In most workplace situations, there is a clear-cut right way or wrong way to act.  However, we occasionally run into ethical scenarios where there are positive aspects to two differing actions and we are left with a dilemma.  These “competing rights” situations can be extremely stressful.

Here are a few examples:
   It’s right to communicate information that might help other people…
   But it’s also right to respect the confidentiality of information if you have agreed to do so.

   It’s right to follow through on commitments you’ve made…
   But it’s also right to address a higher priority task that suddenly needs to be completed.

In this exercise, your group will think about situations where there are conflicting rights and develop strategies for resolving them.

Set up the Activity
Break the group into several smaller groups of 2-3 people and have each small group work on one of the following situations (or have them come up with one of their own).

• Going to work when you’re obviously sick and possibly contagious.
• Telling an insecure co-worker (or subordinate) their work is good when it is not.
• Voicing support for a decision you don’t really believe in because everyone else is in favor of it and there is no more time for discussion.
• Ignoring a subordinate’s chronic tardiness because the employee has a troublesome home life and you figure they’ve got enough to deal with.

(See “Key” below for the conflicting rights in these situations.)

Review the Situation
For the issue they’ve selected, ask each group to discuss and take brief notes on:
• What are the competing “rights” in this scenario?
• What rationalizations might someone make in this situation? (Examples might include, “It’ll just be easier this way”, “It’s not that big a deal.”, “I don’t have time…”
• What outside influences might be in play?

Note: You may want to explain that influences can either be “supporting” (i.e. they help us make ethical choices– such as a manager who consistently demonstrates high integrity) or  “distracting” (i.e. they potentially lead us toward unethical behavior—such as an emphasis on meeting a quota at all costs.)

At this stage, do not have the groups come up with a solution or final decision.

Resolve the Dilemma
Explain to participants that—as they have just seen– in the case of conflicting rights, both choices may be ethical to some extent, but one is a better choice than the other.  Dilemmas typically have “better” answers, but the decision process can be tough.

Introduce the following three steps to resolving ethical dilemmas:
1) If possible, eliminate the conflict. (Seek permission to grant an exception, make a special case, or otherwise change the conditions.)

2) Decide what’s more right. (Ask which option is most in line with laws or organizational values?  Which provides the greatest benefit for the largest number of people? Which sets the best precedent for guiding similar decisions in the future?)

3) Seek Assistance. (Run the situation past your manager, HR or anyone who can listen and provide objective feedback.)

Have each group revisit their dilemma and apply these 3 steps to their decision making process. What would their suggested course of action be?

Debrief
Ask a representative from each group to describe the course of action they decided on, and the rationale behind it.

Key for Instructors:
For each of the situations your group will work with, here is a little more information on the answers you might look for.
Example 1) It’s right to want to meet deadlines and keep the organization from being short-handed, but it’s also right to stay home when you’re sick so you will get well faster and avoid infecting others.
Example 2) It’s right to protect a co-worker’s feelings (especially when the person is insecure) but it is also right to make sure people know when their work is falling short so they aren’t misled into thinking they’re doing fine.
Example 3) It’s right to be supportive of a team decision, but it’s also right to make sure people know where you truly stand on an issue.
Example 4) It’s right to empathize with people who are having personal troubles, but it’s also right to keep the workplace fair.

Activity based on a section of the Leader’s Guide for the CRM Learning program Ethics 4 Everyone.

Need help in this area? Ethics 4 Everyone is a proven training program for teaching people how to handle a variety of workplace ethics situations including the ones that fall into that tricky “grey area.”

The ROE Report Results: A recent “Return on Expectation” (ROE) study has shown that CRM Learning’s “Ethics for Everyone” video training program exceeds customer expectations nearly 100 percent of the time. Both individuals and organizations have rated their experience as “highly satisfactory” in an independently-conducted study.

About the Video: “Ethics 4 Everyone” combines real-world situations and practical advice for anyone confronted with ethical issues at work. The training program teaches participants to apply a quick “Ethical Action Test” to various situations – and the entire video runs only 15 minutes. A bonus segment for organizational leaders is also included.

Survey Methodology: A variety of clients participated in the survey, ranging from business, financial, education and non-profit sectors. Interviews lasted 30 minutes each, and each client was told that answers would be anonymous and aggregated into a central database in order to ensure unbiased feedback.

Training expectations: Several clients have used the program multiple times over the past few years, and many have made it a core requirement of their employee training programs.

“We are a school who trains high school students in their trades to work in the real world,” one participant said, “and we wanted not only to teach the meaning of ethics, but show real-life situations.” Ethics 4 Everyone fit the bill for this client because it was a great introduction to industry-specific situations, and it illustrated the professional expectations the workplace requires. It also proved to be the perfect conversation opener when discussing the excuses and rationalizations that often happen when someone is in an ethical dilemma.

Ethics 4 Everyone truly lived up to its name, according to several clients. “I used it for leaders who need to set the tone for the entire organization,” said one respondent. But another said “I thought it would be very high-level, but it ended up that it applies to everyone.”

Other clients loved the fact that the video was short, so they could set expectations about company culture early – and often – and at any time. Others praised the program’s inherent flexibility, because it’s relatively short running time made it easy to fit into busy schedules. And for many clients, ethics training was required for compliance. “As a publicly-held company, we need to explain how imperative ethics are,” one client noted.

How Behaviors Changed: Several respondents noted that while they could not detect any overt changes in behaviors on the job, the subject of ethics was certainly top of mind after viewing the training program. “We received excellent feedback about employees increasing their self-awareness,” one client reported. “I heard comments like ‘Now I understand what I’m supposed to do’. Some people even mentioned there were things they had done in the past they didn’t realize they shouldn’t have.”

One client firmly believed Ethics 4 Everyone saved the company money in the long run. “I believe this program leads to avoiding regulatory issues,” the client said. “And we maintain and untarnished image with our customers.”

Summary: Overall, 95 percent reported the video training met or exceeded expectations, and all who used the program said they would recommend it to others. Finally, one respondent summed up the overall satisfaction level with this: “We just haven’t found anything better than this program.”

Get started with Ethics for Everyone, View Trailer or Full Length Preview

By Leanne Hoagland-Smith

With today’s environment of 24/7 technology, less people doing more work, the demand for almost what appear to be instantaneous decisions, demonstrating daily high work ethics is a challenge for every business owner to employee. The question is how do you demonstrate your daily work ethics? These 7 steps should assist you to strengthen your own work ethics and provide greater self-satisfaction.

1. Assess your beliefs This step is really several combined into one if you don’t have a purpose in life, values and vision statements. Define your beliefs as you carry out your purpose, vision and values. Are those beliefs consistent and in alignment with those statements?

2. Look to your goals Do you have written goals that you continually striving to achieve? Without goals, why would we work less alone be concerned about our work quality?

3. Ask for feedback Seeking feedback from mentors, peers as well as bosses helps us to know if we are on target. Sometimes due to our filters of experience what we see is not what others see.

4. Hone your skills Becoming the best at what you do is a good thing. Seeking continuous improvement will demonstrate that you are truly committed to a delivering a high level of work ethics.

5. Determine your standards What are the work standards that define your work ethics? Do you go along with others and settle for mediocrity or are you comfortable striving for more because you know you can do it.

6. Model your beliefs through your behaviors Are you daily behaviors demonstrating a high level of work ethics? If no one is looking, do you act the same way or do you change because it’s okay since no one is looking and can report my behaviors.

7. Reflect each and every day Before you fall asleep or head off for work, take a few minutes for reflection of today’s actions or what may be facing you during the next 8 hours. Ask yourself: Can I be better? If so, How? If not, Why?

If you truly want to stand out in the crowd and demonstrate your work ethics, then begin to realize that work ethics are yours to control. Worrying about others is usually out of your control. If you continually demonstrate a high level of work ethics, you know that you did the best that you could do and will sleep well tonight and every future night. Let others worry about those who chose not to engage in a high degree of work ethics. For it is to be, it is truly up to me.

Leanne Hoagland-Smith coaches small businesses to large organizations and high school students to entrepreneurs to double performance by closing the gap between today’s outcomes and tomorrow’s goals. Please feel free to contact Leanne at 219.759.5601 or visit http://www.processspecialist.com/ and explore how she can help you from the free articles to the improvement tips.
One quick question, if you could secure one new client or breakthrough that one roadblock, what would that mean to you? Then, take a risk and give a call at 219.759.5601 to experience incredible business.