Ethics Q & A
April
25, 2005
By Jane Garthson, Mills
Garthson & Associates
The question:
I am a program manager, delivering human service programs in my
region. I have been told to do something that feels all wrong. I can't
break confidentiality to tell you what it is. I went through our code
of conduct and the principles in our strategic plan, and can find no
arguments to use against the direction I was given. What should I do?
Jane says...
First, pay attention to what your body is telling you. If your gut tells you something is wrong, or you can't sleep at night, or you would be terrified of having your action publicized, then there likely is an ethical problem. You just cannot articulate it yet. And the guidance documents you consulted did not anticipate the kind of situation you now face.
I strongly recommend that you discuss this in confidence with a trusted colleague, or several. These could be peers in your organization, or maybe in your professional association if you cannot talk at work. You may find that simply describing the situation out loud gives you the answer you seek, but ask the colleagues anyway if you are being reasonable. Sometimes we overreact because of something in our past, and cannot think straight. If they agree that the direction causes ethical problems, they will help you find the words to explain your dilemma to your boss.
Some of us are lucky enough to have partners or friends or family members whose judgment and ability to keep a secret make them good choices for such discussions too.
Now you are in a position of being able to explain to your boss why you are having problems with the direction. Since you are a manager yourself, you well understand that bosses prefer people who come to them with solutions. I hope that in those prior discussions, you also identified options and talked about them.
Try analyzing those options against the mission, the sources you have
mentioned for the organization's ethical values, and your reasons for
finding the original option unacceptable. Those may involve your personal
values and consideration of the effect on others (both benefits and
risks). The December
2004 column was about mission-based ethical decision-making. A future
column will talk more about stakeholder considerations.
Make sure you have at least three options, because the first ones that
come to mind are likely at opposite ends of a continuum. Look for a
more moderate approach, and also make your thinking three-dimensional
- most decisions have more than one continuum line that could be drawn.
I have mentioned the "ethical third way" before, but sometimes only
the fourth or fifth option feels right. Creativity is a great help in
living an ethical life.
Sometimes, what feels right to you is simply not acceptable to your
organization, and vice versa. If significant personal values are in
conflict with those of the organization, you may have to leave. We can
rarely tell that from a simple list of words; that is why organization-specific
definitions and dialogues are so critical in the development of ethics
documents. They also need to be kept current as organizations change.
Perhaps your organization is having difficulty integrating a new program,
client group, or set of funder requirements.
You can still consider a compromise before leaving. Perhaps duties could be rearranged so you are not part of the action you cannot condone. Your gut will tell you if you can live with that!
If you stay with the organization, do whatever you can to have the values
statement and code of conduct reviewed and amended so others can get
the guidance that was not available to you.
***********
Because nonprofit organizations are formed to do good does not mean
they always are good in their own practices. Send us your ethical questions
dealing with volunteers, staff, clients, donors, funders, sponsors, and
more. Please identify yourself and your organization so we know the questions
come from within the sector. No identifying information will appear in
this column.
To submit a dilemma for a future column, or to comment on a previous one,
please contact help@charityvillage.com. For paid professional advice about an urgent or complex situation, contact Jane directly.
