Ethics is personal.
I asked Erich today,
Erich answered,
So, what does it mean to have a personal code of ethics? We came to a couple of conclusions.
Someone who has a personal code decides what is ethical based on his or her own knowledge of what is right or wrong. If you are going into work even when you are sick because you are afraid of your boss thinking you are not a hard worker, that isn't personal ethics.
People we might think of as 'overly ethical' are not doing the best for themselves or the organization. If you are going in to work out of guilt when you feel sick you may think you're putting in 8 hours of work but if you are under the weather they may be getting only six hours worth of work from you. Ethics includes being generous with yourself as well as others. People who give more than a day's work, in the sense of working while sick, never taking vacations, hours of unpaid overtime - those people often burn out. They can't stay in the profession because they are just too tired. They feel unappreciated, too. 'Look what I did. I worked all of those vacation days while the other teachers didn't come in, I bought kids Christmas presents out of my own paycheck."
Whatever it is, you decided to do that. Don't give everything to the organization, you need to give to yourself.
Having a personal code of ethics is tied to healthy self-esteem. If you have high self-esteem, you won't lie on your timecard, steal office supplies or equipment from your employer. If you have high self-esteem, you will persevere in your efforts to be a good employee, a good manager, you will be generous with both yourself and your fellow employees. You'll do all of these things even when no one is watching you.
If you have high self-esteem, you will take the vacation and holiday time that you have earned, you will take sick leave when you are sick rather than dragging yourself into work. You'll be generous with yourself. You'll have the courage and honesty to admit when you need other people to assist you at work, rather than trying to do everything on your own. You'll do all of these things even when people are watching.
That is what a personal code of ethics is all about, doing what you personally know is right.
For more on self-esteem and ethics, check out the July Miniwakan News.
I asked Erich today,
"Is it possible to be too ethical? Can companies use ethics training to exploit workers? For example, you talk a lot in the courses about working the hours you're paid too work, not taking sick leave unless you are really sick, not running errands during the hours you are supposed to be working. Could employers use that to try to convince workers to come in when they are sick, to work unpaid overtime?"
Erich answered,
"If you are exploiting people, then you're not being ethical. The important point we may have overlooked to this point is creating your personal code of ethics. Sometimes what you may be considering being 'overly ethical' isn't that, it's just being obsessed. For example, some people become obsessed with 'doing the right thing' and following every rule, policy and procedure. I wouldn't call them ethical. I'd just call them obsessed."
So, what does it mean to have a personal code of ethics? We came to a couple of conclusions.
Someone who has a personal code decides what is ethical based on his or her own knowledge of what is right or wrong. If you are going into work even when you are sick because you are afraid of your boss thinking you are not a hard worker, that isn't personal ethics.
People we might think of as 'overly ethical' are not doing the best for themselves or the organization. If you are going in to work out of guilt when you feel sick you may think you're putting in 8 hours of work but if you are under the weather they may be getting only six hours worth of work from you. Ethics includes being generous with yourself as well as others. People who give more than a day's work, in the sense of working while sick, never taking vacations, hours of unpaid overtime - those people often burn out. They can't stay in the profession because they are just too tired. They feel unappreciated, too. 'Look what I did. I worked all of those vacation days while the other teachers didn't come in, I bought kids Christmas presents out of my own paycheck."
Whatever it is, you decided to do that. Don't give everything to the organization, you need to give to yourself.
Having a personal code of ethics is tied to healthy self-esteem. If you have high self-esteem, you won't lie on your timecard, steal office supplies or equipment from your employer. If you have high self-esteem, you will persevere in your efforts to be a good employee, a good manager, you will be generous with both yourself and your fellow employees. You'll do all of these things even when no one is watching you.
If you have high self-esteem, you will take the vacation and holiday time that you have earned, you will take sick leave when you are sick rather than dragging yourself into work. You'll be generous with yourself. You'll have the courage and honesty to admit when you need other people to assist you at work, rather than trying to do everything on your own. You'll do all of these things even when people are watching.
That is what a personal code of ethics is all about, doing what you personally know is right.
For more on self-esteem and ethics, check out the July Miniwakan News.
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