Ethical decisions are things we must make each and every day. According to the Josephine Institute of decision making we must learn six steps to making the right decision. The decision process can be a tedious process at times, but with the proper techniques we can all become better decision makers in our personal lives, on our jobs, and in everything that we do. Proper ethics must be used everyday in our working environment. By applying critical thinking tools and the ethical decision making model we can assure ourselves of making the right decisions.
Steps in the Ethical Decision Making Process
The first step in the ethical decision making process is to stop and think. Working for Cingular and with customers every day I must use this first step every day. By stopping and thinking I ensure myself and Cingular the decisions I make our ethical. When dealing with customers I must consider whether the information I am giving them is true accurate. Such as, questions about their services, or questions from would be customers about our Cingular rate plans. Not telling the customer the whole truth about our wireless service may in turn cause problems. Stopping and thinking about something before I act is a powerful tool to utilize. According to Josephine Institute," One of the most important steps to better decisions is the oldest advice in the world: think ahead. To do so it’s necessary to first stop the momentum of events long enough to permit calm analysis."(Ethical Model) Stopping and thinking will help us to make more concrete and right decisions.
The second step to ethical decision making process is to clarify are short and long term goals. Before you choose, clarify your short- and long-term aims. Determine which of your many wants and don’t-wants affected by the decision are the most important. The big danger is that decisions that fulfill immediate wants and needs can prevent the achievement of our more important life goals." (Ethical model) When dealing with customers I must stop and think about how the decision I am making will effect my possible advances with the company? How will the decision made effect the companies reputation ? Here are some steps from the Josephine Institute on ethical decision making.
.* Consider the reliability and credibility of the people providing the facts.
Consider the basis of the supposed facts. If the person giving you the information says he or she personally heard or saw something, evaluate that person in terms of honesty, accuracy and memory.
Remember that assumptions, gossip and hearsay are not the same as facts.
Consider all perspectives, but be careful to consider whether the source of the information has values different than yours or has a personal interest that could affect perception of the facts.
Where possible seek out the opinions of people whose judgment and character you respect, but be careful to distinguish the well-grounded opinions of well-informed people from casual speculation, conjecture and guesswork.
Finally, evaluate the information you have in terms of completeness and reliability so you have a sense of the certainty and fallibility of your decisions. Ethical Model)
The third step in the ethical decision making process is to setup options while making decisions. One good way of doing this with our job is to talk to someone about the decision we are making to make sure we are doing the right thing.
The fourth step in the ethical decision making process is to consider the consequences. For every decision made we must look back and see how this will effect us and our company in the end. One wrong decision could cost us our jobs, and the companies that we work for reputation.
The fifth step in the ethical decision making process is to chose to make the decision. The matter of choosing is one of the most important decisions in the ethical decision making process.
Talk to people whose judgment you respect
. Seek out friends and mentors, but remember, once you’ve gathered opinions and advice, the ultimate responsibility is still yours.
What would the most ethical person you know do?
Think of the person you know or know of (in real life or fiction) who has the strongest character and best ethical judgment. Then ask yourself: what would that person do in your situation? Think of that person as your decision-making role model and try to behave the way he or she would. Many Christians wear a small bracelet with the letters WWJD standing for the question "What would Jesus do?" Whether you are Christian or not, the idea of referencing a role model can be a useful one. You could translate the question into: "What would God want me to do?" "What would Buddha or Mother Teresa do?" "What would Gandhi do?" "What would the most virtuous person in the world do?"
What would you do if you were sure everyone would know?
If everyone found out about your decision, would you be proud and comfortable? Choices that only look good if no one knows are always bad choices. Good choices make us worthy of admiration and build good reputations. It’s been said that character is revealed by how we behave when we think no one is looking and strengthened when we act as if everyone is looking.
Golden Rule: do unto to others as you would have them do unto you
. The Golden Rule is one of the oldest and best guides to ethical decision-making. If we treat people the way we want to be treated we are likely to live up to the Six Pillars of Character. We don’t want to be lied to or have promises broken, so we should be honest and keep our promises to others. We want others to treat us with respect, so we should treat others respectfully.(Ethical model)
The six step in the ethical decision making process is to consider the consequences. For every decision made we must look back and see how this will effect us and our company in the end. One wrong decision could cost us our jobs, and our companies reputation.
In conclusion, we must choose to make the right decision. The matter of choosing is one of the most important decisions in the ethical decision making process. By learning and applying the ethical decision model we can become better critical thinkers and better workers.
References
Ethical Decision Model
Pulled 5/02/2005 http://www.josephsoninstitute.org/MED/MED-4sevensteppath.htm
