You are here
Giving Voice to Values I
Wednesday, May 25th, 2011
Robert Wechsler
The failure to deal responsibly with conflicts of interest has many
causes, but the principal cause is the silence of those who are not
directly responsible. I've written several times about some of the
reasons for this silence: fear, justifications, lack
of
moral courage, and a
lack of a feeling of professional obligation. And I've talked about
the importance of open discussion of ethics issues in government as a
solution to this silence problem. But that is, for the most part, a
dream, not a reality.
Last year, a book came out which is focused on how each individual can end his or her silence with respect to ethics issues: Mary C. Gentile's Giving Voice to Values: How to Speak Your Mind When You Know What's Right (Yale University Press). Although the book is focused on business rather than governmental organizations, the two sorts of organization are not all that different in the way individuals rationalize their actions and use their power and position to make it hard for subordinates and colleagues to speak their minds. The major difference is that local government officials have an obligation not to stockholders, who care most about profits, but to the public, whose community they manage.
In this and the following blog post, I will go through some of the valuable ideas I found in this book, and add a few of my own, which were inspired by reading the book.
The book's focus is not on knowing what's right, but on how to speak your mind, that is, the skills and practice required for most people to act on their convictions in a manner that is as competent and professional as when they act in other areas of their work. This might be the first ethics book that contains no philosophy, but instead reads like, well, a business book. Although the examples Gentile gives are not directly relevant to government ethics, her business-book attitude is very useful.
A Can-Do Attitude Toward Ethics
For example, she notes that the usual can-do attitude of business (and government) seems to be put aside when ethical concerns arise. Her goal is to get that can-do attitude to work in ethics, as well, because when individuals get away from that, into a world of right and wrong, they are uncomfortable, they don't know how to function, they don't feel like they know what they're doing anymore or that they have a right to state their (personal rather than professional) opinion, no matter how talkative they are when it comes to finances, city planning, or politics.
There are two ways to employ a can-do attitude in ethics matters. One is to view ethics matters as little different than other matters, and to approach the problems they raise in much the same manner. For example, talk in terms of risk management. Think strategically about how to implement your values, recognize the risks you take in doing so, and prepare yourself for them by anticipating and mitigating them. Make scripts of what you want to say (especially in response to the usual rationalizations of unethical behavior), try them out on people, and form implementation plans.
The second way to employ a can-do attitude in ethics matters is to approach them with the same set of skills you bring to other issues. As with any issue that arises, there are many available approaches to dealing with ethics issues, and much of the book deals with how to employ these approaches.
Preparing to Deal with Ethics Issues
It's important to start out expecting that you will face ethics issues in your government work, not only your own, but also those of your colleagues. The goal is to normalize these issues, to recognize them as part of one's work, as part of one's obligations to the public, rather than as intrusions or, worse, matters that threaten to derail the normal business of government. They need not be issues that require soul-searching. Nor need they be tests of personal loyalty, certainly no more than any other issue.
Another way to prepare for ethics issues is to define one's professional goals more broadly, so they include means as well as ends. That is, goals can be seen not only in terms of the position or salary one is shooting for, but also in terms of being the sort of person who is respected for starting discussions about difficult, but important issues, such as conflicts of interest. No one looks forward to becoming an enabler of unethical conduct, but if one doesn't have goals with respect to ethical conduct, that is effectively what one becomes.
Each of us needs to recognize what it is that motivates us to act. For example, some people are motivated by big issues, while others feel better dealing with smaller issues and seeking incremental changes. Some are motivated by being the lone voice, while more people need to feel part of a group before they can act.
Talking to Others About Ethics Issues
Gentile spends a lot of time talking about how to get support, including advice and allies, because talking with someone else about an ethics matter is the single most important factor in acting on one's values. Keeping ethics issues inside makes acting on values personal, uncomfortable, even fraught with fear.
She feels it is best to create a network in advance, if possible, because once an issue arises, things can move quickly. Support is not limited to work colleagues. People in other organizations can be very helpful, as can friends and family members one trusts and respects. Experts too can be helpful, although too often government officials turn to lawyers with no expertise in government ethics, but a great deal of expertise in rationalizing their clients' actions.
Giving Others the Benefit of the Doubt
It's normal to think that, if you raise an ethics issue, others will find you naive, that they have no desire to act on their values, or that they don't even see the issue as ethical. But when you discuss the issue with people, you usually find that people do want to act on their values, that they share your fears, and that knowing this makes one less afraid and more determined to at least continue talking about the issue with people.
It is important to recognize, respect, and appeal to others' capacity for choice, not to sell them short. Gentile suggests that people approach their superiors as if they're on the same side, as if they share your commitment to integrity, and the importance of values and reputation to success. It's also important to approach ethics issues not in an accusatory fashion, but with questions to get a discussion going.
It is worth considering that those involved in what appears to you to be unethical conduct rarely think they are doing anything wrong. They are more likely to see themselves as victims responding to attacks (or opportunities) in ways that are justified. When talking with others, it's also important to consider their stake in the matter and in the organization, and then to frame one's arguments in such a way as to show that you are taking into account the listener's position and reputation.
Click for the second part of this two-part blog post.
Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics
---
Last year, a book came out which is focused on how each individual can end his or her silence with respect to ethics issues: Mary C. Gentile's Giving Voice to Values: How to Speak Your Mind When You Know What's Right (Yale University Press). Although the book is focused on business rather than governmental organizations, the two sorts of organization are not all that different in the way individuals rationalize their actions and use their power and position to make it hard for subordinates and colleagues to speak their minds. The major difference is that local government officials have an obligation not to stockholders, who care most about profits, but to the public, whose community they manage.
In this and the following blog post, I will go through some of the valuable ideas I found in this book, and add a few of my own, which were inspired by reading the book.
The book's focus is not on knowing what's right, but on how to speak your mind, that is, the skills and practice required for most people to act on their convictions in a manner that is as competent and professional as when they act in other areas of their work. This might be the first ethics book that contains no philosophy, but instead reads like, well, a business book. Although the examples Gentile gives are not directly relevant to government ethics, her business-book attitude is very useful.
A Can-Do Attitude Toward Ethics
For example, she notes that the usual can-do attitude of business (and government) seems to be put aside when ethical concerns arise. Her goal is to get that can-do attitude to work in ethics, as well, because when individuals get away from that, into a world of right and wrong, they are uncomfortable, they don't know how to function, they don't feel like they know what they're doing anymore or that they have a right to state their (personal rather than professional) opinion, no matter how talkative they are when it comes to finances, city planning, or politics.
There are two ways to employ a can-do attitude in ethics matters. One is to view ethics matters as little different than other matters, and to approach the problems they raise in much the same manner. For example, talk in terms of risk management. Think strategically about how to implement your values, recognize the risks you take in doing so, and prepare yourself for them by anticipating and mitigating them. Make scripts of what you want to say (especially in response to the usual rationalizations of unethical behavior), try them out on people, and form implementation plans.
The second way to employ a can-do attitude in ethics matters is to approach them with the same set of skills you bring to other issues. As with any issue that arises, there are many available approaches to dealing with ethics issues, and much of the book deals with how to employ these approaches.
Preparing to Deal with Ethics Issues
It's important to start out expecting that you will face ethics issues in your government work, not only your own, but also those of your colleagues. The goal is to normalize these issues, to recognize them as part of one's work, as part of one's obligations to the public, rather than as intrusions or, worse, matters that threaten to derail the normal business of government. They need not be issues that require soul-searching. Nor need they be tests of personal loyalty, certainly no more than any other issue.
Another way to prepare for ethics issues is to define one's professional goals more broadly, so they include means as well as ends. That is, goals can be seen not only in terms of the position or salary one is shooting for, but also in terms of being the sort of person who is respected for starting discussions about difficult, but important issues, such as conflicts of interest. No one looks forward to becoming an enabler of unethical conduct, but if one doesn't have goals with respect to ethical conduct, that is effectively what one becomes.
Each of us needs to recognize what it is that motivates us to act. For example, some people are motivated by big issues, while others feel better dealing with smaller issues and seeking incremental changes. Some are motivated by being the lone voice, while more people need to feel part of a group before they can act.
Talking to Others About Ethics Issues
Gentile spends a lot of time talking about how to get support, including advice and allies, because talking with someone else about an ethics matter is the single most important factor in acting on one's values. Keeping ethics issues inside makes acting on values personal, uncomfortable, even fraught with fear.
She feels it is best to create a network in advance, if possible, because once an issue arises, things can move quickly. Support is not limited to work colleagues. People in other organizations can be very helpful, as can friends and family members one trusts and respects. Experts too can be helpful, although too often government officials turn to lawyers with no expertise in government ethics, but a great deal of expertise in rationalizing their clients' actions.
Giving Others the Benefit of the Doubt
It's normal to think that, if you raise an ethics issue, others will find you naive, that they have no desire to act on their values, or that they don't even see the issue as ethical. But when you discuss the issue with people, you usually find that people do want to act on their values, that they share your fears, and that knowing this makes one less afraid and more determined to at least continue talking about the issue with people.
It is important to recognize, respect, and appeal to others' capacity for choice, not to sell them short. Gentile suggests that people approach their superiors as if they're on the same side, as if they share your commitment to integrity, and the importance of values and reputation to success. It's also important to approach ethics issues not in an accusatory fashion, but with questions to get a discussion going.
It is worth considering that those involved in what appears to you to be unethical conduct rarely think they are doing anything wrong. They are more likely to see themselves as victims responding to attacks (or opportunities) in ways that are justified. When talking with others, it's also important to consider their stake in the matter and in the organization, and then to frame one's arguments in such a way as to show that you are taking into account the listener's position and reputation.
Click for the second part of this two-part blog post.
Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics
---
Story Topics:
- Robert Wechsler's blog
- Log in or register to post comments
