's top financial institutions, the experience and knowledge he gained throughout his professional career combined with his drive and entrepreneurial spirit led him to develop his own company. The operation began in 2003 in the basement of his home and now has flourished into a successful corporation with a head office in one of Metropolitan Toronto's busiest sectors and 10 branch locations employing over 100 mortgage professionals. His organization is now one of Ontario's leading mortgage brokerages specializing in residential, commercial, and construction financing. He holds the designation of Accredited Mortgage Professional from the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals. This allows him to differentiate himself from other mortgage originators and demonstrates his commitment to the highest standards of industry performance. For more information on Mr. Arkan and his Syndicate Mortgages Inc., please visit www.syndicatemortgages.com. - Visit Marcus Arkan's Website |
|||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Tim's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 New Year Revolutions Dazzling Presentaion Steps Instant Newsletters Maslow For Entrepreneurs Workplace Violence |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 HR Blogs 2009
Top 50 HR Blogs 2009 | |
 |
Top 50 Productivity Blogs
Top Blogs To Watch In 2009 | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
 | ||||
| ||||
|
|
 | ||||
| ||||
|
 | ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||
 |
|
|
|
 | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||