Identifying and Voicing Your Values Quiz

Identifying & Voicing Your Values

• Identifying your values involves reflecting on personal beliefs and experiences, like hardship or injustice.
• Voicing your values requires practice and weighing the consequences, including potential harm to your career.

Giving Voice to Values

• Purpose: Reflect on personal and professional goals to understand what you hope to achieve.
• Risk: Analyze the potential risks associated with your actions and determine what level of risk you’re comfortable with.
• Communication Style: Consider how you communicate and what communication style is most effective for you.
• Loyalty: Evaluate who or what you are most loyal to, whether it's family, colleagues, your employer, or customers.

People Issues

• Harassment at work creates an environment where employees feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
• Sexual harassment takes various forms, including unwelcome comments or physical advances.
• Harassment can be intentional or unintentional, and the perspective of the person affected is paramount.
• The law considers the offended person's feelings, not just the accused's intent.

How To Think About it

• Prescriptive ethical principles provide a framework for navigating unique workplace situations.
• Great leadership requires self-awareness, managing emotions effectively, and understanding the emotional reactions of others.

Conflicts of Interest

• A conflict of interest arises when personal relationships compromise professional judgment or objectivity.
• Examples of conflicts include:
  • Bribes & Discounts: Accepting gifts or discounts may create a conflict.
  • Influence: Close personal relationships with business partners can lead to biased decision-making.
  • Privileged Information: Having insider knowledge from one company while working for a competitor creates a conflict.

Customer Confidence Issues

• It involves offering quality products at fair prices, being honest about products and services, and safeguarding customer data.
• Elements of Customer Confidence:
  • Confidentiality: Protect sensitive customer information like financial data, mergers, and personal issues.
  • Personal Responsibility: Take personal responsibility for the products and services you offer.
  • Truth In Advertising: Be honest and transparent about what you offer, avoiding misleading claims.
  • Fiduciary Responsibilities: Hold clients' interests above your own, especially in professions like psychology and law.

Reputation Up In Flames: Fyre Festival

• The Fyre Festival is a cautionary tale of breaching customer confidence.
• Organizers exaggerated promises about the event, resulting in its failure.
• The festival’s failure led to fraud and public endangerment charges against the organizers.

Using Corporate Resources

• Using corporate resources responsibly fulfills the employee-employer contract.
• This includes being honest with your employer and using company resources ethically.
• It’s unethical and against company policy to use equipment, finances, or services for personal tasks.

Use of Corporate Reputation

• Employees' actions and words reflect on the company.
• Seek approval from supervisors or HR before public statements or joining external boards.
• Never disclose confidential information or misrepresent the company's stance.

Corporate Financial Resources

• Use company resources for business purposes only.
• Avoid stretching out work hours for free meals or rides home, as it can be perceived as unethical.

Whistleblowing

• This is when employees speak out about suspected wrongdoing within an organization.

Identifying & Voicing Your Values

• Values are the core beliefs that guide behavior and decisions
• To express your values, consider your life story, enduring hardships, and personal goals
• Voicing your values can be difficult but is essential for integrity
• Practice voicing your values in difficult situations

Giving Voice to Values

• Purpose: Define your personal and professional goals
• Risk: Identify your risk tolerance in your profession
• Communication Style: Understand your communication preferences
• Loyalty: Determine where your loyalties lie (family, work colleagues, customers)

Common Ethical Challenges at Work

• Ethical challenges often arise from nuanced situations specific to workplaces and individuals involved
• Most common ethical challenges at work fall under two categories: People Issues and Conflicts of Interest

People Issues

• Fairness is crucial in managing people, including hiring, promotions, and daily interactions
• Diversity: Valuing diversity means treating everyone equally while respecting their unique perspectives
• Discrimination: Unfair treatment based on factors like age, race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation
• Harassment: Unwelcome behavior, including inappropriate comments or physical advances, creating an uncomfortable environment
• Managing People Issues:
  • Self-Awareness: Understanding your strengths and weaknesses
  • Self-Management: Effectively managing your emotions
  • Empathy: Comprehending the emotions of others

Conflicts of Interest

• Can arise when personal relationships compromise business judgment or objectivity
• Prioritize company interests over personal benefits
• Example: Hiring a family member for a company service

Customer Confidence Issues

• Truth in Advertising: Maintaining honesty in promoting products or services
• Fiduciary Responsibilities: Professionals like lawyers and psychologists have special obligations to their clients
• Customer Confidence Example: The Fyre Festival, a cautionary tale of breaching customer trust and the importance of delivering on promises

Using Corporate Resources

• Employees are company agents and representatives, responsible for using corporate resources ethically
• Use of Corporate Reputation: Words and actions reflect on the company; seek approval for public statements
• Corporate Financial Resources: Corporate equipment and services are for business use only; avoid personal use
• Company Perks Example: Exercising caution regarding work-related perks to avoid stretching out work hours for personal gain

Whistleblowing

• Speaking out when you suspect your organization is engaging in unethical behavior

This quiz explores the crucial aspects of recognizing and expressing your personal and professional values. Delve into topics like purpose, risk assessment, communication styles, and loyalty, all essential for fostering a values-driven workplace. Test your understanding of how these elements impact your career and relationships with others.