“I believe that every large institution, whether it’s company, a government or a university needs to have a conscience. The conscience won’t have the answer to every question, but the conscience is a voice that needs to be heard,” — Brad Smith of Microsoft Aristotle stated: “We are what we do.” That said, Thomas Aquinas [...]
Two Guys And An Ethics Test
October 9, 2012
A segment in the movie Courageous provided me with a striking visual image about a man’s ethics. At a point in the movie a young father is told that he is being considered for a job promotion. In the lead-up to this scene, it is obvious that his family’s financial stability hangs in the balance [...]
How Do You Spell Success? E-T-H-I-C-S
June 27, 2012
I am tired of people blaming the recession for their lack of business, stagnation or loss of motivation. The reality is that companies have cash reserves, 90% of the workforce is still employed and the market is recovering. So what and where is your success? It lies within you. Let me share with you a few ideas that might help.
How do you spell success? E-T-H-I-C-S! Don’t think so? Read on.
“One Shot” Ethics Training Is Really No Training At All
May 30, 2012
There are so many possibilities for all budgets in developing impactful ethics training. Organizations that are genuine in their desire to offer ethics training to all employees should seriously consider developing a fully integrated ethics training program. In my experience of 20+ years in ethics training, I believe that such ethics training programs should minimally [...]
Ethics Training: What’s the ROI?
May 2, 2012
The answer is debatable, but Frank Bucaro argues if the training incorporates the essential elements, results will be obvious and felt throughout the entire organization.
Reputation: Is the One You Have the One You Want?
April 4, 2012
One of my favorite books is Values, Prosperity, and the Talmud – Business Lessons from the Ancient Rabbis by Larry Kahaner. In a concluding section of the book, it states, “[T]he Talmudic rabbis would sum up the secret of business success in one word: Reputation!”
Why Did Greg Smith Blow the Whistle on Goldman Sachs?
March 19, 2012
On March 14, Greg Smith, former executive director and head of Goldman Sachs’ United States equity derivatives business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, resigned publically with an editorial in The New York Times. What made Greg Smith so morally aware so that he actually quit and “blew the whistle” on Goldman Sachs’ corporate [...]
Go Slow, Choose Well: A 10-Step Guide To Making Good Decisions
February 28, 2012
Making ethical and moral decisions can be difficult. Following these 10 steps helps us to use reason more than emotion when it comes to the tough moments in our lives. The chances of making a better decision after some clear reflection are much, much higher.
Moral Development and Leadership? What a concept!
February 7, 2012
We all make decisions constantly. We decide what to wear, what to eat, whether to answer the phone, which route to take to work and so on. We’re used to making decisions. But the really tough decisions are those where there’s right and wrong on both sides, or where our decisions may cause pain to [...]
What Do Whooping Cough And Ethics Have In Common?
January 3, 2012
Lately I have been thinking about the Coen Brothers dark comedy Fargo. It depicts a botched kidnap plot that goes horribly wrong leaving a trail of murder and mayhem. One of the main characters in the movie, Margie, is a pregnant police officer who finally succeeds in putting an end to the crime spree. At [...]
