I recently attended an ethics workshop hosted by Professional IQ. The last time I had formal ethics training was during my MBA course, a few years ago, and was interested to see what is being taught now. It was a good little course covering basics with about four of us in the room and the same joining online. In the end, for me the session left us with three important points:
- Have a formal, written, process for checking the ethics of a situation of concern
- Run your answers past someone you respect who has no financial or professional stake in the situation other than to help you
- Keep a record
Although we used a different model in the workshop, the approach below was mentioned and when I looked it up later, I thought this is better. It is the Twelve Questions Method developed by Laura Nash. See this reference for details.
- Have you defined the problem accurately?
- How would you define the problem if you stood on the other side of the fence?
- How did this situation occur in the first place?
- To whom and what do you give your loyalties as a person and as a member of the company?
- What is your intention in making this decision?
- How does this intention compare with the likely results?
- Whom could your decision or action injure?
- Can you engage the affected parties in a discussion of the problem before you make your decision?
- Are you confident that your position will be as valid over a long period of time as it seems now?
- Could you disclose without qualms your decision or action to your boss, your family, or society as a whole?
- What is the symbolic potential of your action if understood? If misunderstood?
- Under what conditions would you allow exceptions to your stand?