Not Everyone Can Be a Mother Theresa

This week for my mini paper I chose to discuss a topic in ethics that may not be discussed very much: the real cost of ethics. Organizations that have high ethical standards are more long term sustainable than those that do not. I believe this because I’ve read articles from brilliant researchers like Jim Collins as well as others and I have worked for an organization that did not have high ethical standards and witnessed their steady decline as an industry powerhouse for the 2 ½ years that I worked for them. I truly believe that when organizations are run with integrity that it is beneficial to the company, the leaders and everyone working in it.

That said, I also think it is so important to have a dialogue around ethical decision making that takes into consideration a “real-world” point of view. Learning about codes of ethics and what is ethically right in certain situations is extremely important. If you don’t know the “rules” of the game then how can you play? But it takes strategy to win. And my internal dialogue has really been kicked into high gear by reading some of the ethics scenarios in The Tracks We Leave as well as some of the situations I have read about in my own research.

I don’t think that one can neglect office politics for the sake of ethics and vice versa. Similarly, it’s important to carefully consider the consequences of any ethical stance that one may take in a situation. The reality is that not everyone has the luxury of calling attention to every unethical action that is observed in the workplace. I believe that Marilyn Moats Kennedy said it best:

“It is commendable to stand up for what’s right, but before you do you should calculate the costs and make an informed decision before you act.”

Agreed. After reading some of the ethical dilemmas that were mentioned in the book I thought about what (if anything) I would have done differently had I been in that situation. A few weeks ago I blogged about the scenario with Jim at Qual Plus HMO and how he could have been a little bit more discreet in his questioning of the Board’s motives as opposed to calling Legal and the Ethics committee outright. This likely caused some waves as there is a high probability that his actions were “leaked” by those he confided in. Checking in with a trusted colleague may have been a better first step and toning down his seemingly indignant posture might have helped him out as well.

In the case of John at Rolling Meadows Community Hospital I just had to shake my head at the fact that he told his female protégé that he couldn’t hire her because there was a sexual attraction on his part and then insinuated that she had similar feelings! Honesty is important but he could have easily reframed his words so that he wasn’t being dishonest and at the same time he would have protected his career and saved his wife and the protégé the embarrassment of what was to follow.

In my view, John was under no obligation to hire her and in fact he most likely should not have due to the situation that he was in. At the same time, he could have just said that he was not prepared to offer her a position at that time (which would have been true) and that he would be glad to help her find positions at other organizations. Simple solution and it doesn’t get messy. This is called emotional intelligence and it cannot be left out of the conversation when we’re talking about ethics. I think that this fits into what Perry may be alluding to when he discusses the importance of context in chapter 1a, “Deciding Values.”

An interesting real life story of “the cost of ethics” actually took place in Florida. David Cray took a job with a company called Nations Securities. When he was hired he took over an old rep’s accounts and noticed that a lot of the customers were angry because they had been sold mutual funds when they thought they were getting a different type of account. He was very concerned about this and ran it up the flagpole to the higher ups. Long story short, after persistently raising the issue he ended up getting fired from his job and years later when the case was being settled (he had sued his former company for firing him) he was awarded NOTHING. Keep in mind, he lost a 6 figure income, was blacklisted from his industry and his wife ended up losing her job shortly after he lost his they believe because of the situation with his former company.

He started up his own brokerage business that was struggling and he was paying out thousands of dollars a month in lawyer fees not to mention all of the money that had been lost from his previous income and his wife’s. They dipped into their savings for years to be able to make ends meet and in the end were not compensated in any significant way for all of the pain and suffering that they endured.

This is an extreme situation, but a reality no less which is why it’s important to count the cost. I’m definitely not saying that people shouldn’t do the ethical thing if it costs them anything. I believe that we need leaders that will stand for what’s right in extremely challenging circumstances. And it’s important to ask yourself, “On the continuum of sacrifices for ethics and integrity, what am I willing to give up?” I think that everyone would like to believe that they are like the Martin Luther Kings and Mother Theresas of the world—who would give up their very life for what they believe to be right. But, the reality is that the vast majority of people do not have that level of conviction and that’s fine. Not everybody can be a Mother Theresa. However, what we all need is to have the honesty to confront ourselves and find out what exactly we are willing to sacrifice and give up for our values and convictions. We can reach higher and higher levels of internal morality but the important thing—what will help us to deal with what we are facing today—is to find out where we are on that continuum right now.

Reference
Perry, F. (2002). The Tracks We Leave. Chicago: Health Administration Press.

The cost of rebuilding a career. By: Sullivan, Suzanne, Longo, Tracey, Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, 1056697X, Feb96, Vol. 50, Issue 2

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