Ethics in Management
Today I participated in a session about business ethics, and the over-riding issue that emerged was the importance of authenticity to creating and sustaining trust.
What is authenticity? Simply put, it is doing what you say you will, supporting those you commit to, and being trustworthy. In our ethics discussion, we talked about the sense of betrayal when a trusted mentor or ally flees from disagreement or conflict, leaving one vulnerable to others without the expected support of the mentor or ally. When that happens, one cannot have the confidence of support or conviction, and alternatives narrow.
Who among us has failed to meet the challenge of supporting someone as promised when controversy emerged and it became difficult to do so? As humans, we seem to want to avoid conflict, which has the effect of avoiding resolution of conflict or disagreement.
Thinking in terms of personal integrity and commitment to others is a personal challenge. I know that I sometimes struggle when something becomes much more difficult than I expected, but that is the challenge of ethical management and ethical living.
I hope one day when people think of the kind of person I was (or perhaps still am), they will say that she had the fortitude to stand up for her convictions, the courage to support others when there was controversy or conflict, and that her word could be trusted. What better legacy can I leave?
Susan Waters