Ethics: Not a dirty word

Ethics. These days we hear reports about ethics on a daily basis. Whether it's our government leaders, those who entertain us, or even those in our community. Ethics is something that comes to the core of who we are and frankly, the way we work.

What is ethics? The dictionary says it is "moral principles that cover our behavior or conduct."  These are things we as individuals believe are the center of how we treat people, and ultimately how we are defined.

Our ethics come from what we were taught as children, through high school or college, through our community, spiritual life, and the mentors that helped us to become professionals.

With all the noise around us of ethics and bad behavior, I felt it was time to say a few words about how we can continue to be true to ourselves and maintain our professional demeanor in situations that question those ethics.

 As Managerial professionals we work each day in the parameters of policy, law, procedure, and culture. However, serving the day to day needs of the humans that do the job is our most important responsibility. We advise on the tough decisions, investigate the conflicts, continue to create a culture of harmony, while also being the conduit between people and company.  Ethics is about people after all. It's about the communication we have with one another, the compassion, and even the accountability we expect from our subordinates. Ethics are not hard to find, as they are in our gut. Sometimes people say "My gut feeling is...". Your ethics are the instinct you have to sit down and listen to that person when you have 50 million things to do. Your ethics are speaking out, even when you know the way of things and you have no power to change it. Your ethics look at each person in each situation and all the evidence before assuming guilt or innocence.

People are always affected by decisions. Put yourself in the shoes of someone who may be affected, how does that measure up to your ethics? Are you making decisions and going along with ideas that protect you or serve others? Is your advice or your behavior as a person truly a representation of who you are as YOU? Are you a true conduit between the company and the people?

There are many more questions to ask yourself. The bottom line is this, if it feels wrong.. say something. Do something. Talk to someone you trust, put together statistics as to why you feel the way you do.  Let us not forget, in any organization or relationship there are people involved. Without people, there is just stuff with no action.

Remember, ethics is not a dirty word.  Ethics is about what you stand for, and at the end of the day how people see you as a servant leader. Stand by your ethics because if you do, you will not have any regrets.

Choose courage over comfort!