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I suspect we all are trying to decide how to respond practically and emotionally to the onslaught of horrific news: political violence and an assassination, the continuing carnage (some argue genocide) in Gaza, the relentless Russian attacks on Ukraine, and starvation in Sudan. My thoughts are frequently drawn to the core tenets of my own life and my work on ethics. I have always believed there is comfort and power in reminding ourselves how human beings are supposed to treat one another. I am encouraged because I know, despite the news, that most Americans and most of the thousands of students I taught over 50 years try to live by these precepts. And I know restating and reminding each other of these beliefs calls us to recommit to live in this way. It is no secret that three lectures, which formed the core of my thoughts on ethics throughout my career, have reappeared whenever I teach or lecture—no matter what the course or lecture title might have been! In this and the next two newsletters, I will revisit the core ideas of those three lectures. I think you will recognize how these ideas are being lived out in your life and by most of those you call friends. That is a moral boost and can be a source of hope for all of us. The first lecture, addressed here and integrated into every course I ever taught, was how to make an ethical decision. The second was how ethical values shape one’s personal integrity, character and life plan. The third was how to help create an ethical culture in any organization one touches, as a leader or simply as an employee or member. Knowing how to make an ethical decision is a critical skill of any human being. In teaching, I most often focused on dilemmas encountered by those starting careers—what to do when asked or pressured to cheat a customer of a few dollars, to make up or falsify a number in a report, or help keep secrets from headquarters or one’s spouse. But day-to-day dilemmas are ever-present, no matter one’s age—whether to take a few hours off to pamper yourself or attend a child’s soccer game, whether to admit a mistake to your boss or spouse, whether to break a confidence to warn a friend of something that may harm them. Our “advice columns” are filled with ethics-laden choices in everyday life. I once wrote a lengthy Wall Street Journal story on the dilemmas every startup entrepreneur faces, and another on the ethical dilemmas of travelling by air (think: who gets the armrests when sitting three across?). STEP ONE in ethical decision making is to recognize you are actually facing an ethical choice. Recognize that someone may be harmed or benefited by your choice, recognize that the action may be experienced differently by one party than another, see that any choice may be influenced by your biases or personal stake in the decision. STEP TWO is to assess what you really know and what you don’t know. When disciplining a child, do I really know it was not a brother that provoked the fight, or that my child may be protecting someone else? How certain am I that my employee stole money or slacked off on their work? STEP THREE is analyzing your choices and possible actions. I led students and listeners through the types of ethical criteria that are generally important: The sum of benefits and harms you create by a decision The rights of all who are affected by your ethical decision Any special duties you have due to your role (as parent, boss, offspring, friend, etc.) The responsibility we all have to treat people fairly (equally or proportionately) The impact you have on the common good or health of the organization, community or society Whether your actions demonstrate care and compassion toward all involved Whether your actions represent the virtues we expect of people at their best
STEP FOUR is absorbing and balancing all the information considered in step three. I emphasize that these considerations can sometimes be in conflict with one another—my duty is to uphold a ‘rule,’ but perhaps this is a “special case” when compassion should dictate favorable treatment or forgiveness. The ethical choice is often one of balance. But often most considerations point clearly to one action over others, even if it is inconvenient or costly. I also note that we can’t go through this complex analysis for every decision in our day, and therefore we develop ethical rules of thumb: doctors “do no harm,” parents treat their offspring equally, in specific situations we give the other the “benefit of the doubt,” we care for an employee with a dying spouse or a child always deserves extra help, etc. STEP FIVE is choosing how to implement my chosen action. I used to dismiss the importance of implementation in teaching ethics, but then saw so many good intentions produce bad outcomes when someone gave feedback artlessly, said something harsh to a spouse or child, failed to notify a person who had a “right” to know about the decision or failed to explain a decision sensitively. STEP SIX, which ties to my second lecture in the next newsletter, involves reflecting on the outcome of your decision in order to strengthen your character and make better decisions in the future. I often commented that I was a much better parent with my second and third child because of what I learned making ethical choices for my first. I hope I became a better spouse, making fewer ethical mistakes, over my 55 years of marriage. Managers learn much from handling ethical dilemmas the first time so that they make better and fairer choices the next time. Ethical decision making in our complex lives is indeed a learned skill and must be reflected on and practiced over a lifetime. For a particularly useful resources on ethical decision making, go to “A Framework for Ethical Decision Making,” at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University (see here). This particular presentation on how to make an ethical decision was first drafted by my colleague Manuel Velasquez 40 years ago, was revised 20 years ago under my supervision, and has again been revised and enriched by the Center’s current staff. The Center has a wealth of additional resources on ethical decision making (see here).
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