Module 2: Values clarification



VALUE & ETHICS FOR PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTModule I: Introduction to Values & EthicsMeaning & its typeRelationship between Values and EthicsIts implication in one’s lifeValues…………Human values are the principles, standards, convictions and beliefs that people adopt as their guidelines in daily activities.Human values are passed by parents to their offspring soon after childbirth and are instilled throughout the children's upbringing. As they grow, children learn more values from their peers, religious leaders, teachers, friends and society at large. These attributes include honesty, trustworthiness, diligence, discipline, fairness, love, peace, justice, care for one another and being mindful of the environment, including plants and animals. In addition, selflessness and putting the well-being of all before a person's own needs are desirable human values. Generally, human values are highly encouraged in society, while negative attributes are discouraged and condemned. These values are passed from one generation to another. People with excellent human values are usually held in high esteem, admired and rewarded. The traits are important especially in leaders and people in influential positions. All cultures and societies encourage teachers, doctors, lawyers, politicians, businesspeople and other professionals to have strong human valuesValues can be defined as broad preferences concerning appropriate courses of action or outcomes. As such, values reflect a person’s sense of right and wrong or what “ought” to be. “Equal rights for all”, "Excellence deserves admiration", and “People should be treated with respect and dignity” are representative of values. Values tend to influence attitudes and behavior. For example, if you value equal rights for all and you go to work for an organization that treats its managers much better than it does its workers, you may form the attitude that the company is an unfair place to work; consequently, you may not produce well or may perhaps leave the company. It is likely that if the company had a more egalitarian policy, your attitude and behaviors would have been more positive.Where do values come from?Our values come from a variety of sources. Some of these include:familypeers (social influences)the workplace (work ethics, job roles)educational institutions such as schools or TAFEsignificant life events (death, divorce, losing jobs, major accident and trauma, major health issues, significant financial losses and so on)religionmusicmediatechnologyculturemajor historical events (world wars, economic depressions, etc).family—caring for each other, family comes firstpeers—importance of friendship, importance of doing things that peers approve ofworkplace—doing your job properly; approving/disapproving of ‘foreign orders’ (doing home-related activities in work time or using work resources for home related activities)educational institutions—the valuing or otherwise of learning; value of self in relation to an ability to learn (this often depends on personal experience of schooling, whether positive or negative)significant life events—death of loved ones and the impact on what we value as being important; marriage and the importance and role of marriage and children; separation and divorce and the value change that may be associated with this (valuing of self or otherwise)religion—beliefs about ‘right and wrong’ and beliefs in godsmedia—the impact of TV, movies, radio, the Internet and advertising on what is important in our lives, what is valued and not valuedmusic—music often reflects what is occurring in society, people’s response to things such as love and relationships which may then influence the development of our valuestechnology—the importance of technology or otherwise; the importance of computers and developing computer skillsculture—a cultural value such as the importance of individuality as opposed to conforming to groupsmajor historical events—not wasting anything, saving for times of draught, valuing human life, patriotic values.Ethics………Ethics can be defined as a set of rules formulated by a country, or a company, or an institution. Ethics are not the individual….You can have professional ethics, but you seldom hear about professional morals & values. Ethics tend to be codified into a formal system or set of rules which are explicitly adopted by a group of people. Thus you have medical ethics. Ethics are thus internally defined and adopted, whilst morals tend to be externally imposed on other people. If you accuse someone of being unethical, it is equivalent of calling them unprofessional and may well be taken as a significant insult and perceived more personally than if you called them immoral (which of course they may also not like).What is the difference between Values and Ethics?? Values are guiding principles in life and every person has his own value system that?helps him in his behavior and action throughout his life. On the other hand, ethics are moral codes of conduct that decide what is wrong and what is right about the behavior of an individual or a group in a society.? Values can be universal as well as personal and are actually beliefs a person has that help him behave in a particular manner all his life. Ethics are unwritten code of conduct that are to be followed by an individual or employees in an organization.What are values for?Values guide our behaviors; they are part of our identity as individuals, and guide our behaviors at home, at work, or any other area of our life.They show us how to behave and how not to behave when we’re faced with desires or impulses, whether we’re alone or with others.?They are like a compass that helps us behave consistently, regardless of the situation.For example, when using public transportation, some people give their seat to a pregnant woman, and others don’t. The former believe in the value of courtesy and consideration towards others, whether they’re strangers or not.Among those who don’t give up their seat we commonly find children (who haven’t yet acquired that value), or elderly people who give a greater value to their own need to be seated (correctly so), or people who just attach a greater value to their own comfort.Thus, values are the foundation of our behaviors, and make us feel well about our own decisions.When we act guided by our values, we are not concerned by what others will say. We act according to our convictions, regardless of whether others are observing us or not.?When we truly believe that a set of behaviors constitute an essential cornerstone to life, we act accordingly, and don’t care what others say about it.?When are committed to being honest, we don’t take what isn’t ours. We do so because we believe in respecting the property of others, not because we are being watched.Values guide our actions and determine for us what’s good or bad. When we’re guided by values, we act without expecting anything in return, except personal satisfaction and fulfillment.This satisfaction motivates us to espouse our principles and beliefs in all situations. It allows us to express a consistent personality, regardless of our mood or location.?Some people are not kind to others because they think they will receive nothing in return.? Although they may be kind to the people they value (their children, students, employees or work mates), kindness per se is not a guiding principle in their life.As parents, teachers, employers, or leaders, if we wish to foster certain principles and behaviors in others, we must practice those values consistently and through our behavior set an example.A Definition of valuesValues are principles that allow us to guide our behavior to fulfill ourselves as individuals.? They are fundamental beliefs that help us prefer, accept and choose one thing over another or a behavior over another. They are also a source of satisfaction and fulfillment.They provide a guideline to formulate goals and objectives, whether personal or collective. They reflect our keenest interests, feelings and convictions.Values refer to human needs and represent ideals, dreams and aspirations. Their importance is independent of the circumstances.? For example, even though we may be unfair, fairness still has a value. The same happens with wellbeing or happiness.Values have worth in and of themselves. They are important for what they are, what they mean, and what they represent, and not for what others think of them.? Values, attitudes, and behaviors are closely linked. When we talk about attitudes, we refer to the willingness to act in any given moment, according to our beliefs, feelings and values.Values translate into thoughts, concepts or ideas, but what we appreciate most is behavior, what people do. Valuable persons live according to their values. Their worth is reflected in their values and how they express these values in their daily life.Values also constitute the foundations for co-existence n a community and relations with others. They regulate our behavior to the benefit of collective wellbeing.Maybe this is why we tend to relate to others using behavioral rules and norms, when in fact they are personal decisions. That is, we decide to act in a certain way and not in another, based on what value is important to us. We decide to believe in it and we value it.When we enter an organization with already established values, we implicitly accept them and implement them. It’s what others expect from us.In an organization, values serve as a framework for the behavior of its members. These values are based on the nature of the organization (its purpose); why it was created (its objectives); and its projection into the future (its vision). To this end, they must encourage the attitudes and actions required to achieve the organization’s objectives.In this regard, an organization’s values should be reflected in the specific behaviors of its members, and not just in its mission statement.If this isn’t the case, then the organization should review the way it implements its values.Some challenges that values present to usFirst of all, values are intimately related to our emotions and feelings. For example, if we value honesty, then dishonesty disturbs us and hurts us. The same applies to sincerity, respect, responsibility or any other value.We all occasionally have a hard time explaining our feelings. Similarly, in a community or in an organization, it’s often difficult for us to agree on the practical meaning of a value.This is due in part to the fact that each of us has our own hierarchy of beliefs, convictions and life principles.We all build our own personal scale of values. Each of us acquires a set of values during childhood, and attributes significance to them according to our experience, knowledge, and development as individuals.?Furthermore, values can acquire varying significance depending on the position of the person implementing them.For example, is publicly disclosing the identity of a person who has released private and confidential information justified in the name of “honesty”? It isn’t easy to reach consensus on this issue. This generates controversy on the universality of some principles.Values and their hierarchy can change over time. They emerge with a special meaning, and change throughout life, because they are related to individual interests and needs.When we are children, our values are for the most part defined by subsistence and by wanting the approval of our parents.? In our adolescence, our values are derived from the need to experiment and be independent, and when we are adults, we have other priorities.This helps explain the obstacles we face in reaching agreements on the principles and beliefs of different people, in different moments in their life.Lastly, values are closely related to morality and ethics. These are dense and complex philosophical concepts, and it is difficult to agree on their practical meaning.It’s for this reason that the meaning and usefulness of principles that help provide a sense of unity within an organization often become blurred.When we make “a list of values” in organizations, we usually emphasize theoretical definitions. We can reach a general consensus on the ideas, but often lack practical expressions of the behaviors implicit in each value.Our challenge is to translate these values into very specific behaviors in our daily life. In this way we will better nourish relationships between team members, and will achieve our objectives more easily.If we translate values into concrete actions, they will acquire meaning and will be implemented in our families, our work, and in the organizations where we participate.The importance of valuesFor humans, some things have always been more important than others. That is why we value people, ideas, activities and objects according to their significance in our life.However, the criteria used to give value to those elements have varied throughout history, and depend on the values each person assumes.?Values allow the members of an organization to interact harmoniously. Values affect their formation and development as individuals, and make it easier to reach goals that would be impossible to achieve individually.For the well-being of a community, it is necessary to have shared rules that guide the behavior of its members, otherwise the community will not function satisfactorily for the majority.When families, schools, companies, and society in general function poorly, many times it is due to a lack of shared values, which is reflected in a lack of consistency between what is said and what is done.For example, it is difficult to teach our children “tolerance” if our leaders and rulers constantly insult those with whom they disagree.By the same token, it’s difficult to promote “respect” if teachers, professors, bosses, or parents, when faced with complex situations, defend their decisions by saying, “Here you do what I say” or, “Things are like that because I say so”.In practical terms, a community is unlikely to function well, much less perfectly, if its members don’t share certain principles that permanently guide the way they relate to each other, in good times and in bad times.The word “community” means couples, families, the workplace, the classroom, the neighborhood, the city, the country, and any other place where people interact.? If we don’t share their values, we will neither feel at ease nor function properly in that community, and we’ll feel little satisfaction in being a part of it.In a company’s organizational culture values are the foundation of employee attitudes, motivations and expectations. Values define their behavior.If values don’t have the same meaning for all employees, their daily work will be more difficult and cumbersome.? The work environment becomes tense, people feel that they are not all moving in the same direction, and clients pay the consequences.?Being a pillar of a company, values not only need to be defined, they must also be maintained, promoted and disseminated. Only then will workers have a better chance of understanding and using them in their daily activities. Types of valuesright0We can speak of universal values, because ever since human beings have lived in community, they have had to establish principles to guide their behavior towards others.In this sense, honesty, responsibility, truth, solidarity, cooperation, tolerance, respect and peace, among others, are considered universal values.However, in order to understand them better, it is useful to classify values according to the following criteria:? Personal values:These are considered essential principles on which we build our life and guide us to relate with other people. They are usually a blend of family values and social-cultural values, together with our own individual ones, according to our experiences.? Family values:These are valued in a family and iare considered either good or bad. These derive from the fundamental beliefs of the parents, who use them to educate their children.? They are the basic principles and guidelines of our initial behavior in society, and are conveyed through our behaviors in the family, from the simplest to the most complex.? Social-cultural values:These are the prevailing values of our society, which change with time, and either coincide or not with our family or personal values.? They constitute a complex mix of different values, and at times they contradict one another, or pose a dilemma.For example, if work isn’t valued socially as a means of personal fulfillment, then the society is indirectly fostering “anti-values” like dishonesty, irresponsibility, or crime.Another example of the dilemmas that social-cultural values may pose is when they promote the idea that “the end justifies the means”.? With this as a pretext, terrorists and arbitrary rulers justify violence, intolerance, and lies while claiming that their true goal is peace.? Material values:These values allow us to survive, and are related to our basic needs as human beings, such as food and clothing and protection from the environment. They are fundamental needs, part of the complex web that is created between personal, family and social-cultural values. If exaggerated, material values can be in contradiction with spiritual values.? Spiritual values:They refer to the importance we give to non-material aspects in our lives. They are part of our human needs and allow us to feel fulfilled. They add meaning and foundation to our life, as do religious beliefs.? Moral values:The attitudes and behaviors that a society considers essential for coexistence, order, and general well being.Crisis of valuesAlthough we are taught that honesty is a desirable, even ideal behavior (and we all accept this as true), the interpretation and meaning we give it in practice varies from one person to the other.These differences are translated into very concrete attitudes and inconsistencies.? For example, being honest, among other things, means to perform all our duties within an organization, but it is uncommon to associate being late with no justification with anizations tend to take for granted that all its members know what a value means, but its general definition is not enough for all to respond in the same way in situations with specific characteristics.For example, a generalized consensus exists on the benefits of team work. It is an implicit value in an organization. However, it is also a behavior that gives rise to controversy.? Team work doesn’t happen automatically just because everybody is in the same place.? Implementing this value in a harmonious manner requires special individual effort and courage. Therefore, great teams work and train a lot to achieve greatness.What we call a crisis of values occurs when we find that our team members aren’t following the organizational principles they’re supposed to, or when they contradict those principles.When we feel that we’re not all going in the same direction great tension arises within an organization or community. This makes sense, because everything – reaching agreement, acting in a coordinated fashion, achieving established objectives -- becomes more difficult.It is common in companies to talk about values such as excellence, leadership or innovation, but in most cases, the talk rarely goes beyond lip service or good intentions.? The members of these organizations lack the guidance to understand the meaning of these concepts relative to the challenges they face in their daily lives.Promoting excellence can be difficult in organizations that have arbitrary bosses, and innovation isn’t easily assumed if arguments such as “why change if we have always done it this way and it works?” are frequently used.These are only a few examples of the contradictions that produce the feeling that we have a crisis of values. When theory and practice are confronted, they generate stress, dissatisfaction, and crisis. In other words, it isn’t easy to promote values if in our daily activities other principles or “anti-values” prevail.These crises of values, beliefs, or principles occur when they start losing meaning and practical usefulness in concrete matters.Why are values weakened?right0There are many reasons, but I want to highlight three that cause a sort of vicious circle in the deterioration of values.1. Needs can be more pressing than valuesValues themselves don’t deteriorate. What weakens is our own capacity to believe in certain principles and their relevance, as a result of the pressure that certain needs exert on us. This in turn takes us back to the basic values of individual subsistence.For example, when we decide we’re not going to stand in line like everybody else it’s because we consider that our individual needs are more important than those of others. With this type of personal belief, “honesty” loses meaning as a value that bonds us with a community.This often happens in schools and similar organizations, when teachers or supervisors feel that their need to “control” the group has more value than the “respect” and “dignity” of its members, and use “authority” to impose order. They are surely going to have difficulty in obtaining “respect” in return.2. It is much easier to convey other valuesThe real impact of values in an organization is reflected in the actions and attitudes of its members. It’s our behavior that translates values into our daily activities:?Imagine a parent teaching her child the importance of truth or responsibility. A moment later, the child tells the parent that a debt collector has just called on the phone, and the parent casually says: “Tell him I’m not home.”?Imagine something that happens frequently in a company: We don’t look away from the computer while talking to a colleague we “respect”, and saying something like: “I’m not looking at you, but I’m paying attention.”3. There is great social pressure in favor of “anti-values”In a society that over-stimulates consumption, citizens end up being valued more for what they have than for what they are as individuals. As a result, appearance, or power often become higher values than responsibility, and we end up saying that “the end justifies the means.”When we talk about the formation of values, or when we demand them that certain values be adopted, we need to do so with a certain amount of humility. Values are reflected even in peoples’ most casual behavior, and many of these behaviors are little more than habits, at times adopted unconsciously.In this sense, values can be much more useful as a guide for the members of a work team or a family, when they are defined as leading to concrete, desirable behaviors.A way to define valuesright0The way values are defined in an organization can also be used to put them into practice.? If they’re only words and generic concepts, they’re much less useful in practice than when they’re defined in terms of attitudes, behaviors and specific actions.This is because each of us, through our daily behavior, provides a particular value with a specific meaning.For example, when an organization defines honesty as a value, it doesn’t offer its members a clear guide to the specific behaviors implicit this value.For example, one assume that members of a team will associate honesty with telling the truth and not stealing.? However, it isn’t common to associate honesty with offering all that we can deliver, with acting preventively, or with recognizing a mistake.The organizations that benefit the most from applying values as a managerial tool translate them into codes of conduct, with precise indications regarding the attitudes and actions that favor the culture of the organization or community according to its interests.Thus, values serve as a practical guide for the decisions we make every day at work. They help us identify what to do in each situation. Otherwise, the internal credibility of the organization, its leadership and its culture weaken, giving rise to a crisis of values.Principles must be well differentiated from the objectives of the organization in order to be better understood as desirable behaviors. This confusion occurs frequently.Values define objectives and point to the actions necessary to achieve them. Objectives can be flexible at a given point in time, but principles are immutableValues should be like the columns supporting a building.? Inside, we can make all the changes required, but we never move its foundations.Leaders at all levels and areas of the organization are responsible for defining values.? Heads of organizations, bosses, supervisors or coordinators, must be aware that everything they do or not do communicates the values of the organization to the rest of the team.The other members of the organization are responsible for knowing the values of that community. If necessary, they must investigate and ask their immediate supervisors. The responsibility of understanding and implementing them is a value in and of itself.We must remember that to define values, practice is more important than theory.? What we do is more important than what we say, and this is valid for individuals as well as for organizations.The formation of valuesright0We start forming values in our childhood. First we learn to appreciate things that fulfill our basic needs, but we value especially those people that provide them to us. Their behavior towards us becomes the main reference of what is valuable.Thus, our character and personality are molded through the attitudes and behavior of the people who raise us, whether they’re our parents or other relatives. Their behaviors determine in large part what will subsequently become our most important beliefs and principles.We learn to value the substance and the form of everything they say and do, and what they don’t say and don’t do. Each gesture or comment affects how we learn to make choices We also learn to differentiate between the theory and practice of values. The latter is what marks us the most.So the consistency and coherence of our parents’ behavior is what strengthens our formation.? If they practice what they preach, our personality will be stronger than if they don’t.Later, when we are students, we start feeling social pressures and the pressure of values that are different from ours, as we relate to other people. The strength of the values formed through our parents is put to the test.Values are often confused with habits, and many parents hope that school will form the values that were not instilled at home. This is not possible, because school does not fulfill the basic needs of life… that is the responsibility of those who raise us.Teachers, leaders, and value models at school can reinforce what was formed at home, but they cannot replace them.? If the convictions formed at home are not solid, they will soon be exposed to an intense social competition against other beliefs.Why is it so difficult to form values? Because, unlike norms, values are convictions; they are behaviors we gladly decide to follow and produce satisfaction.? We can follow norms against our will, but values have the support of our will. We have learned their importance due to the benefits they produce, individually and collectively.Those who play a leadership role in our lives are most powerful at conveying to us their values. They are our parents, elder siblings, grandparents, some relatives, teachers, peers we admire, professors, and bosses.However, to convey something, we must first possess it. Values are only conveyed through the example of our daily attitudes and behaviors. They can seldom be formed by explaining them or through a list of what is considered correct or incorrect. Memorizing their theoretical meaning does not guarantee their implementation.Module 2: Values clarification“Try not to become a man of success but rather try tobecome a man of value.”?- Albert EinsteinCore Values in our lifevalues are the guiding principles that dictate behavior and action. Core values can help people to know what is right from wrong; they can help companies to determine if they are on the right path and fulfilling their business goals; and they create an unwavering and unchanging guide. There are many different types of core values and many different examples of core values depending upon the context.?Core values are the fundamental beliefs of a person or organization. The coreThere are countless types of core values, so you will need to choose and clarify the ones that are right for you and which is very close to you, this is called the value clarification.Here are some examples of core valuesDependableReliableLoyalCommittedOpen-mindedConsistentHonestEfficientInnovativeCreativeHumorousFun-lovingAdventurousMotivatedPositiveOptimisticInspiringPassionateRespectfulAthleticFitCourageousEducatedRespectedLoving?NurturingResilienceHarmonyIntegrityValues clarificationRead the following scenarios and rate your reactions by ticking the box which best defines your reaction.Scenario 1Stan and Russell have become good friends in the residential care facility. They enjoy each other’s company and like to read pornographic magazines together. Stan usually buys the magazines, but one month Stan did not come into the hostel for care as he usually did. Russell wanted some new pornos to read so he asked Penny the care worker to buy him some magazines. She agreed and brought some for him.What do you think about Penny doing this for Russell?Top of FormI think this is not okay.I am undecided.I think this is okay.Bottom of FormScenario 2Wayne is a 49 year old volunteer at an aged care home. He is an Anglo-Australian, with a disability. He works with Anh, the recreation officer. She Vietnamese and is 20 years old. Wayne and Anh have been going out together and Wayne has told Anh that he loves her. How do you feel about Anh and Wayne being partners?Rate your feeling according to their ages:Top of FormI think this is not okay.I am undecided.I think this is okay.Bottom of FormRate your feeling according to their cultural backgrounds:Top of FormI think this is okay.I think this is not okay.I am undecided.Bottom of FormRate your feeling according to the fact they work together:Top of FormI think this is not okay.I am undecided.I think this is okay.Bottom of FormScenario 3Dawn is a 50 year old woman with Downs Syndrome, and is a resident at a residential aged care facility. She masturbates in the common lounge area at the facility. She needs to be shown a private place to do this and it is your role to take her to a private room, next time she is masturbating. How do you feel about this?Rate your response according to the factor of Dawn masturbating:Top of FormI am undecided.I think this is okay.I think this is not okay.Bottom of FormRate your response according to the factor of your role as a worker assisting her in this of FormI am undecided.I think this is okay.I think this is not okay.Bottom of FormThis activity was useful in helping you identify some strong beliefs you hold. It is good for you to be able to reflect on these and think how they might impact on your role as a care worker. For example, if you think that all older people and people with disabilities have a right to express their sexuality, regardless of the way they choose do that, you will want to ensure their privacy and dignity is respected. Remember, clients have a right to receive a professional service regardless of the attitudes, beliefs and values they hold.After answering the questions, you might find it useful to revisit your answers and identify where your attitudes have come from. This will help in preventing your personal attitudes from impacting on the way you work with clients.What is a belief?Beliefs come from real experiences but often we forget that the original experience is not the same as what is happening in life now. Our values and beliefs affect the quality of our work and all our relationships because what you believe is what you experience. We tend to think that our beliefs are based on reality, but it is our beliefs that govern our experiences.The beliefs that we hold are an important part of our identity. They may be religious, cultural or moral. Beliefs are precious because they reflect who we are and how we live our lives.Pre-existing beliefsAs a care worker in the community services industry, the pre-existing beliefs you may have could be related to stereotypes that have developed for you around issues like sexuality, alcohol and other drugs, ageing and disabilities, independence, health, the rights of people, your idea of health and what it’s like to be older and/or disabled.These stereotypes could affect the way you interact and work with clients. This is because you have assumptions about what your clients can and can’t do for themselves, the way they should think about issues and what is best for them. If you make assumptions as a worker then you are denying clients their rights, respect and dignity. As a worker this would be regarded as a breach in your duty of care towards clients.The need for older people and people with disabilities to express their sexuality does not necessarily diminish over time. The desire for intimacy can in fact intensify. The development of new relationships may occur as a result of living in a residential care setting or as people’s social networks change over time. The right to express sexuality is a quality of life issue and is part of one’s self-identity. The way people choose to express their sexuality may change over time in a variety of ways. Intimate relationships enhance a person’s quality of life and contribute to their feelings of well being. As a care worker it is important to respect a person’s right to express their sexuality in a way which is appropriate for them.Module 3:Defining Values, Morals, and EthicsValues are our fundamental beliefs. They are the principles we use to define that which is right, good and just. Values provide guidance as we determine the right versus the wrong, the good versus the bad. They are our standards. Consider the word “evaluate”. When we evaluate something we compare it to a standard. We determine whether it meets that standard or falls short, comes close or far exceeds. To evaluate is to determine the merit of a thing or an action as compared to a standard. Typical values include honesty, integrity, compassion, courage, honor, responsibility, patriotism, respect and fairness. Morals are values which we attribute to a system of beliefs, typically a religious system, but it could be a political system of some other set of beliefs. These values get their authority from something outside the individual- a higher being or higher authority (e.g. society). In the business world we often find ourselves avoiding framing our ethical choices in moral terms for fear that doing so might prove offensive (lacking in respect or compassion) to some. Many of us find our values are strongly influenced by our sense of morality - right as defined by a higher authority. Yet we refrain from citing that authority because doing so may seem less rational and more emotional to others who do not share our belief system. The lack of public reference to morals does not diminish the power of moral authority. Avoiding a morality-based rationale is a social convention and one that is not universally practiced. By that definition one could categorize the values listed above (honesty, integrity, compassion …) as “moral values” - values derived from a higher authority. That is a convenient way to differentiate them from what are often called utilitarian or business values, such as excellence, quality, safety, service, which define some elements of right and good in a business context. Ethics is about our actions and decisions. When one acts in ways which are consistent with our beliefs (whether secular or derived from a moral authority) we will characterize that as acting ethically. When one’s actions are not congruent with our values - our sense of right, good and just - we will view that as acting unethically. Defining what is ethical is not an individual exercise however. If it were then one could have argued that what Hitler did was ethical since his actions conformed to his definition of right, fair and good. The ethics of our decisions and actions is defined societally, not individually. If society is dominated by a single religious or cultural belief system, as is the case in some countries, then what is ethical and what is moral may be defined as the same thing. In societies where there is not a monolithic belief system there can be very wide differences in opinion in society as to whether a given action is ethical (or moral). Consider several of the long-standing national debates that are going on in the United States. Often the controversy is the result of people coming to a question from different moral positions or from different values. Take the very difficult question of abortion. If your religious belief system defines abortion as taking a life then you cannot be ethical (acting in ways that are consistent with your values) and support the position that abortion is a woman’s individual choice. If your personal value system holds that control of one’s body is an inviolable personal right then the idea that others - individually or collectively - can impose their will on you is antithetical to that right. Culturally we also see differences as to how values are defined. In US society we stand against nepotism. We believe that a concern for fairness to all employees demands that large businesses protect their employees from the unfairness inherent in the situation where an individual supervisors a member of his or her immediate family. The concern is for the inevitability of preferential treatment and/or the inappropriate sharing of personal/confidential information about others in the workplace. Fairness demands that nepotism not be tolerated. In the Arab world, nepotism is often viewed as an illogical concern. The cultural obligation to look after one’s family outweighs other concerns. Of course one would favor family. That is what family does. That is the right thing to do. While I am not arguing that ethics is “situational” I am arguing that while we may agree on values, we may disagree as to which values apply or which actions best satisfy those values. Is it fair to treat each employee identically (equality) or is it fair to treat each employee according to his or her needs (equity)? In our society we argue both. And of course we have ethical dilemmas, where the choice is not between what we believe to be right and what we believe to be wrong, but between competing rights. The classic case: “Is it ethical to steal a loaf of bread to feed a starving child.” The answer, “It depends.” But that is another article. The ethics, morals, values distinctionIt is impossible to talk of ethics without first considering some complementary and related terms. The three terms: ethics, morals, values are easily confused. For the purposes of this web site, they are defined as follows:ethics describes a generally accepted set of moral principlesmorals describes the goodness or badness or right or wrong of actionsvalues describes individual or personal standards of what is valuable or important. Problems may arise where individuals allow their personal values to interfere with their actions, thereby potentially bringing their actions into conflict with stated ethical standards. For example, a community worker may consider that it is in the best interests of their client to breach the client’s confidence, leading to a breach of a set standard of confidentiality such as prescribed by a code of ethics, a code of conduct or a legal obligation. The reason for the breach may have been value-based and thereby will not satisfy proper and accepted standards for breaching confidence even though the community worker thought it acceptable or even mandatory. This highlights how our individual values can intrude into our professional lives and potentially cause us to ignore ethical obligations and duties. In other words, our values may cause us to ignore a code of ethics. This is an example of the conflict between worker's values and client’s interests.It may be possible that an organisation can have policies or procedures that conflict with the rights of clients in a general way, the ethical or conduct requirements of their workers or general principles of ethical practice. For example, an organisation that operates from a particular philosophical or political basis such as one that is operated by a church or local government authority may find that its institutional values do not always accord with worker or client interests. This is the conflict between institutional values and client’s interests or institutional values and worker’s interests.Module 4:Ethical Decisions: A 7-Step PathRead these 7 steps to help you make ethical distinctions between competing options when you are faced with a difficult choice.Making ethical choices requires the ability to make distinctions between competing options. Here are seven steps to help you make better decisions:Stop and think: This provides several benefits. It prevents rash decisions, prepares us for more thoughtful discernment, and can allow us to mobilize our discipline.Clarify goals: Before you choose, clarify your short-term 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 fullfill immediate wants and needs can prevent the achievement of our more important life goals.Determine facts: Be sure you have adequate information to support an intelligent choice. To determine the facts, first resolve what you know, then what you need to know. Be prepared for additional information and to verify assumptions and other uncertain information. In addition: 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.Develop options: Once you know what you want to achieve and have made your best judgment as to the relevant facts, make a list of actions you can take to accomplish your goals. If it's an especially important decision, talk to someone you trust so you can broaden your perspective and think of new choices. If you can think of only one or two choices, you're probably not thinking hard enough.Consider consequences: Filter your choices to determine if any of your options will violate any core ethical values, and then eliminate any unethical options. Identify who will be affected by the decision and how the decision is likely to affect them.Choose: Make a decision. If the choice is not immediately clear, try: Talking to people whose judgment you respect.Think of a person of strong character that you know or know of, and ask your self what they would do in your situation.If everyone found out about your decision, would you be proud and comfortable?Follow the Golden Rule: treat others the way you want to be treated, and keep your promises.Monitor and modify: Ethical decision-makers monitor the effects of their choices. If they are not producing the intended results, or are causing additional unintended and undesirable results, they re-assess the situation and make new decisions.Values and culture in ethical decision makingEthical standards are the standards of our environment that are acceptable to most people. In the western world these standardsare, in large part, based on Judeo-Christian principles.Generally referred to as mores, ethical standards are what the majority accepts as good, and the way they behave without imposed rules and regulations.Within our societal structure, sanctions are often imposed on those who fail to follow ethical standards, and laws dictate consequences for those found guilty of unethical behaviors.Ethical thinking involves the intricate process used to consider the impact of our actions on the individuals or institution we serve. While most decisions are routine, we can unexpectedly face an ethical dilemma when unusual situations occur suddenly for which an immediate response is needed.The foundation of ethical decision-making involves choice and balance; it is a guide to discard bad choices in favor of good ones. Therefore, in making ethical decisions, one of the first questions to consider is 'what a reasonable man would do in this situation?'For tougher decisions, advisors may find three rules of management helpful (Hojnacki, 2004).The Rule of Private Gain.?If you are the only one personally gaining from the situation, is it is at the expense of another?? If so, you may benefit from questioning your ethics in advance of the decision.If Everyone Does It.?Who would be hurt? What would the world be like? These questions can help identify unethical behavior.Benefits vs. Burden.?If benefits do result, do they outweigh the burden?When people work closely together on a project, individuals tend to take on the core values of the group. Individuals within a group often compromise their own values in favor of those held by the group. Because of this, groups should usethe three rules of management toassess whether their organizational decisions are ethical. Since group dynamics are an increasingly vital measure of organizational success, and standards of behavior are viewed within the context of profit and integrity, it is imperative that the group conceptualize the impact of their decisions.To be truly comprehensive, advisor development programs must address ethics and the role culture and values play in ethical decision-making. Our institutions have become more diverse. This is true in regard to easily recognizable differences, such as race and age, but also in terms of hidden differences, such as culture and disability. Care must be given to the reexamination of values and perspective,and how these influence so many ethical dilemmas.We must understand that values are acquired in childhood and manifest themselves on our campuses as permanent perceptions that shape and influence the nature of our behaviors. Values involve emotion, knowledge, thought, and ultimately choice of response. Values vary between individuals and, because values govern behavior, they color the way individuals view and respond to their world. It is important to understand the impact values have on choice. While values can, and do, change over time, they represent a significant component of personality. It is through individual values that culture is defined, and provides broad social guidelines for desirable standards. Generally described as normal societal standards, or norms, values influence how people make choices.When working with people, it is imperative that we appreciate that each person's intrinsic values are different. Because values are so ingrained, we are not often aware that our responses in life are, in large part, due to the values we hold andare unique to our own culture and perspective. Furthermore, we seldom reflect on the fact that the people with whom we associate hold their own unique set of values that may be different from our own. Advisors need to be aware that, like their students, they bring their own set of values to the advising session. Thus advisors must be aware of, and open to, these differences in values as they work within their institution's regulations and standards. Sometimes these are, or seem to be, conflicting.Students are often developing their decision-making processes and may question the values held by their families and society. In our multi-cultural environment, ethical standards need to be addressed in advising situations and in our classrooms so that conduct can be understood and ethical challenges avoided. For example, plagiarism is an issue frequently addressed on North American campuses. We assume that our students have a common understanding of the issues involved, and have learned the requirements for appropriately citing sources. However students from cultures where vast memorization is expected or knowledge is considered common ownership often do not recognize that papers presented in our institutions must include proper citation of thoughts borrowed from others.In "What is Ethical Behavior for an Academic Adviser?" (Buck, et al., 2001), the authors explain three continua of moral behavior. Advisors should locate their comfort zone along each of the following ethical continua and steer clear of either extreme:Neutral vs. prescriptive.?Those who operate in a neutral mode are reluctant to tell students what to do, preferring instead to let students discover the appropriate action with minimal guidance. On the other end of this continuum, a prescriptive advisor uses the authority of the position to express opinions and make recommendations.Encouraging vs. discouraging.?On one extreme, advisors look for ways to give positive messages to students while withholding any criticisms.? Advisors in the other extreme look for opportunities to chastise or dwell on negative consequences of student behaviors.Judgmental vs. nonjudgmental.?This continuum only exists within the advisor, not in the advisor's interactions with students. Judgmental advisors scrutinize everything, accepting nothing at face value. Nonjudgmental advisors accept what students or colleagues tell them without criticism (Buck, et al., 2001).To be ethically successful, it is paramount that we understand and respect how values impact our social environment. How we perceive ourselves and operate within our environment is of such importance that institutions establish rules of ethical behavior that relate to practice. Institutions that examine power and responsibility, and audit their ethical decisions regularly, develop employees that function with honesty and integrity and serve their institution and community.Without the emphasis on ethics, organizations can miss the opportunity to reinforce responsibility for their internal and external environment. This failure can lead to an outcry of negative public opinion, or even worse, legal issues. The measure of ethical success within institutions of higher learning has always been important, but no more so than in today's environment of regulatory and public scrutiny. Advisors, as a part of their institution, are accountable to it in a legal and moral sense.It is important that advisors operate within the constraints of ethical standards. We do a disservice to ourselves, our students, our institutions, and our profession if we do not address these issues regularly.Module 5:Personal Core Values“Try not to become a man of success but rather try tobecome a man of value.” - Albert EinsteinValues are beliefs or convictions that guide and direct my behavior and support my purpose and vision. My values define who I am.In thinking back over my life, challenges and issues that I would consider to be detrimental to my development, personally and professionally, came in times when I was out of integrity with my values. Conversely, those times of expanded growth occurred when I was aligned and living into the integrity of my values.What I have noticed through my extensive coaching experience is that there is often a significant gap between how people perceive their values and how they live their lives.One must either be aligned and in integrity with their values or be willing to discard and replace them with the true values that are congruent with their life. Once you have clearly defined, articulated and expressed your values, you will then have access to living a profound life of integrity.This is absolutely critical and fundamental to living a life of meaning and purpose, which invariably creates joy, inner peace, contentment and fulfillment. Values provide guidance, direction, meaning and purpose in life. By understanding and living in integrity with your values, you start to understand “Who am I”.In my coaching I teach people how to live authentically by assisting them in identifying, defining and living into their personal values.My personal core values are:1. Integrity:I am committed to honoring and managing the integrity of my word by being my word in action. I treat integrity as if it is the only option, as in the final analysis, it is.Integrity is the internal compass that provides me with guidance and direction by living into the integrity of my values.2. Authenticity:I am committed to bringing forth my authentic self by being real and honest with myself and others, by owning my vulnerabilities and accepting my humanness.I am open, transparent, vulnerable and courageous in self-disclosing and sharing with others who I am.3. Compassion:The essence of my coaching is generated from a place of compassion, being genuinely concerned for others by being kind, empathetic, caring, sensitive, patient, humble and understanding.4. Courage:I am committed to having the courage and conviction of being and doing what is integral for me, by taking risks, being bold and unreasonable by asking more of myself than I ask of others.5. Truthfulness:I am committed to truthfulness by authentically expressing and self-disclosing with honesty and not withholding.I am committed to being open and sincere, with no disguise or secrets and sharing my truth with love, compassion, kindness, understanding, empathy and humility.6. Trust:I am committed to trust by being congruent, impeccable and in alignment with my thoughts, words and actions through my commitments, agreements and promises.I am committed to building trust by being believable, dependable and reliable, by seeking feedback, listening attentively and being open, vulnerable and supportive of others.To the degree that I trust myself (self-trust) is the degree that others trust me and that life opens up for me. Without trust I cannot have integrity.7. Personal Development & Human PotentialI am committed to constantly bring forth change within myself by striving to be the highest expression of myself.Through my own personal insights, experiences, learnings, knowings and understandings, I am committed to teaching others how to reinvent and become the highest authentic expression of themselves.8. Authentic Love:I am committed to authentic love through compassion, kindness, acceptance, patience, understanding, forgiveness, selflessness and humility.I am committed to bringing forth authentic love by having integrity, honesty, and truthfulness in living into my values.?“Values are not like laws – you cannot break them.You can only break yourself against them” – Mark WrightProfessional Values-Work ethics, respect for othersHere is a List of the Top 10 Values Employers Look for in Employees1. Strong Work EthicEmployers value employees who understand and possess a willingness to work hard. In addition to working hard it is also important to work smart. This means learning the most efficient way to complete tasks and finding ways to save time while completing daily assignments. It’s also important to care about your job and complete all projects while maintaining a positive attitude. Doing more than is expected on the job is a good way to show management that you utilize good time management skills and don’t waste valuable company time attending to personal issues not related to the job. Downsizing in today’s job market is quite common so it’s important to recognize the personal values and attributes employers want to improve your chances of job security should a layoff occur.2. Dependability and ResponsibilityEmployers value employees who come to work on time, are there when they are suppose to be, and are responsible for their actions and behavior. It’s important to keep supervisors abreast of changes in your schedule or if you are going to be late for any reason. This also means keeping your supervisor informed on where you are on all projects you have been assigned. Being dependable and responsible as an employee shows your employer that you value your job and that you are responsible in keeping up with projects and keeping them informed of the things that they should know about.3. Possessing a Positive Attitude.Employers seek employees who take the initiative and have the motivation to get the job done in a reasonable period of time. A positive attitude gets the work done and motivates others to do the same without dwelling on the challenges that inevitably come up in any job. It is the enthusiastic employee who creates an environment of good will and who provides a postive role model for others. A positive attitude is something that is most valued by supervisors and co-workers and that also makes the job more pleasant and fun to go to each day.4. AdaptabilityEmployers seek employees who are adaptable and maintain flexibility in completing tasks in an ever changing workplace. Being open to change and improvements provides an opportunity to complete work assignments in a more efficient manner while offering additional benefits to the corporation, the customer, and even the employee. While oftentimes employees complain that changes in the workplace don’t make sense or makes their work harder, oftentimes these complaints are due to a lack of flexibility.Adaptability also means adapting to the personality and work habits of co-workers and supervisors. Each person possesses their own set or strengths and adapting personal behaviors to accommodate others is part of what it takes to work effectively as a team. By viewing change as an opportunity to complete work assignments in a more efficient manner, adapting to change can be a positive experience. New strategies, ideas, priorities, and work habits can foster a belief among workers that management and staff are both committed to making the workplace a better place to work.5. Honesty and IntegrityEmployers value employees who maintain a sense of honesty and integrity above all else. Good relationships are built on trust. When working for an employer they want to know that they can trust what you say and what you do. Successful businesses work to gain the trust of customers and maintain the attitude that “the customer is always right”. It is the responsibility of each person to use their own individual sense of moral and ethical behavior when working with and serving others within the scope of their job.6. Self – MotivatedEmployers look for employees who require little supervision and direction to get the work done in a timely and professional manner. Supervisors who hire self-motivated employees do themselves an immense favor. For self-motivated employees require very little direction from their supervisors. Once a self-motivated employee understands his/her responsibility on the job, they will do it without any prodding from others. Employers can do their part by offering a safe, supportive, work environment that offers employees an opportunity to learn and grow. Working in a supportive work environment and taking the intitiative to be self-directive will provide employees with a better sense of accomplishment and increased self-esteem.7. Motivated to Grow & LearnIn an everchanging workplace, employers seek employees who are interested in keeping up with new developments and knowledge in the field. It has been noted that one of the top reasons employees leave their employers is the lack of opportunity for career development within the organization. Learning new skills, techniques, methods, and/or theories through professional development helps keep the organization at the top of its field and makes the employee's job more interesting and exciting. Keeping up with current changes in the field is vital for success and increased job security.8. Strong Self – ConfidenceSelf-confidence has been recognized as the key ingredient between someone who is successful and someone who is not. A self – confident person is someone who inspires others. A self-confident person is not afraid to ask questions on topics where they feel they need more knowledge. They feel little need to have to impress others with what they know since they feel comfortable with themselves and don’t feel they need to know everything.The self-confident person does what he/she feels is right and is willing to take risks. Self- confident people can also admit their mistakes. They recognize their strengths as well as their weaknesses and are willing to work on the latter. Self-confident people have faith in themselves and their abilities which is manifested in their positive attitude and outlook on life.9. ProfessionalismEmployers value employees who exhibit professional behavior at all times. Professional behavior includes learning every aspect of a job and doing it to the best of one’s ability. Professionals look, speak, and dress accordingly to maintain an image of someone who takes pride in their behavior and appearance. Professionals complete projects as soon as possible and avoid letting uncompleted projects pile up. Professionals complete high quality work and are detail oriented. Professional behavior includes all of the behavior above in addition to providing a positive role model for others. Professionals are enthusiastic about their work and optimistic about the organization and its future. To become a professional you must feel like a professional and following these tips is a great start to getting to where you want to go.10. LoyaltyEmployers value employees they can trust and who exhibit their loyalty to the company. Loyalty in the workforce has taken on a new meaning. Gone are the days when employees plan on starting out and retiring with the same company. It is said that most people will hold between 8 – 12 jobs throughout their career. What does this mean in terms of loyalty in today’s workforce?Companies offering employee growth and opportunity will ultimately gain a sense of loyalty from their employees. Employees today want to feel a sense of satisfaction in their jobs and will do a good job when they feel that the employer is fair and wants to see them succeed. Although this may mean only staying for five or ten years in a position, employees can offer loyalty and make an important contribution during their time with the company.More companies today encourage employee feedback and offer employees an opportunity to lead in their area of expertise. This gives employees a greater sense of satisfaction and a sense of control over their job. Empowerment encourages employees to do their best work since companies are displaying a trust and expectation that they believe in their employees to do a good job.Offering jobs that encourage learning and the development of new skills also gives employees a sense of empowerment in the workplace. Aligning an employees values with the goals of the organization will foster loyalty and a bond between employer and employee. Fostering good relationships within an organization and offering constructive ways to handle conflict provides a win – win situation for both employer and employee. Creating an organization that values loyalty within the organization can also work to its benefit by using the same techniques and strategies to establish loyalty with customers; and loyatly from customers ultimately makes for a successful business. ................
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