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It pains me. It sticks in my craw. Fortunes
lost. Lives destroyed. As
the facts continue to unravel, we are exposed to more acts of deception and
deceit. Yet, thankfully, there was
the courageous Sherron Watkins, who had the guts to blow her whistle and
acknowledge, Whooa, something stinks! In
August of 2001, she wrote de-throned Enron Chairman, Kenneth Lay…a letter
stating, “I am incredibly nervous that we will implode in a wave of accounting
scandals.” If
this was a Hollywood script, one might claim that it’s too farfetched. Yet, this ain’t make-believe.
It’s a harsh reality. (Although, director Steven Spielberg is
probably scouting potential movie sites!) This
future “reality script” will be written by; fallen executives, devastated
employees and eager politicians. With
help from lawyers, judges, accountants, regulators, legislators and
theoreticians. And,
this Enron tale of tragedy, is like manna from heaven for business school and
law school profs! It features
greed, lies and conflict. Probably enough to fill a syllabus for the next
decade! Yet
the key, will not simply be, “Who did what to whom and when?” Instead,
it must be; what are the solutions and reforms for the future. John
Dewey, an American philosopher and educator, developed a strategy for ethical
decision-making that he called reflective morality.
Dewey felt that upon reflection, thought and deliberation, a
decision-maker could creatively imagine, rehearse and evaluate several courses
of action before reaching a conclusion. (Apparently,
the Enron execs weren’t fans of Dewey!) Adapting Dewey's framework, here are
six steps to help you clarify responsibilities, eliminate misunderstandings and
conduct your business and life with the highest possible standards. Step
1: Identify the topic or issue that is causing your ethical dilemma. Step
2: List all of your possible choices. Step
3: List the possible consequences of each choice. Step
4: List the people affected by your choices. Step
5: Trade places. Put yourself in an empathetic position to understand how
those just listed in Step 4 are affected by your choices.
Bury your ego. Minimize your
needs. Instead, maximize for
example, another’s needs. How do your choices impact their lives, their interests and
their futures. Step
6: Make a decision. Then, take action! For
without action, the dilemma not only lingers, it magnifies. To
get an additional ethics perspective, I sought the help of Frank Bucaro.
Frank helps organizations integrate ethical standards of
excellence…with solid business practices.
He is also a gifted speaker and author, (“Taking The High Road: How To
Succeed Ethically When Others Bend The Rules.”) Here are excerpts from a recent
conversation with Frank Bucaro: JB:
What lessons are to be learned from the Enron mess? FB:
Lesson 1: Just
because a company has a code of ethics doesn’t mean it uses it, believes it or
even models it. It seems that Enron was saying that it’s
appropriate for all, except the high level executives to live the code, but when
it comes to “my” personal choices, ethics takes a back seat to profiteering. Lesson
2: No decision…affects only
the one making it. Thousands of Enron workers lost their retirement savings, due
to the decisions of the few at the top Lesson
3: There must be accountability
for decisions made. Someone or
somebody, must pay the price…of cheating, stealing, profiting, or behaving in
an unethical or illegal manner. JB:
What questions should one ask themselves, if confronted by an ethical
dilemma? FB:
Always consider what I call, “The Price To Pay” for your decisions.
If you cannot “pay the price”…then walk away! The
decisions one makes, in the hopes that no one finds out, are usually wrong! JB:
What if you believe you are “taking the high road,” yet others still
have a “different” perception? FB:
You have to live with yourself. We
can’t change other people. We can only influence them…to want to change.
We do this best…by living out our values and ethics in a consistent
manner. JB:
How does an organization create an ethical environment? FB:
It always starts at the top. Yet,
statements “from on high” do little for morale or successful
implementation…by those who are expected to live it.
Frank’s
perspective along with Dewey’s steps…should offer you a framework for future
success. So what's the best course of action for you?
That's your decision. It's your future. Yet perhaps the best place to start, is by asking yourself a
simple question: “Am I willing to lie, cheat or steal, bend the truth or
manipulate the facts? And if so, am
I willing to explain my decision or action on the network news?” Hmmm,
now that would have been an interesting question to pose this past week…to
suspended Olympic pair-skating judge, Marie-Reine Le Gougne of France! Excerpted
from Jeff Blackman’s The Result’s Reports These views do not necessarily represent the views of frogpondgroup.com. Published in FPG’s March 2002 Issue |
