Choose a stakeholder or stakeholder group to receive the explanation of your decision

As you come to the end of the process, you’ve made the following decision:

Implement the photo ID security system to honor your contract to provide employees with a secure workplace. In order to give employees a chance to have their voices heard, develop a clear and open process for accommodating special needs, including Aisha’s.

The option you chose was limited to one of the six on the list I provided. Now, however, you have the opportunity to communicate a decision to reflect what you believe is the most ethical course of action. Feel free to change any or all of the conditions to create the option you believe works best.

I’ve laid out for you a method for organizing your thoughts. This format could easily be used as the basis for an email or an inter-office memo, but its primary purpose is to organize the reasons behind your action and to defend your decision. While each section of the memo has a word count limit, a concise memo will often be much shorter. I recommend aiming for roughly one-half of the maximum, but you can always write more if necessary.

The goal is to use the norms of both ethical perspectives to write a memo that is technically sound and coherent as well as persuasive and inspiring. If you want to know more about the criteria for a good communication, check the Memo Structure page under Game Information on the left menu bar.

Top of Form

Choose a stakeholder or stakeholder group to receive the explanation of your decision. If you believe the decision should not be made public, then write a memo to the file or to yourself.

 

Subject

1. Add a sentence or phrase that clearly identifies the purpose of the communication. A good greeting is engaging and anticipates the conversation.

(Limit of 30 words)

 

 

 

2. Background of the Problem

   In your background statement, include sufficient detail so that the recipient knows what the problem is without including any confidential information. Then, clearly present the values in conflict in the problem. A good statement is appropriate for the audience, is polished and coherent, is written from your own voice, and draws the audience into the conversation.

   (Limit of 400 words)

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Statement of Decision

   In a sentence, clearly and concisely state your decision. A good statement is understandable, considers the others involved, and connects with your audience.

   (Limit of 150 words)

 

 

 

 

4. Reasons for the Decision

   Now, give the reasons for your decision. Use the language of the ethical framework or the ethical principles you used to come to your decision. A good decision statement uses the norms of both ethical lenses, uses logic and emotion to frame the solution, and presents a compelling solution to the problem.

   (Limit of 400 words)

 

 

 

 

5.Forward-Looking Conclusion

The final sentences should build a relationship with the other team members and your constituents, leave the door open for further conversation, and tell the recipient(s) what the decision means for them. A good conclusion is clear, presents a path forward, and is inspiring.

If you have chosen to write a note to yourself, your conclusion should instead focus on your goals for further improvement or the steps you would take to avoid repeating the problem in the future.

(Limit of 200 words)

 

 

Bottom of Form

READING

 

 

Ethics Coach

Ethics Coach Posting #1

By Rian Brown

Welcome to the Ethics Coach. My job is to give you extra information at each step of the game. Whenever you reach a page that leaves you scratching your head or just hungry for more information, click the Ethics Coach icon at the top of the page.

I won’t be able to give you the answers, of course, but hopefully you’ll find my advice helpful. Remember that my advice will change for every page. On pages where you have to answer a question, I’ll help you understand the ideas behind that question. On pages where you see the feedback for your answers, I’ll break down what separates the “right” answers from the “wrong” ones.

Why are “right” and “wrong” in quotes? Because ethics has more of a grey area than you might think. Often, a “wrong” answer is simply one that ranks lower on a list of choices that are all ethical. Remember to think about the lens you’re in – more on that later.

During the game, you’ll be taking on a role. Perhaps a manager at a company, or a residential assistant at a university – your role depends on which dilemmas have been selected for your game.

As you assume your role for the game, consider what a person in that position might do in the situation you’re facing.

The goal of EthicsGame is to develop your ethical sensitivity and your ethical wisdom. Chances are you already have your ideas about right and wrong—a personal set of values that you live by. Keep these in mind as you play the game, but also try to open your mind to new ways of thinking.

• Ethical sensitivity is the ability to recognize when different values are in conflict, even when one of those values might not be your own. That’s when you know you face an ethical dilemma.
• Ethical wisdom is the ability to balance the values and commitments of the organization in a way that honors the individual people as well as the whole.

A true master of ethics is able to exercise both sensitivity and wisdom. You’ll get better at both of these skills as you work through the game.

So, w hat are you waiting for? Close this window and get back to the game! Just remember to keep checking back for more advice whenever you need it.

Ethics Coach Posting #2

By Rian Brown

While you’re being introduced to the game, let me give you a brief overview of the four ethical lenses you’ll be using to solve the two dilemmas. For each lens, I’ll give a brief overview of the philosophy behind it, and its method of solving problems.

Responsibilities Lens

• Philosophy: This lens is based on deontology, an ethical tradition that explores our duties to each other.
• Method: Identify your duties to others, and to yourself, then act in line with those duties. For this lens, your motive is just as important as the action itself.
• This lens emphasizes autonomy(the rights of the individual) and rationality (reason and logic).

Results Lens

• Philosophy: This lens is based on utilitarianism, an ethical tradition that states that the purpose of life is to be happy and achieve our goals.
• Method: Consider what will make you happy and consider what will make others happy as well. Search for the solution that will create the greatest good – the most happiness – for as many people as possible.
• This lens emphasizes autonomy(the rights of the individual) and sensibility (intuition and compassion).

Relationships Lens

• Philosophy: This lens is based on justice ethics, an ethical tradition that asks what rules and system are needed to ensure that people are treated fairly.
• Method: Develop a system that treats everyone fairly, or use and support that system if it is already in place.
• This lens emphasizes equality(the needs of the community) and rationality (reason and logic).

Reputation Lens

• Philosophy: This lens is based on virtue ethics, an ethical tradition that asks what qualities a good citizen should have, given their role in the community.
• Method: Strive to meet the expectations your community has for someone in your role.
• This lens emphasizes equality(the needs of the community) and sensibility (intuition and compassion).

We will be spending more time with each of these lenses, so don’t worry if you don’t understand them fully just yet. Be sure to come back and visit when you have more questions.

Ethics Coach Posting #3

By Rian Brown

The first step in making a good ethical decision is to be attentive: to notice what is actually going on.

Use the emails on this page to piece together the story:

• Each of the people who has emailed you has information. Together, these emails create the whole story.
• Each person puts a different spin on the information: they see it in a way that reinforces their world view.

Start evaluating the evidence:

• Don’t get sucked into someone’s story. Listen carefully, without judgment, as you piece together the facts.
• Don’t dismiss any information because it conflicts with your expectations.
• Ask yourself if the people involved in this situation are treating each other with respect.

Bottom line:

• Pay attention to the values of your community as you consider the evidence.
• Pay attention to your own role in the situation—you are the one who will make the final decision.

Being attentive is just the first step in the process, but it is one of the most important. Too often, people are tempted to make their ethical decisions based on their “gut”—without careful consideration of the situation.

Ethics Coach Posting #4

By Rian Brown

Now that we’ve reviewed the facts of the situation, the next step is to be intelligent, which in this case means identifying the issue you facing. Identifying the issue is about determining what matters most.

Frame the issue:

• What is the first question that has to be answered?
• Don’t become distracted by asking the wrong question.

Beware of false issues:

• Don’t worry about unimportant or secondary issues. You may want to resolve more than one issue, but you’ll have to tackle them one at a time… starting with the most important.
• Don’t get caught up with protecting your own reputation. This can lead to taking the easy way out, and the easy way is rarely the most ethical.
• Don’t focus on only one option. We’re still framing the problem; it’s too early to jump to a solution.

Ethics Coach Posting #5

By Rian Brown

Life’s problems typically come in one of three types:

Technical Problems – What do I need to do to accomplish this goal?

Technical problems have right and wrong answers. How to program a web page or how to organize a party would fall under the category of technical problems. There may be multiple solutions to technical problems, but there are also some solutions that simply won’t work.

Aesthetic Problems – What are my personal preferences?

Aesthetic problems do not have right and wrong answers. Deciding which of two pictures to hang on a wall or how to arrange your furniture would be aesthetic problems.

Ethical Problems – What action promotes goodness and justice?

An ethical problem arises when there is a conflict between two competing values. For instance, if you’re considering making an exception to the rules to help someone in need, or considering a sacrifice of your personal happiness to benefit the group, you face an ethical problem.

To be a true master of ethics, you must be able to identify the competing values and work to balance those values, rather than choosing one extreme or another.

You’ve probably found yourself arguing with someone over an ethical problem and thinking “How can they possibly think what they do?” This is because you have a natural preference for one or more of those competing values. You use these preferences to guide you when you face an ethical dilemma—and it’s not always easy to see the other side.

The values you favor represent your ethical lens. As the game continues, you’ll be asked to look through more lenses than just your own. You may be surprised at how difficult some lenses are—or you may find ideas you hadn’t considered before that will be added to your own values.

Ethics Coach Posting #6

By Rian Brown

You’ve identified the issue, and your ultimate goal is to take an action that will solve or address that issue. But we can’t skip right to the end just yet! Before thinking about the solution, consider the other people in the situation. Your decision—even if that decision is to do nothing—will have an effect on some people. We call these people the stakeholders.

Like a pebble hitting the water, our actions have consequences that ripple out from the center. Primary stakeholders are those closest to the center—those for whom the waves will be the largest. As we continue outward, there are other stakeholders who are less affected or who have more control.

Say you’ve witnessed a robbery and you decide to report it. The thief is a primary stakeholder—they could go to jail. The victim is also a primary stakeholder, as your decision made a difference in protecting their property. Your decision also resulted in the police having to investigate, but the police are not primary stakeholders because the only consequence they face is work that fits in their normal routine.

For this exercise, you are looking for the primary stakeholders—the ones affected the most. Here’s a method you can use to find them. For each stakeholder, ask yourself:

1. What would happen to this stakeholder if I did nothing?
2. What would happen to this stakeholder if I tried to help them in this situation?

If the second scenario represents a significant change from the first, that means this person is probably a primary stakeholder.

Ethics Coach Posting #7

By Rian Brown

Many people are affected by our decisions; that is why we have to be so careful. We are often tempted to react quickly, to use our gut, when facing a moral dilemma. Take a moment and reflect before you make a decision and you’ll have taken the first step toward ethical mastery.

Another temptation when facing a tough dilemma is to talk about the situation with people who aren’t directly involved for their opinions or advice. Be sure that those whose advice you seek are people who you trust to maintain confidentiality.

Ethics Coach Posting #8

By Rian Brown

The next step of the decision process is to learn to be reasonable. In this step you will:

• Sort through the information you have
• Determine what you believe to be true
• Consider what this knowledge means and where it leads

This step marks our first use of specific lens, the Responsibilities Lens. You’ll have to start thinking creatively, as you’ll be using two lenses to solve this dilemma. Much in the way we use both our eyes to turn two separate perspectives into a three-dimensional image, using two lenses will give you a richer understanding of the dilemma you face. Just as one of your eyes is the dominant eye, you may find one of two lenses easier to look through—but both are important in forming the complete picture.

The Responsibilities Lens asks you to consider your duties. Your duties are the things you owe to others, either because of promises you have made or the principles you have chosen to follow.

According to the philosopher Immanuel Kant, duties come in two types: perfect duties and imperfect duties. Perfect duties are stated or written obligations, or obligations created by contract or law. Imperfect duties are voluntary obligations, where there is no contractual or legal obligation to perform the action.

For example, a doctor has a perfect duty—a contractual obligation—to those patients he or she has agreed to treat. Even though many others may need help, if they are not patients, the doctor only has an imperfect duty to help.

For this step, you must decide which stakeholders you owe a specific duty, perfect or imperfect. These duties may come from the rules of your organization, a contract you have signed, a promise you have made, or the obligations of friendship.

Ethics Coach Posting #9

By Rian Brown

Identifying your duties can be tough, especially when everything on the list is something you would want to achieve. Here are a few possible indications of false duties:

• False duties may actually be someone else’s responsibility. Only the agreements, contracts, or relationships we have made for ourselves can create our duties.
• False duties may include the idea of “protecting” someone from their own choices. While you may give advice, actively stopping someone else from making a decision you don’t agree with is not your duty—each person has a right to make their own decisions.
• False duties may be vague non-specific things that are out of your control. Making sure someone is “happy” or “safe” would not be a duty because you cannot guarantee those things 100 percent of the time. However, you may have more specific duties related to that goal.

Ethics Coach Posting #10

By Rian Brown

The third step of decision-making process is to be responsible.

For this screen you are being asked which of these options allow you to fulfill the duties you identified in the previous step. Examine each of the six options and consider these two questions:

What’s the motive?

Think about the reasons you might use to justify the option. Are those reasons convincing? Would you be willing to have those reasons used by someone else to justify their own choice?

Am I keeping my agreements?

Think about the duties you’ve determined you have and the agreements you’ve made. Try to find an option that fulfills every one of your duties to the stakeholders.

As we keep our agreements, we also help people become responsible for their own actions. As we treat people with respect, we are able to assure that we see them as individuals in their own right, not merely as means to our own ends.

Ethics Coach Posting #11

By Rian Brown

Now that you’ve used the Responsibilities Lens, take a moment to review the philosophy behind the lens.

The Responsibilities Lens assumes…

• Each person is a rational human with a right to determine how they want to live.
• Each person is entitled to being treated with dignity by virtue of being human.
• Each person is entitled to basic human rights.

In order for the assumptions of the Responsibilities Lens to make sense, one needs to believe that we are all similar in certain ways. Those who resist the black-and-white approach of the Responsibilities Lens may be more at home with our next lens, the Results Lens, which asserts that the standards for happiness are not the same from person to person because we are not all alike.

Ethics Coach Posting #12

By Rian Brown

As we move into the Results Lens, we’re going to use different criteria for deciding whether an action is ethical. For the Results Lens, we care about what will make the most people happy—what will create the greatest good for the greatest number.

Because we’re moving to a different lens, we’re going to back to the third step of the decision process: be reasonable. Just as with the first lens, we’ll answer a few questions important to this lens, then choose the best option to resolve the dilemma.

The Results Lens assumes that ethical values cannot be determined using science because values are personal. Because of this, we’ll be examining the individual impact on and goals of each stakeholder.

The first step is to determine how much each stakeholder will be affected by your decision:

• High impact—those who will have immediate and severe repercussions after you act
• Medium impact—those who might feel a bit of the heat.
• Low impact—those who will watch the situation unfold but will not have any personal stake in the outcome.

When thinking about impact, think about the different ways you might resolve your dilemma, then consider the effect those decisions will have on others. The ones most often and most significantly affected have the highest impact.

Ethics Coach Posting #13

By Rian Brown

A potential problem with the Results Lens is that a large number of people with very little stake in the issue can control the outcome. That is why we pay attention to the impact factor. For example in a situation that impacts the environment, each of us as a member of the community has a stake in the decision. The calculation of the impact on the various groups . . . including the animals and insects . . . is complex.

Your problem is relatively straight-forward: each of the stakeholder groups has one or a small number of people in it. Thus, determining which group is more or less impacted by your decision does not require complicated math; ‘eyeballing’ the situation will get us a good result.

Ethics Coach Posting #14

By Rian Brown

This part is a bit more difficult. In order to make a good choice, we have to know exactly what will make people happy. Most of us have two thresholds:

Non-negotiables – Actions we will never take because they violate our own personal code of ethics or because the consequence of that action will make us very unhappy.

Tipping Points – Small acts that build up until we are so unhappy that we change our behavior.

In order to identify what makes people happy, you have to know them very well. This naturally isn’t possible in the context of this game, but you can also gain insight by listening to people and paying attention to the situation. You may want to re-read the emails that introduced the problem, in order to get an idea for what the stakeholders want.

Ethics Coach Posting #15

By Rian Brown

The Results Lens comes from the ethical theory known as utilitarianism. Utilitarianism comes in three flavors:

Act Utilitarianism

• Under act utilitarianism, a person chooses what makes them happy.
• This may cause people to choose to live only for today and not consider tomorrow, or to take the “easy way out” to avoid problems.

Rule Utilitarianism

• Rule utilitarianism is a way to bypass the complex calculations involved in utilitarian problem-solving by generalizing the solutions into rules
• For instance, people are usually happiest if they receive their paycheck when it is due, so a company would create and follow a rule to pay people on time.

Ideal Utilitarianism

• Ideal utilitarianism reminds us to focus on the values, such as freedom and integrity, that allow individuals to seek happiness.
• From this perspective, the higher values—freedom, integrity, friendship—are much more important than short term gain.

In many communities, people know that they have to live and work with each other for a long time. They pay attention to the long term values that come from living a life of excellence, not just being expedient.

When using the Results Lens, all three types of utilitarianism are useful. Consider each stakeholder’s short-term goals, but don’t lose sight of their long-term goals.

Ethics Coach Posting #16

By Rian Brown

If you remember, when we got to this stage in the Responsibilities Lens, we had a list of duties to follow, such as the duty to tell the truth, or the duty to not hurt other people.

For the Results Lens, the list of virtues is very different. On this page, you’ll select the option each stakeholder—and only that stakeholder—would be happiest with. For your reference, the criteria for happiness you’ve worked out for each stakeholder have been repeated on this page. Work your way down the list of stakeholders and for each one, focus only on those two criteria and choose the option that best meets them.

There are no wrong answers on this page—we’re only gathering the information we’ll use to make the final decision.

Ethics Coach Posting #17

By Rian Brown

Like the Responsibilities Lens, the Results Lens focuses on the individual. However, rather than focusing on rationality, our heads, this lens invites us to consider sensibility, our hearts. Lenses that favor rationality seek to create rules, obligations, or systems to prevent or discourage people from acting unethically. Sensibility lenses, on the other hand, encourage compassion and create opportunities for people to pursue happiness.

At this step you are asked to make a decision that will lead to the greatest amount of happiness for all stakeholders. A master of ethics will fashion a result that addresses as many concerns of the stakeholders as possible. This process is known as seeking the higher good or the common good.

In order to find the common good, you must be detached. That means that you cannot be attached to doing things the way you prefer or the way you have always done them. You must be flexible and nimble, willing to change if the results will be better for a greater number of stakeholders.

Ethics Coach Posting #18

By Rian Brown

The Responsibilities Lens and the Results Lens both have the individual as the focus. Both lenses are concerned with individual happiness and responsibility.

These two lenses differ in deciding how best to live:

Under the Responsibilities Lens, reason—our head—teaches us how to be responsible adults.

Under the Results Lens, passion—our heart—teaches us to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.

Wisdom is found in learning to balance between our head and our heart. However, when push comes to shove, each of us leans either toward one lens or the other. If you find that you disagree with the feedback on this page, you likely favor the Responsibility approach. If, on the other hand, you felt the Results Lens made sense, that lens may be closer to your preferred method of thinking.

In a moment, you’ll be able to choose between the option you chose for the Results Lens and the option you chose for the Responsibilities Lens—to decide which way you lean.

As you apply this decision-making process in your everyday life, try to understand the other perspective and weave it into your thought process. This will allow you to find balanced solutions.

Ethics Coach Posting #19

By Rian Brown

On this page, you can see the choices you made for each of the two lenses and compare them directly. You may have chosen the same option twice or you may have made different choices based on the questions that you asked. If you haven’t yet, now is the time to narrow your decision down to a single choice.

If you chose the same option twice (and only see one option on this page), consider why that happened. You may have learned that your first answer worked better for the Results Lens, and thus you chose it again. This would indicate a natural preference for that lens, which may have led to some difficulty adjusting to the Responsibilities perspective when you started the game.

You may also consider yourself to be very “consistent,” and so you didn’t change your answer for the two lenses. While consistency is an admirable quality, you should be careful not to be inflexible. Looking through another perspective can give you insights you may have missed by quickly using your gut. Even if your first instinct ends up being the right answer for you, you should always take the opportunity to consider the other side.

Ethics Coach Posting #20

By Rian Brown

Learning to communicate effectively is a critical skill. For this game, the communication we’ll use takes the form of an email you’ll send to one of the stakeholders. Depending on whom you’re communicating with, you may want to make this as formal as a business memo or as informal as a personal email–the important part is that you communicate your decision effectively.

Ethics Coach Posting #21

By Rian Brown

Much of the confusion about ethics comes because we forget that over the course of history, people have had two very different ways of understanding how to function in the world. The difference lies in how people view the nature of human beings.

Idealists believe that people are basically flawed. This means we need rules in place to keep us on the straight and narrow as we strive to reach an ideal state. Those who find themselves as part of this tradition tend to want to limit government, protect private property, and depend on individuals to make choices based on their sense of duty or obligation. Idealists tend to believe that punishment is the most effective way to shape behavior–if you fail to follow the rules, you will face the consequences.

Realists believe that people are basically good. This means we need strong family and community relationships to shape human behavior. As we seek the “good” and exercise virtue, we can create strong institutions and communities. Realists tend to favor community authority, shared resources, and a community where each member is willing to take care of another because all of us need a helping hand at some point. Realists tend to believe that guilt or shunning is the most effective way to shape behavior–if you fail to follow the rules, you will be excluded from the community.

Our own experiences and beliefs will put us on one side of this debate or the other when faced with a final choice. However, most of us balance between the two traditions using a mixture of punishment and guilt as we work to shape our behavior and that of others.

What is true is that choices made by idealists and realists are both perfectly ethical. Options move from “good” to “better” to “best” as we strive to be effective ethical actors.

Ethics Coach Posting #22

By Rian Brown

On this page, you can see some of the potential results of your action. Even the best options can carry risks–sometimes being ethical has its cost, as you may lose the friendship of people who wanted you to “look the other way” or “bend the rules.” But less ethical decisions have their risks as well. You may face legal action, or personal consequences, by acting unethically or you may upset those whom you owe some responsibility.

Take a moment to review the information on this page and consider the repercussions of your decision. One of the reasons the Baird Decision Model is effective is because it encourages careful consideration for problems, which often minimizes the fallout.

Ethics Coach Posting #23

By Rian Brown

Congratulations! You’ve reached the end of the first dilemma!

You may want to take a breather here. Starting on the next page, you’ll jump into a new dilemma, which you’ll solve using two new ethical lenses. If you want to log out, you can always log back in and resume where you left off.

If you want to review the memos you wrote, select ‘Emails and Notes’ on the left-hand menu and choose ‘Emails.’

If you want to review your current Engagement Score, select ‘Game Information’ and choose ‘Current Score.’

If you want to get a head start and check out the next two lenses you’ll be using, select ‘Ethics Information’ and choose ‘Ethical Lenses.’ Focus on the equality side, on the Relationship and Reputation Lenses.

When you’re ready to tackle the next dilemma, hit ‘Continue.’

Ethics Coach Posting #24

By Rian Brown

As with the previous dilemma, we begin with the first step: be attentive.

Use the emails on this page to piece together the story:

• Each of the people who has emailed you has information. Together, these emails create the whole story.
• Each person puts a different spin on the information: they see it in a way that reinforces their world view.

Start evaluating the evidence:

• Don’t get sucked into someone’s story. Listen carefully, without judgment, as you piece together the facts.
• Don’t dismiss any information because it conflicts with your expectations.
• Ask yourself if the people involved in this situation are treating each other with respect.

Bottom line:

• Pay attention to the values of your community as you consider the evidence.
• Pay attention to your own role in the situation—you are the one who will make the final decision.

Being attentive is just the first step in the process, but it is one of the most important. Too often, people are tempted to make their ethical decisions based on their “gut”–without careful consideration of the situation.

Ethics Coach Posting #25

By Rian Brown

Now that we’ve reviewed the facts of the situation, the next step is to be intelligent, which in this case means identifying the issue you facing. Identifying the issue is about determining what matters most.

Frame the issue:

• What is the first question that has to be answered?
• Don’t become distracted by asking the wrong question.

Beware of false issues:

• Don’t worry about unimportant or secondary issues. You may want to resolve more than one issue, but you’ll have to tackle them one at a time… starting with the most important.
• Don’t get caught up with protecting your own reputation. This can lead to taking the easy way out, and the easy way is rarely the most ethical.
• Don’t focus on only one option. We’re still framing the problem; it’s too early to jump to a solution.

Ethics Coach Posting #26

By Rian Brown

Life’s problems typically come in one of three types:

Technical Problems – What do I need to do to accomplish this goal?

Technical problems have right and wrong answers. How to program a web page or how to organize a party would fall under the category of technical problems. There may be multiple solutions to technical problems, but there are also some solutions that simply won’t work.

Aesthetic Problems – What are my personal preferences?

Aesthetic problems do not have right and wrong answers. Deciding which of two pictures to hang on a wall or how to arrange your furniture would be aesthetic problems.

Ethical Problems – What action promotes goodness and justice?

An ethical problem arises when there is a conflict between two competing values. For instance, if you’re considering making an exception to the rules to help someone in need, or considering a sacrifice of your personal happiness to benefit the group, you face an ethical problem.

To be a true master of ethics, you must be able to identify the competing values and work to balance those values, rather than choosing one extreme or another.

You’ve probably found yourself arguing with someone over an ethical problem and thinking “How can they possibly think what they do?” This is because you have a natural preference for one or more of those competing values. You use these preferences to guide you when you face an ethical dilemma–and it’s not always easy to see the other side.

The values you favor represent your ethical lens. As the game continues, you’ll be asked to look through more lenses than just your own. You may be surprised at how difficult some lenses are–or you may find ideas you hadn’t considered before that will be added to your own values.

Ethics Coach Posting #27

By Rian Brown

You’ve identified the issue, and your ultimate goal is to take an action that will solve or address that issue. But we can’t skip right to the end just yet! Before thinking about the solution, consider the other people in the situation. Your decision–even if that decision is to do nothing–will have an effect on some people. We call these people the stakeholders.

Like a pebble hitting the water, our actions have consequences that ripple out from the center. Primary stakeholders are those closest to the center–those for whom the waves will be the largest. As we continue outward, there are other stakeholders who are less affected or who have more control.

Say you’ve witnessed a robbery and you decide to report it. The thief is a primary stakeholder–they could go to jail. The victim is also a primary stakeholder, as your decision made a difference in protecting their property. Your decision also resulted in the police having to investigate, but the police are not primary stakeholders because the only consequence they face is work that fits in their normal routine.

For this exercise, you are looking for the primary stakeholders–the ones affected the most. Here’s a method you can use to find them. For each stakeholder, ask yourself:

1. What would happen to this stakeholder if I did nothing?
2. What would happen to this stakeholder if I tried to help them in this situation?

If the second scenario represents a significant change from the first, that means this person is probably a primary stakeholder.

Ethics Coach Posting #28

By Rian Brown

Many people are affected by our decisions; that is why we have to be so careful. We are often tempted to react quickly, to use our gut, when facing a moral dilemma. Take a moment and reflect before you make a decision and you’ll have taken the first step toward ethical mastery.

Another temptation when facing a tough dilemma is to talk about the situation with people who aren’t directly involved for their opinions or advice. Be sure that those whose advice you seek are people who you trust to maintain confidentiality.

Ethics Coach Posting #29

By Rian Brown

As we move again into the third step, be reasonable, we turn our focus to the Relationship Lens. This lens uses very different criteria for determining if an action is ethical. What we care about for this lens is which option will create the most justice, what option will meet the requirements of fundamental fairness for all the stakeholders.

The first two lenses focused on the individual and presumed that everyone would have equal access to power–the ability to say “no” or renegotiate unfair situations. The Relationship Lens doesn’t make that assumption.

The analysis required by this lens doesn’t try to be precise like the Results Lens, but it does require that we begin considering the least advantaged–those in our communities and our organizations who don’t have access to power.

Ethics Coach Posting #30

By Rian Brown

If you look at the explanations as to what are basic liberties and which ones are not, you can divide the basic liberties are divided into negative rights and positive rights.

Positive rights are rights that are evenly distributed, regardless of power or resources. Negative rights, on the other hand, begin from an uneven position-someone who inherits a fortune likely has better access to health care, employment, and shelter because of those resources. The distribution of these negative rights forms the basis of the distinction between the “most advantaged” and the “least advantaged,” which we’ll explore in more detail on the next page.

Ethics Coach Posting #31

By Rian Brown

As you look at the list of basic liberties, you’ll notice that the focus is creating a process that is fair. We don’t care whether people take advantage of the process we create-each person has the right to invoke the process or not. What we care about is having a clear, cogent protocol in place. Thus, many companies spend a great deal of time on their handbooks and company policies.

A second issue is who gets to design the processes. Key to having a just process is making sure that a representative person from each affected group is at the table discussing the process. While building the protocols may take a bit longer if we go through a meaningful discussion process, the “buy-in”” will be much higher if we take time to listen to every affected group.

Ethics Coach Posting #32

By Rian Brown

Once the processes are in place, procedural justice requires consistency of implementation of the processes. The requirements of this lens will not be satisfied with a one-shot exercise in process building.

If those without power-the least advantaged—are to be given responsibility for themselves, those of us with power cannot take away their opportunities. Rather, we must ensure consistency of action. We also need to remember that the right to a voice is not the right to a veto. Rather, as all voices are heard, leadership will have an opportunity to act in a way that is consistent and will benefit all of the members of the community.

Ethics Coach Posting #33

By Rian Brown

When choosing your option, remember the values of the Relationship Lens. In all these values, the common theme is fairness, which is the word that most of us use for justice.

• Fair Treatment: The most ethical choice will have every stakeholder treated alike in similar situations.
• Fair Administration of Rules: Whether or not we like someone should not matter in how the rules are enforced. Everyone should be subject to the same processes and requirements, no matter their rank or status.
• Fair Compensation: Those with similar skills and who make similar contributions to the community should be given a similar amount of compensation.
• Fair Blame: Individuals should not be held responsible for matters they cannot control. However, we should be held responsible when we break the rules or injure another person.
• Due Process: People have a right to a fair and impartial hearing when they believe their personal rights are being violated, or when they feel the system of published rules is not being followed.

Not all of these may apply to your option-for instance, “fair compensation” only applies if you are in a position to distribute that compensation. Try to consider all the elements of fairness that pertain to the situation you’re facing, given the amount of power you do or do not have.

Ethics Coach Posting #34

By Rian Brown

Now that you’ve used the Relationship Lens, take a moment to review the philosophy behind the lens.

The Relationship Lens assumes…

• Each person is a rational human with a right to determine how they want to live.
• We should strive to create a system that can treat each person fairly, regardless of the unique circumstances of their life.
• The least advantaged should be protected.

Those who are not at home in this lens may be more comfortable in the next lens, the Reputation Lens. In the Reputation Lens, there is not a single system that everyone follows-instead, each person’s expectations are tied to their unique place within the community.

Ethics Coach Posting #35

By Rian Brown

Turning our focus to the Reputation Lens, the questions we ask change one last time. We now ask which virtues will best exemplify a person’s character and create the reputation that they want to have in their community.

This lens deals with core competencies. The foundation of ethics in the Reputation Lens is to be competent-to do our job as well as we can. Many people who assert that they are fired for being too ethical are in fact fired because they are not doing their job.

The list of competencies on the screen may seem long, but it represents only some of the total. Some of these qualities are the ethical requirements for the particular role we have in the community. These are the ones you want to identify. Ethical requirements are those competencies that go beyond basic skills.

Say you are an accountant. If you’re bad at math, you lack one of the core competencies of the job… but you’re not being unethical. However, if you are embezzling funds-if you lack honesty-you lack one of the ethical requirements.

Ethics Coach Posting #36

By Rian Brown

Many people believe that because we are all able to determine for ourselves how we are to live, that every answer to an ethical problem is as good as the next. Actually, the goal of being ethically mature is to be able to recognize and embrace the best answer to a problem…not just to avoid consequences.

Alasdair MacIntyre, a contemporary philosopher who embraces virtue ethics, asserts that the way out of ethical relativism is to have people develop a sound character by embracing the core values of humanity. As we embrace our roles and seek to become people of virtue, we find our ethical bearings.

This action is not done in isolation; none of us gets to decide on our own the shape of our role in the community or how we will exercise the virtues. Rather, we shape our understanding of our roles and expectations in the community. Everyone learns from the other. In conversation and dialogue, we each determine how best we should live.

Ethics Coach Posting #37

By Rian Brown

As we follow our conscience and strive to be the best that we can be, our reputation for excellence is enhanced. Even when we believe that our character is sterling and our reputation is stellar, the process assists us in correcting for personal bias and self-delusion.

On this page, consider the competencies of your role that have been identified as ethical requirements, as well as those competencies that you find important. Check all the options that meet those competencies. You’re not making the final choice yet-you’re simply narrowing down the list of options, getting rid of those that don’t meet the requirements of your role.

Ethics Coach Posting #38

By Rian Brown

The Responsibilities Lens had a list of duties. The Results Lens focused on the goals of the community. The Relationships Lens stressed fairness. The Reputation Lens asks what core virtues we should embrace.

As we seek to become people of virtue, we have to practice. To learn to be truthful, we have to practice truth-telling even when bending the truth seems easier. Virtue theorists believe that pursuit and exercise of the virtues is required for the good life.

Consider the following virtues when choosing your final option for the Reputation Lens:

• Integrity: In order to avoid the corrupting power of institutions, we need to tell the truth.
• Courage: Many of us know that being quiet and minding our own business is easier than pointing out problems. Communities often tolerate people and processes that are flawed because no one has the courage to speak up-this lens asks that you find that courage.
• Justice: To find justice, we must limit our own seeking of power and privilege to assure that others in the community are able to flourish as well.
• Civility: This virtue requires that we treat others with respect and dignity. As we exercise ordinary good manners we can build trust and reciprocity, which are needed for healthy communities.

When you have truly mastered these virtues, you will follow them for their own sake, not so people will like you or because you will be rewarded. What the virtues do is enable us to create a community in which we all thrive.

Ethics Coach Posting #39

By Rian Brown

As we work to live into our role we need to remember that we are unique-just like everyone else. As we look at ourselves with clear eyes and engage with others with compassion and emotional maturity, we avoid the pride of believing that we are entitled to special treatment. We need to assure that we act from the perspective of all of our roles-as students or employees or citizens. As we resist the temptation to view our choices from only one narrow perspective, we become people of virtue and choose that which meets both short-term needs and long-term goals.

Ethics Coach Posting #40

By Rian Brown

On this page, you can see the choices you made for each of the two lenses and compare them directly. You may have chosen the same option twice or you may have made different choices based on the questions that you asked. If you haven’t yet, now is the time to narrow your decision down to a single choice.

If you chose the same option twice (and only see one option on this page), consider why that happened. You may have learned that your first answer worked better for the Reputation Lens, and thus you chose it again. This might indicate a natural preference for that lens, which may have led to some difficulty while using the Relationship Lens.

You may also consider yourself to be very “consistent,” and so you didn’t change your answer for the two lenses. While consistency is an admirable quality, you should be careful not to be inflexible. Looking through another perspective can give you insights you may have missed by quickly using your gut. Even if your first instinct ends up being the right answer for you, you should always take the opportunity to consider the other side.

Ethics Coach Posting #41

By Rian Brown

Learning to communicate effectively is a critical skill. For this game, the communication we’ll use takes the form of an email you’ll send to one of the stakeholders. Depending on whom you’re communicating with, you may want to make this as formal as a business memo or as informal as a personal email-the important part is that you communicate your decision effectively.

Ethics Coach Posting #42

By Rian Brown

Much of the confusion about ethics comes because we forget that over the course of history, people have had two very different ways of understanding how to function in the world. The difference lies in how people view the nature of human beings.

Idealists believe that people are basically flawed. This means we need rules in place to keep us on the straight and narrow as we strive to reach an ideal state. Those who find themselves as part of this tradition tend to want to limit government, protect private property, and depend on individuals to make choices based on their sense of duty or obligation. Idealists tend to believe that punishment is the most effective way to shape behavior-if you fail to follow the rules, you will face the consequences.

Realists believe that people are basically good. This means we need strong family and community relationships to shape human behavior. As we seek the “good” and exercise virtue, we can create strong institutions and communities. Realists tend to favor community authority, shared resources, and a community where each member is willing to take care of another because all of us need a helping hand at some point. Realists tend to believe that guilt or shunning is the most effective way to shape behavior-if you fail to follow the rules, you will be excluded from the community.

Our own experiences and beliefs will put us on one side of this debate or the other when faced with a final choice. However, most of us balance between the two traditions using a mixture of punishment and guilt as we work to shape our behavior and that of others.

What is true is that choices made by idealists and realists are both perfectly ethical. Options move from “good” to “better” to “best” as we strive to be effective ethical actors.

Ethics Coach Posting #43

By Rian Brown

On this page, you can see some of the potential results of your action. Even the best options can carry risks-sometimes being ethical has its cost, as you may lose the friendship of people who wanted you to “look the other way” or “bend the rules.” But less ethical decisions have their risks as well. You may face legal action, or personal consequences, by acting unethically or you may upset those whom you owe some responsibility.

Take a moment to review the information on this page and consider the repercussions of your decision. One of the reasons the Baird Decision Model is effective is because it encourages careful consideration for problems, which often minimizes the fallout.

Ethics Coach Posting #44

By Rian Brown

Congratulations! You’ve reached the end of the game, which also marks the end of my advice. I hope I’ve been able to help you navigate the difficult world of ethics. Remember that the decision model you’ve learned can be applied to any ethical dilemma-just follow the steps:

1. Be attentive: Take stock of the facts, gather information.
2. Be intelligent: Identify the issue and the primary stakeholders
3. Be reasonable: Consider your duties, look for the greatest good, find fairness, and remember your role.
4. Be responsible: Develop a balanced solution that meets the goals of step 3 and communicate that decision.

And last but not least…

+1. Return to awareness: Reflect on the consequences of your choice.

Like any skill, developing your ethical mastery is an ongoing process. Enjoy the journey as you reflect on what gives your life purpose and meaning.