Download - The Discipline of building character
The Discipline
of building character
Submited by:Amit KaundinyaAnushree CoomerKumar GauravMithila SaprooRupali Tyagi
Professional responsibilities in conflict with our deepest values
Conflict between right and right
Defining moments
o Go with their gut?o Talk it over ?o Think and do what a mentor would do?
What do managers do in such situations?
Why call these moments ‘defining’?
An ethical decision involves choosing between two options-one we know to be right and other to be wrong
A defining moment chooses between two or more ideals in which we deeply believe
Is a tough ethical decision same as a defining moment?
Form, reveal and test Refocus on the core values and principles Transform values and beliefs into calculated
action Strong identity based on own and not on
someone else’s understanding of what is right
From Manager to leader
Three types of defining moments are particularly common in organizations:
Who am I? Who are we? Who is the company?
Types of defining moments
Issue of personal identity that has serious implications for our career
Who am I ?
Who is Steve Lewis?◦ An African-American working for a well known
investment bank in Manhattan◦ A former athlete and a Team player
Story of Steve Lewis
What is the situation?◦ Steve was selected over more senior people to
give presentation to an important client◦ He knew little about the situation◦ Was included because state treasurer was a black
and wants at least one black in the meeting
Story of Steve Lewis
• To maintain his self-respect he has to ‘earn‘ his advancement at the company
• He did not want to become a token member
• He is after all an African-American and has the values that his parents taught him
He is a team player and does not believe in letting his teammates down
He might suffer a career setback if he throws himself into a deeply felt personal cause
Story of Steve Lewis :The defining moment
What did Steve do?
How did he combine idealism with realism?
Story of Steve Lewis
What feelings and intuitions are coming to conflict in this situation?
Which of the values that are in conflict are most deeply rooted in my life?
What combination of expediency and shrewdness, coupled with imagination and boldness, will help me implement my personal understanding of what is right?
A guide : Who am I?
Another dimension for managers as they move up in the organization : the values of their work group and their responsibilities to the people they manage
Who are we?
What is an ethical myopia?
Who is Peter Adario?◦ Head of marketing department of Sayer
Microworld, a distributer of computer products◦ Married and had three children
Story of Peter Adario
What is the situation?◦ Adario hires Mcneil, a single mother who is
qualified and competent◦ The company is in a middle of finishing a merger◦ Her superwiser Walter ambitious, hard-driving
woman◦ Mcneil chronic lateness and unpredictable work
schedule due to her being a single mother
Story of Peter Adario
Peter believed that his employees need time for their family against their duties to the department’s bottom line.
He himself was a father The employee was competent and
hardworking Should he fire her?
Story of Peter Adario: The defining moment
How did Walter interpret it?
Why did Adario’s defining moment go badly?
What did Peter do after learning from the experience?
What are the other strong, persuasive interpretations of the ethics of this situation?
What point of view is most likely to win a contest of interpretations inside my organization and influence the thinking of people?
Have I orchestrated a process that can make manifest the values I care about in my organization?
A Guide : Who are we?
For men and women charged with running the entire companies
Manifestation of what is right on the large stage(for ex. that includes labor unions, media, stakeholders etc)
Who is the company?
Who is Sakiz?◦ CEO of Roussel Uclaf, a French pharmaceutical
company◦ He has to decide whether to market a new drug
RU-486 meant for abortion
Story of Sakiz
Anti-abortion groups outraged Parent company Hoechst opposed the drug
because of threats of boycot
Story of Sakiz: The situation
Sakiz was a physician with a long standing commitment to RU-486
It would secure the women’s right on abortion and save them from unsafe abortions
It could specially help women in the poor countries
On the other hand he had a responsibility of protecting job and security of his employees
How could he protect his own interest and those of his employees and still introduce the drug?
Story of Sakiz: The defining moment
How did Sakiz solve the issue?
Have I done all I can to secure my position and the strength of my organization?
Have I thought creatively and boldly about my role in society and its relationship to stockholders?
What combination of shrewdness, creativity, and tenacity will help me transform my vision into reality?
A Guide: Who is the company?
Defining moments force us to find a balance between our hearts in all idealism and our jobs in all there messy reality
They are not merely intellectual exercises but are opportunities for inspired action and personal growth