In a prior post, I identified one of the options when dealing with an ethics issue is to “Stay and Do Something.”
This will not be easy.
Confronting an ethics issue is likely to be viewed as an attack on the organization’s culture – on “the work tribe.”
Attacks on the tribe are not appreciated.
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When you find yourself in the midst of an ethical dilemma at work, you often face the decision whether to stay or to go.
This is not a simple decision nor is it the only decision you need to make.
You also need to decide if you are going to do something about the situation.
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On a recent road trip through Georgia, I stopped at an orchard store outside of Ellijay. Among my purchases was a half bushel of apples I couldn’t resist buying. They were this year’s crop and delicious. About a week later as I was selecting apples to make my Mom’s honey apple cake,
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A colleague recently introduced me to the concept of the “Never Now” list.
This consists of the items on your to-do list that you never get to. It is the list of projects that you know deep down you won’t complete, yet you rationalize you will….someday. Unfortunately, this is a someday that rarely comes.
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There is currently a lot of finger pointing going on about who is right and who is wrong in responding to the COVID-19 epidemic. On July 12, 2020, the Trump administration circulated a list of statements to prove Dr. Anthony Fauci was “wrong” about the virus.
This is a clear example of Hindsight Bias – evaluating the correctness of a past statement or position based on a future outcome.
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We all want to be part of the crowd. We want to belong.
From an ethics perspective, conforming to group norms can be good but it can also be very, very bad.
Groupthink is defined as the practice of approaching issues as matters to be dealt with by consensus of a group rather than by individuals acting independently.
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Yesterday, I was contemplating my “to do” list trying to figure out how I was going to get everything done. I soon realized it was not possible – there simply were not enough hours available to do it all.
I had to prioritize. I was going to have to decide what was going to be done and what going to remain undone.
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Fear of “What if…”
The fear of “what if” is a significant driver in making ethical decisions.
This fear can lead to positive results –
• Fear of getting in an accident – can prevent drinking and driving
• Fear of getting caught – can prevent falsifying information
• Fear of hurting someone else – can prevent unsafe behavior
The fear of “what if…” can also lead to negative outcomes –
• The fear of being shunned – can lead to going along with a bad decision
• The fear of losing one’s job – can cause someone to keep silent when they should speak up
The fear of “what if…” can’t be ignored.
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Doubt is an important part of acting ethically. Doubt is what causes us to stop and ask ourselves –
Is this really such a good idea?
Doubt motivates us to seek the information we need to make an informed decision when faced with an ethical dilemma.
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