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Entrepreneurs and Companies must develop an ethical toolbox-More than work

Perhaps the most stunning aspect of last year’s corporate ethics scandals was the smugness that marked the reaction of so many American executives.

Tim McGuire
United Feature Syndicate

You would think that support for ethical training would have exploded in the days following those scandals. But several retired executives, consultants and the leaders of ethical think tanks have shaken their heads in amazement and have said that most executives believe they’re immune from such scandals.

In September, the Chicago-based International Survey Research firm released results of a study that revealed that "ethical (or unethical behavior) does not exist in a vacuum, but is part of a broader organizational culture that develops over time."

A single rogue is not usually the cause of a company’s ethical downfall. Rather, it is a widespread corporate sickness that causes ethical scandals. That should tell executives they have to constantly display, promote and live according to a strict ethical code of conduct.

But employees are not off the hook. Individuals’ behaviors can counteract a sour corporate culture. Problems begin when we all go along to get along.

# Though each of us needs to behave ethically in the workplace, it is often difficult to figure out what that means. We all need a toolbox for ethical decision making. Mine looks like this:Recognize and rid ourselves of our emotional baggage, prejudices and hang-ups. We need to face our ethical challenges without a truckload of preconceived notions.

# Understand that we have to look at all sides of an issue. Our frame of reference may not be the same as the other person’s. We must recognize that we’re personally responsible for our successes and failures. We can’t blame our bosses, our employees, our potty training or the fact that we had to sleep in the same room with a sibling when we were kids for everything that goes wrong.

# Care deeply about how the choices we make will affect all the stakeholders, from customers to employees to shareholders, when we engage in our ethical decision making. We have to concentrate on the Golden Rule.

# Properly assess and assign rights and responsibilities as we get nearer to our ethical choice. We’re big on rights in our society, but we don’t think enough about who has which responsibility.

# Know your ethical standards, but don’t take them for granted. We must constantly examine those standards for weaknesses.

# Engage in a careful balancing of harm and benefit, and always try to minimize harm. In that process we must thoughtfully consider the consequences of our choices.

# Clearly explain our thinking to peers, subordinates and all stakeholders, including the public, after we make our ethical decision. We can never think we’re going to keep our ethical choice secret. We must ALWAYS assume our decision and our reasoning will become public.

That’s my toolbox. Tough ethical decisions are too difficult and too important to leave to a random, chance assessment of what matters. A toolbox for decision-making is an essential first step toward building a culture in which the right things get done right.

Tip for your search: Write out your own ethical toolbox. Perhaps my tools above are a part of it. Put that toolbox in your wallet and your purse and use it on the job or when you’re making tough family decisions. If you’re a boss, develop an ethical decision-making toolbox for your employees and make sure they know how to use it.

Resource for your search: Teach Yourself Ethics by Mel Thompson (Teach Yourself Books, 2000)

# Tim McGuire is a past president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and former editor of the Minneapolis Star Tribune He can be reached at [email protected].

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news-story.asp?date=012003&ID=s1289750&cat=section.business

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