Ethical Decision Making
The Heart Of Choosing Wisely

Ethical Decision Making: More Than Strategy

In navigating the decision making process and weighing your career options, there is one element that I believe is far more significant than mere decision making techniques.

It is the moral quality of the process and the outcome, what can be termed ethical decision making or moral decision making.

Define Ethics And Values

Values. Morals. Ethics.

These are three words that mean roughly the same thing. They refer to a set of moral principles or standards of conduct that are considered acceptable by an individual or group. They go further than what the rule of law requires.

If law is the minimum standard of human behaviour that is acceptable, then morals are the ideal, the standard that men and women of good character and noble mind voluntarily subscribe to and consistently strive towards, even if they do not always manage to attain it.

Ethics And Moral Values

'Ethics' may be said to be the modern synonym for 'morals', a term which now sounds old-fashioned next to secular humanism, the popular philosophy that claims it is Man's birthright to do anything and be anything he wants.

As a casual observer of history, I believe there is a direct correlation between the decline of the role of religion in society and the decline in moral values that we see today. This undersupply of values, morals and ethics has in turn led to a free-for-all mentality reminiscent of the days described in the Old Testament Book of Judges, when 'every man did that which was right in his own eyes' (Judges 17:6).

The finest example of real-life ethics and moral values that I have heard of is the story published in the 8 May 2010 edition of the Good Weekend magazine featuring Galina Vysniauskiene alias Eleonora Grynberg. Galina is a Holocaust survivor who owes her existence to three courageous individuals: her teenage Polish nanny, and the Polish Catholic couple who dared to adopt a Jewish baby. These three persons risked their lives to do good despite the climate of hate and fear. In them we find an ethical decision making model example that deserves praise and admiration beyond what can be humanly offered.

Ethical Decision Making Model

I like this paradigm that I came across in an article on the Values Approach to decision making.

God's morals =>Our values =>Our decisions =>Our outcomes

The source of our moral values is God's values. With His commandments and laws as the basis of our understanding of right and wrong, good and evil, we then proceed to make certain decisions which lead to certain outcomes.

Obviously, this perspective makes sense only if you accept that there is a God, One who is infinitely greater and wiser than you and me, who created this world and everything in it, including you and me, and to whom we owe our allegiance and our very existence.

In the absence of God, we are left to work out for ourselves what is right and wrong, good and evil.

In the absence of God, the equation becomes:

Our values =>Our decisions =>Our outcomes

You only have to look at history to see what happens when one group of people decide to gang up against another that is different in race, language, culture or religion.

God and Moral Decision Making

Is belief in God necessary for ethical decision making?

I believe the answer must be yes, simply because no person, however morally upright he may be, can produce a satisfying answer to the ultimate question:

Where does morality come from?

Ultimately, he must either:

• accept that God exists, and so confirm the need for ethical decision making, or
• deny God's existence, and settle for the subjective, fallible opinions of himself and his fellow man.

Many of our modern social ills (alcoholism, drug abuse, violence, racism, terrorism) are due to our inability and/or unwillingness to acknowledge that we are not gods or goddesses but human beings made in the image of God. We are a part of Creation; we are not the Creator. Life is not all about us and what we want to do or be.

As long as we continue to rebel against the True Source of moral authority and chafe against His moral values, we are doomed to repeat history: 'every man did that which was right in his own eyes'.

Teenagers, Morals, Ethics And Values

Think 'teenagers' and stories demonstrating a reckless disregard for morals, ethics and values may come to mind.

Raging hormones, the quest for meaning and identity outside the family, the allure of addictive activities and substances, lack of family support - all of these factors can combine to create a heady and potent recipe for self-destruction.

On the other hand, there are teenagers like one-armed competitive surfer Bethany Hamilton who make conscious choices to live and act in a responsible, self-disciplined and productive manner. They display wisdom in the choices they make about their attitudes to life, the way they handle adversity, and the way they use their gifts and resources.

In their own way, they are practitioners of ethical decision making.

Business Ethics And Values

"For the love of money is the root of all evil." (1 Timothy 6:10)

This verse is often misquoted as "money is the root of all evil".

Money is by itself a neutral means of exchange, but there is something about the allure of riches that drives some to seek it by any means.

In recent years, reports of embezzlement, fraud, corporate bankruptcies and large corporations preying on uninformed small investors have led to a general suspicion towards big business.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are numerous entrepreneurs and corporations that practise ethical decision making in ways that are effective and that leave a lasting legacy.

They value people, tread gently on the environment, and give back to the community through community development partnerships and philanthropic projects (e.g. the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which works to eradicate polio, AIDS and malaria around the world).

Ethisphere's World's Most Ethical (WME) Companies rankings gives such companies an opportunity to be recognized for their efforts in ethics and compliance. Ethisphere's credo is "Good. Smart. Business. Profit." WME winners don't just talk about ethics. They have successfully made it part of their business practice.

Ethisphere evaluates companies that seek WME status on how they perform in the following seven areas:

1. Corporate citizenship and responsibility
2. Corporate governance
3. Innovation that contributes to public wellbeing
4. Industry leadership
5. Executive leadership and tone from the top
6. Integrity, track record and reputation
7. Internal systems and ethics/compliance systems

Professional Values And Ethics

Doctors, lawyers, counselors, therapists and life coaches belong to professional bodies that are self-regulating. Each body has its own code of ethics that serves as a framework for ethical decision making.

For instance, the rule of confidentiality prevents a professional from discussing his client's problem with a third party without the client's consent. Thus, when faced with a decision that may involve disclosing sensitive information, a professional may refer to his code of ethics for guidance.

By respecting the code of ethics to which his profession subscribes, he is practising ethical decision making.

What Is Your Ethical Decision Making Model?

If you sincerely want to make career decisions that are wise and beneficial and authentic, if you are serious about living a significant life and leaving a legacy, you need to incorporate ethics and values into your decision making process.

Begin by examining your own ethics and moral values.

Dig deep to uncover the ultimate source of your sense of right and wrong.

Ensure that your values and ethics are built on a solid foundation, one that will give you strength, energy, purpose and clarity, and that will be a light for you when all other lights go out (as Lady Galadriel said to Frodo in Lord Of The Rings).

Use your values, morals and ethics to guide you to make wise decisions about common career challenges:

*how to cope with a hostile work environment;

*how to find recession proof jobs;

*how to create your own wish list of different careers to match your natural passion, strengths and weaknesses.

Go to Best Tools For The Decision Making Process

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