Why your Organization may need an Ethics Consultant.
During a spirited conversation in our office recently, the question was asked “what if someone just has lousy ethics? Is there any hope of improvement or are you just out of luck because that person just can’t change?”
This challenged me because for a number of years, I thought that you were either ethical or you weren’t. My views on the importance of decisive action on ethical problems have not changed.
Aristotle states: “Neither by nature, then, nor contrary to nature do the virtues arise in us; rather we are adapted by nature to receive them, and are made perfect by habit.”
According to Aristotle, we can grow and expand in our virtuous behavior through habit. It might also provide more hope for the “ethically challenged.” It also sheds additional light on why virtuous leaders are so important. Leaders help to establish guidelines, not only by words, but by their actions. They need to also serve as examples to help “perfect by habit” good choices and virtuous behavior in the workplace.
Reflective questions, like these, will help us “perfect the habit” of being ethical.
1. Did I practice any virtues today?
• Was I a person who shared integrity, trustworthiness, honesty or compassion?
2. Did I do more harm than good? Or did I try to?
• Consider the short-long term consequences of your actions.
3. Did I treat people with dignity and respect?
• All people have the right to be treated with dignity simply because they are human.
4. Was I fair and just today?
• Whom did I benefit and whom did I burden?
• How did I decide?
Related posts