The Essential Ethical Exam

It's difficult to think of a subject touchier than that of what actions are "Right" and what are "Wrong", especially when we're discussing a real life situation. Ethics places not only our actions and behavior under the microscope, but it also scrutinizes our integrity and worth as a person. Since Ethics is so personal, it is socially unacceptable to name names when discussing specific situations. Imagine how you would respond if I used an example in this article using your name, or the name of your manager? 

Despite this reluctance to speak frankly about ethical issues, one need only read the headlines and newspaper editorials to know there is a great and growing need for more emphasis on ethical behaviour. Nothing can destroy a career faster, especially if you have any amount of fiduciary responsibility, than the exposure of unethical behaviour.

Based on today's headlines, one would suspect that people don't have a firm grasp on the difference between right and wrong. Yet I believe most of us know exactly when we are acting unethically, and that we act unethically with deliberate intent.

The legal system believes sane people have an innate ability to determine "Right" from "Wrong", so much so that it's includes the ability to tell right from wrong as one of the definitions of sanity. In a real sense, for someone to question your ethics is the same as questioning your sanity.

If you're unsure whether or not an action is ethical, there's a simple acid test to you. Ask yourself the question, "Would I have any objection to having my actions detailed on the front page of a national newspaper?" If you can honestly answer "No" then the chances are good that you're acting ethically.

This even works when it is our intent to act unethically. The image of that glaring headline, and the obvious consequences of such visibility, should be enough to force us to reconsider our actions... not because they're wrong, but because of the negative consequences.

This acid test speaks to the heart of ethical behaviour; it recognizes than an action is deemed to be ethical or not, according to public opinion. (That sentence is a loaded one, and worthy of at least one semester of heated philosophical debate, but for the purposes of this discussion, "It's good enough") In some cultures there is nothing wrong with the concept of Bakeesh ('tip' to a public official), it is merely the accepted way of doing business.

This behaviour is not as acceptable in North America, but Bakeesh isn't totally foreign to our culture. When I was working my way through university as a plumber's apprentice, It was made abundantly clear to me that the plumbing inspector was "entitled" to go to the head of the line when the coffee truck arrived. They also received large quantities of booze as Christmas gifts, as did every other inspector necessary to the construction of a modern building.

The question arises, when does the phrase "rank hath its privileges" become a euphemism for "bribe"? For the answer... go back to that question, would government inspectors be comfortable having the details of all their gifts publicized?

To bring this closer to home, I think we'd all agree that when a manager responsible for dealing with vendors, is receiving preferential treatment or gifts, that it might affect their purchasing decisions... therefore it might be better if they did not accept gifts or special treatment. When it comes to vendor purchasing relationships, managers, like Caesar's wife, must be above reproach.

That last point is an important one. Not only is it necessary to act ethically, it is also necessary to protect ourselves from any suspicion of impropriety. An accusation of wrong doing always trumps a denial. This is why the newspaper headline test is important. It guarantees in advance that when our actions do become public, and they will if there's any sort of story worth reporting, then our actions will be judged as ethical.

© Peter de Jager – Peter is a Keynote Speaker and Consultant. He speaks on Change and other issues related to management. Contact him at pdejager@technobility.com