Why your Organization may need an Ethics Consultant.
1. Identify the act/behavior that is causing the problem.
-Ask why is it a problem? According to whom? Be clear on this.
2. What were the circumstances around this act?
– Here you need to be clear about you know AND don’t know about the circumstances.
– Why? Because what you don’t know can be just as important as what you do know!
– You need to take the time to, find out as much as you can about what you don’t know about the
act before you make a decision. This will help you make the best possible decision.
3. Identify on what basis are you making the decision?
-Is it a compliance issue? Is it an ethics issue? Does it go against your mission statement, values statement? Is it a violation of your code of conduct or ethics code?
-It is crucial that you find the answers to these questions, as they “set the stage “ for processing
your decision.
4. Always, Always, Always seek communal wisdom!
-This point is overlooked many times and yet it is so very necessary. Ask those that you know are “for you”, i.e. colleagues, co -workers, etc. and ask,” I need your wisdom here… what am I not seeing here?” The reason is that sometimes you get so close to a situation that you can’t “see the forest through the trees.”
After and only after you have done due diligence on these four points, should you make the decision.
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