Sunday, April 06, 2008

Discussing Values

Ethicist Michael Josephson once asked, "How many times do you need to lie to be a liar?"

That's not a bad topic for a staff meeting.

Many organizations and teams would benefit from a discussion of basic values. We are immersed in techniques - how to do this or that - but seldom visit the values that should drive the techniques.

What does it mean to be fair, honest, trustworthy, loyal, compassionate, or courageous? What are the types of behavior that would exemplify or detract from those virtues and when have we seen such behavior in the workplace?

In my experience, people don't dismiss such discussions as too theoretical; they hunger for them. More than ever, we are encountering workers who are operating from different standards. You have people in your workplace who've never participated in a serious discussion of what it means to be an ethical person. Some came from horrific or chaotic households. Others are products of a mindset that shuns anything remotely judgmental. They've been cast adrift in a world without a map.

Many of them are also strangers to logic. They exult feeling over reason and operate strictly in the short-term. Pop them into a discussion of ethics and you'll be amazed at what emerges. Some of it can be frightening. [I met one student who thought I was a little too tough on the Nazis.]

The good news is you may also be surprised by the benefits. Following ethical virtues is neither natural nor easy, especially in a world that scoffs at such behavior, but you can bet a sizable chunk of your workforce won't find doing so to be easier if such virtues are never discussed.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Michael,

This would be a great discussion. Another question I think companies should be asking is: How often do our bonus and performance management systems make you choose between the right thing to do and more money in your pocket? Or how often must you choose between the collaboration and protecting yourself? Or between innovation and being fired for failure? Those are the questions I would like to see asked.

Michael Wade said...

Michelle,

Those are great questions. They tie in with "What do we truly reward around here and what do we punish?" Many workplaces reward negative behavior.