Overlooking Ethics

I'm in the process of revising a couple of workshops and have been reviewing case examples that pertain to honor in the workplace.

One characteristic of many instances is that the perpetrators don't see their behavior as dishonorable. For example:

• The committee member who uses the inaction of the chairman of a committee as an excuse not to contribute or get the committee back on track. As a result of this, the project falters.
• The manager who selects people to please a boss and in doing so passes over higher qualified candidates. Eventually, those people leave or remain and are demoralized.
• The union member who automatically sides with another union member even if that person is in the wrong. The ultimate victim: Credibility.
• The attorney who uses advocacy as an excuse for discrediting a witness that he or she knows is telling the truth. The employer may win the battle and lose the war.
• The supervisor who gives an inflated performance evaluation in order to avoid confronting an employee about a problem. Other employees notice the lower standard and, in time, things get worse.

In each of these cases, the individuals will claim that they have other ethical concerns, that it is not their ethical choice, or that ethical considerations should not enter into the matter at all.

That may explain why some of the most questionable conduct is the product of some of the nicest people.