assignment
keisha345
ch3.pdf
49
Learning Points
How do I: • Develop plans that will help me achieve my goals? • Clarify my values and decide what is really important to me? • Develop a personal mission statement? • Make progress toward my goals, especially when I hit a roadblock? • Evaluate options concerning ethical dilemmas? • Know if I am making ethical decisions?
Matthew Smith was enjoying his work as an associate at a leading consulting firm in New York. The hours didn’t bother him. As the first person from his family to attend col- lege, he was used to working hard for what he wanted in life. He had worked part time all the way through high school and college to pay for tuition, room, board, and other immediate expenses. Now in his third year, he was contemplating his next career step. Most of Matthew’s friends had moved on to graduate business school, but his boss had convinced him to stay on. With all the excitement over “new economy” growth clients, there was plenty of interesting work to go around. He was traveling overseas frequently, had a good set of friends, had a partner, and was enjoying his current situation. So what was troubling him? In the back of his mind Matthew realized he wasn’t sure what he should do next. For possibly the first time in his life he didn’t have to focus single-mindedly on one goal, such as paying for college. He now had multiple priorities in which he was interested. But he didn’t have a clue as to how to start making plans to attain any one of them. Besides, he thought, “I’m always working, anyway. How would I have time to even think of anything else? So it doesn’t really matter that I’m not sure where I’m headed.” Or does it?
1. What are the issues Matthew is facing?
2. Should Matthew follow the rest of his friends to graduate business school?
3. Why is it difficult for him to set new priorities for himself ?
4. What advice would you offer Matthew?
Establishing Goals Consistent with Your Values and Ethics
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5. How can Matthew set new goals and work toward them while fulfilling his obliga- tions to his present position?
“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll probably end up someplace else.”1
Yogi Berra—professional baseball catcher, manager, and coach
A goal is a level of proficiency or standard of behavior we wish to attain within a specified period of time.2 If you don’t have a plan to direct your life, where will you end up? Effective goal setting gives you direction and purpose while provid- ing a standard against which to measure your performance. Having goals also allows individuals and organizations to have a clear understanding of what they are trying to accomplish. This chapter describes personal goal setting and values clarification: what goals and values are, the benefits of being aware of your goals and values, and how to improve your ability to set meaningful and ethical goals that are aligned with your core values. We also address the role ethics plays in making ethical decisions that are aligned with your personal and organizational goals. At the end of the chapter are a number of exercises that enable you to assess your goal-setting skills and your use of ethical guidelines in decision making, and help you to develop improvement plans.
What Is Goal Setting? Goals affect action.3 Goal setting is a way of identifying your work/life priorities and developing strategies for attaining personal and professional objectives. Consider the lives of successful people. Do they seem to have a strong commitment to their plans? Are they organized, efficient, confident, well prepared? Likely you found that most if not all of these words apply to the successful people you considered. Successful individ- uals and organizations have learned the key to achieving meaningful results is through effective goal setting.
For example, Steve Jobs had an interest in electronics, got a summer job with Hewlett Packard when he was 13, and co-founded Apple at age 21. Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, had an early interest in software and began programming computers at the age of 13. At age 19, Gates founded Microsoft with childhood friend Paul Allen to develop software for the newly emerging personal computer market. Justin Timberlake, singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer, was inspired as a youth to become a per- former. He went on to earn numerous awards, including 10 Grammys and 4 Emmys. Early in her career Oprah Winfrey discovered she had a gift for communicating. And many winners on The Voice knew at a young age they wanted to perform on stage.
Contrast these goal setters with those who are unable or unwilling to set goals and achieve them. Consider people you know who seem to set goals frequently but never attain them. Are they realistic about what they can achieve? Do they have the required resources to attain their goals (e.g., time, money, or support from others)? Do they have the necessary capabilities, training, and education? Chances are they may not have one or more of these resources that are so important to success.
It has long been recognized that goal setting is an important component within the self- management or self-leadership concept we discuss in Chapter 4. Those who are most suc- cessful in business monitor their thoughts and actions, and are attuned to their personal and professional goals. For example, in a study of 15 dimensions across 62 cultures, it was found that Chinese employees had scores higher than average on traits related to goal setting such as performance orientation and uncertainty avoidance.4 Pursuing achievement goals that agree with one’s personal values is important across cultures.5
Why Is Goal Setting Important?
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The goal-setting process has several benefits:
■ Results orientation—Many employees cite being able to use their skills and abilities and achieving results in their job as key factors related to their happiness at work.6
■ Purpose/direction—Establishing written goals can formalize your dreams and wishes. Through the process of careful examination and self-analysis, you can begin to understand what you want to achieve. Goal setting defines the destination point while providing the map to lead you there. Writing goal statements and developing an action plan gives your life purpose and direction. These statements provide you with short-term motivation and long-term vision. Whether or not you are aware of your goals or strategies, they are affecting your life’s direction. Once you bring them into consciousness and formalize them, you can guide your life more strategically.
■ Motivation—Goal setting can help you to build internal momentum. Through goal set- ting, you can direct your actions toward fulfilling your dreams and ambitions. Usually this process starts by setting incremental steps to achieving a goal. If you want to run a marathon, you start your training by running short distances and increase them over time. Momentum begins to build as soon as you set your goal, and con- tinues as you take steps toward achieving it. To borrow from Sir Isaac Newton’s (1642–1727) first law of motion, a person who sets goals becomes an object in motion that remains in motion. Directing your life toward fulfilling dreams motivates you to achieve continual success.
■ Productivity—Goal setting can give you a way to measure your success. Systematically setting goals provides balance and perspective to your decisions about how to allo- cate your time and resources. Having a clear plan of action greatly focuses your expenditure of time, money, and energy. Goal setting boosts performance to a higher level and helps in overcoming challenges. Up to a point, performance also increases with the level of goal difficulty, provided the individual working to attain the goal is committed to achieving it.7
■ Cross-cultural adjustment—Goal-setting behaviors can assist in acclimating to new cul- tures.8 Goals affect the direction, intensity, and persistence of our efforts. In the cross-cultural adjustment process, students who set high goals are more likely to maintain their focus and minimize distractions, giving them a better chance of being successful in their chosen activities.
The approach you use to set goals greatly affects your ability to succeed. A few core behaviors underpin most successful goal-setting efforts:
Key Behaviors for Effective Goal Setting
Be Realistic
Goals should be specific, measurable, and realistic; goals should be compatible with one another to minimize conflict; and realistic prioritizing of goals will lead to success.9 Be honest with yourself about your skills and abilities and in evaluating all related conditions needed to attain your goals. You can only influence or change things over which you have control. Understand that there will be setbacks. Continually search for means to overcome obstacles and secure all necessary resources.
■ Challenge yourself—The more you challenge yourself or your team, the more produc- tive you and your team will be. The goals you set should not be out of reach, but more challenging goals can inspire and motivate people, whereas lesser goals that are too easy or mundane may get the job done, but at a lower level than would have occurred with a more compelling set of goals.10
■ Be positive—We face obstacles and challenges in everything we do. The ability to persevere in the face of adversity is a key success factor in goal setting. Adopting an
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optimistic “can-do” attitude can give you the boost to continue the uphill climb. It is also helpful to describe goals in a positive tone; focus on achieving a positive rather than trying to eliminate a negative. For example, say, “I want to master this new version of a software program” rather than saying, “I need to improve my computer skills.”
■ Start small—Begin with smaller, simpler, more manageable goals. Successfully com- pleting small goals will build confidence and create momentum toward future goal- setting behavior. Setting incremental benchmarks for marking your progress will make broader, long-term goals seem attainable.
■ Take full responsibility—Even though you may need to solicit the help and support of others, you are in control of your actions. Set your goals with the understanding that you have the power to direct your energy toward personal productivity.
■ Persevere—Completing a goal requires the ability to maintain strong forward motion. Perseverance is essential for successfully reaching every goal you want to achieve.
Try This
There are a number of online tools for tracking goals. Try one or more of these:
Strides: http://www.stridesapp.com/
Way of Life: http://wayoflifeapp.com
GoalsOnTrack: http://www.goalsontrack.com/
Coach.me: https://www.coach.me/habit-tracker
43Things: https://43things.com/
Goalbot: http://goalbot.org/
Balanced: http://balancedapp.com/
“Success is not measured by those who fought and never fell, but by those who fought, fell, and rose again.”
Anonymous
To determine what goals you want to achieve, start by clarifying your own values, those things in life that are most meaningful to you. Once you determine your values and why they are important to you, you can then work on a plan for achieving your goals.
Values are concepts or beliefs about desirable outcomes that transcend specific situa- tions and guide your selection or evaluation of behaviors and events.11 Our individual set of values is a result of learning and personal experiences. Values are influenced by family, friends, peers, religious beliefs, community, and even the organizations with which we are associated. Many of our values are deeply set, and we make decisions or judgments without consciously reflecting on their source. Values can become a matter of habit.
A value is “an enduring belief that a specific mode of conduct . . . is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct. . . .”12 In other words, we work toward what we value—and our values guide our behavior. There are two types of values: instrumental and terminal.13
■ Instrumental values are the “how’s” of goal setting—the standards of behavior by which we achieve desired ends. Courage, honesty, compassion, and love are exam- ples of instrumental values.
■ Terminal values are the “what’s”—the end states or goals that we would like to achieve during our lifetime. Such values include a happy family life, career success, wisdom, salvation, prosperity, or sense of accomplishment.
Clarifying Values
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Personal values are also tangible and intangible.
■ Tangible values are things you can see, feel, or hold, including the kind of car you want to drive, the level of income you want to have, and the size of the house you want to own. Tangible values consist of the material things you want to possess.
■ Intangible values are concepts rather than things. Freedom, independence, happiness, friendship, and love are intangible values and can be defined differently for each per- son. Intangible values consist of ideals you wish to strive toward or pursue.
Identifying your values will help you answer the question, “What do I want to achieve with my life?” How can you begin your career planning process without knowing your life- style preferences or having a clear sense of what values provide you with the most motiva- tion? One survey showed over half of the MBAs queried “would not work for a tobacco company for ethical, social, and political reasons.”14 Your values can have a direct effect on your behaviors, attitudes, and decisions. Setting and achieving goals that are congruent with your values will lead to increased satisfaction and positive personal feelings.
Clarifying values is also important for organizations. Positive outcomes result when employees’ values are aligned with the values of their organization.15 Individuals draw from their values to guide their decisions and actions, and organizational value systems provide norms that specify how organizational members should behave and how organi- zational resources should be allocated. Communication, trust, and job satisfaction are all affected positively when employee and employer values align.
How to Clarify Your Values
■ List the primary experiences you have had to date. What about these experiences was meaningful or important to you?
■ What accomplishments are you the most proud of? What do these represent to you?
■ If you had to evacuate due to a life-threatening tornado, which possessions would you bring with you?
■ What’s important for you to have in your current or next professional situation? ■ What qualities do you bring to—and expect in—your relationships with others? ■ What is your personal definition of happiness? See Exercise 3–A for an activity that will help you to assess your current and projected values.
After you have determined your values and understand why they are important to you, you can then incorporate them into a plan for achieving your goals. For example, Matthew, in our case study, might write down some of the things that are important to him. These might include continued learning, spending time with family and friends, and being secure financially. This might explain why going to graduate school has not been his uppermost priority. He might be concerned about having to borrow money to pay the tuition, or about the time it would cause him to spend away from friends and family.
Try This
Take a minute and write your definition of personal satisfaction. What are the behaviors you’ll use to achieve this satisfaction? What will bring you enjoyment or fulfillment? Is this short term or long term? Which values are terminal, the things you must have accomplished? Which aspects of satisfaction are derived from your instrumental values? What aspects are tangible or intangible? Now write your definition of success. What will you need to accomplish or attain in order to say you are a success in your life? Set these definitions aside for later reflection.
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Goals should be a direct reflection of your values, aspirations, and life mission. Devel- oping personal goals based on your personal values begins with creating written goal statements. Written goal statements are the aims or the targets you want to achieve. These goal statements deal with various aspects of your life such as career, social, well- ness, community, spirituality, relationships, job/career, family, personal, financial, and so on. Objectives or an action plan should accompany every goal statement. The plan should specify the steps needed or means for reaching your ends. For instance, in our case example Matthew could have as a goal “To achieve the level of vice president within the next two years.” His action plan could include talking with his boss about potential career options within the firm, taking extra courses at night to develop the technical skills needed to advance, and networking with several alumni from his college who work at the firm who are in senior positions to gain their support and advice.
One system used successfully by managers and others who wish to incorporate goal- setting principles into their lives is the “SMART” system. SMART refers to a goal that is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and has a time frame.16 By ensuring your goal statements are SMART, you create a system for managing action steps and increase the likelihood that these goals will be attained. Use this approach as a check- list for writing your goal statements and action plan.
Writing Effective Goals
“SMART” Goal Writing
■ Specific—Write your goals, including as many details as possible, leaving no room for misinterpretation. Say “I want to lose 10 pounds,” or “lower my cholesterol by 20 points,” or “increase our sales by 10 percent.” Loose, broad, or vague goals are not desirable. When goals are specific, it is much easier to hold someone accountable for the achievement.17 An employee who establishes career goals is likely to advance his or her career, especially if the goals are specific, challeng- ing, and accompanied by regular feedback on progress toward the goals.18
■ Measurable—Provide a means to measure your progress, a way to measure actual performance against desired performance standards. Set up checkpoints to evaluate your progress from the time you start to the time you expect to attain your goal. Write your goals in quantifiable terms to determine to what extent you completed each goal and fulfilled each objective. For example, “I will write one essay per week to improve my writing skills.”
■ Attainable/believable—Set an actionable, believable goal. In addition to being fully dedicated, you also need the resources and capabilities required for attaining a goal. Goals that are believable have a much higher probability of success. Make sure you have secured all necessary resources and that you anticipate and develop a strategy for dealing with any obstacles that could bar your success. For example, say “I will raise my GPA from 2.5 to 3.0. To do this I will get tested at the Learning Center to see if I have a learning disability.”
■ Realistic/achievable—Write your goals with consideration for your capabilities and limitations. A goal should be challenging enough that you stretch your abilities to gain attainment, but not so difficult that it is impossible to fulfill. Goal-setting theory suggests that specific and challenging goals result in a higher performance than moderate or easily attainable goals, vague goals, or no goals at all.19 Goals should also have realistic deadlines. Closely tied to the notion of realistic goals is the aspect of control. Only set goals that are within your means to achieve. Say, “I will contact 10 percent more potential clients this week than usual,” rather than “I will sell 10 percent more than usual this week.” The former statement reflects things that are within your control as well as realistic. The latter reflects a desire about something that may not be totally within your control.
■ Time bound—Develop a specific deadline for meeting each of your goals; otherwise they will remain dreams and never become reality. Setting a deadline creates a commitment to begin and pursue a goal until it is attained. Saying “I’d like to lose 10 pounds” is specific, measurable, and realistic, but without a target date for com- pletion, you might find yourself continuously repeating “I’ll start my diet tomorrow.”
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Another important criterion that can be added to SMART goals is to make sure the goal is yours. Personal goals are just that, personal. You will be less likely to accept and complete goals that someone else gives you.20 Your goals should reflect your values, aspi- rations, and mission, not someone else’s such as those of your friends, parents, or room- mates. If you are pursuing an accounting degree because a parent believes it’s a good solid career, yet you just don’t see yourself as an accountant, you may want to reevaluate this goal. You are more likely to stick with and attain goals you desire than goals set for you by others. Likewise, when you are in a position to influence others such as subordi- nates or children, encourage them, but let them set their own goals. When individuals set their own goals, they have a greater amount of well-being, commitment, job satisfac- tion, and organizational commitment, resulting in higher performance and productivity.21
There are several strategic steps you can take to overcome potential pitfalls while ensur- ing progress toward achieving your goals.
1. Visualize the outcome—Imagine being at the completion point of your goal. State your goals as if it is definite you will accomplish them. Say things such as, “When I have paid off my car,” not “if I have paid off my car.” Positive self-talk will reinforce your belief in your ability to achieve your dreams.
2. Strive for performance, not outcomes—Throughout the process, you should strive to give 100 percent effort and to perform to the best of your ability. This will allow you to feel confident and proud of your smaller accomplishments. Ryan Seacrest, a successful radio and TV host and producer, says he has always focused on creating the best programs possible, making sure the performers shine; money and success resulted as a by-product.
3. Develop a support network—Determine the resources that will be necessary for you to achieve your goals. Obtain support and commitment from individuals who will be essential in ensuring your success. Associate with people who will support you in attaining your goals. If someone in your network is hindering your ability to accom- plish your goals, reevaluate whether continued association with this person is desirable.
4. Limit the number—Focus on a limited number of goals at a time. Having too many goals will only drain your resources and reduce the potency of your efforts. One way to do this is to focus on those goals that relate to your key roles at a point in time. Another way to do this is to create a master plan—a three- or five-year plan—in which you map out the pursuit of specific goals according to your personal and pro- fessional mission.
5. Allow for setbacks—We are all human. If you get sidetracked or make a mistake while trying to accomplish your goal, forgive yourself and get back to your plan. If you do not move on, you will never accomplish your goals. When experiencing a setback, it may be an appropriate time to tap into your support network. Let’s say you are mid- way in achieving your goal to quit smoking over a three-month period when your favorite uncle is diagnosed with a terminal illness. You might find it difficult to cope with this tragedy without returning to your pack-a-day habit. At this point, you might choose to reevaluate and adjust your goal; you might also seek friends, relatives, or medical or counseling assistance to help you get through this crisis.
Overcoming Obstacles
Some goals may be unattainable within a compressed time frame, yet possible within a longer time frame. In fact, when setting goals that span a longer time horizon, it is best to establish incremental time frames to make long-term timeliness more manageable and acceptable. Plan a schedule or time frame for goal completion that is sufficient to allow you to achieve the goal, and at the same time not allowing for so much slack time that you lose interest or focus.
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6. Be honest with yourself—Evaluate objectively how well you accomplish your goals and objectives. The only way you can improve is to understand what you did wrong and focus on how you can change. Ask yourself, “Why did my last semester go so badly?” or “Why did that project go over budget?” You might answer yourself, “Poor study habits, lack of time or discipline, lack of oversight, or lack of priorities.”
7. Reward small accomplishments—Once you have reached an incremental, objective step or milestone, provide yourself with a reward. Celebrating your continual accomplish- ments will help to maintain your optimism and belief in your abilities while refueling your commitment and motivation to goal achievement.
8. Don’t lose sight of the big picture—Make a habit of reviewing your goals on a daily basis. Use positive self-talk to reinforce your beliefs and reiterate the purpose behind your actions. Remain flexible yet diligent. Allow for necessary changes and restructure as needed while still working toward the ultimate end. Understand how everything you do facilitates your ability to complete your goal.
Revisit the Process
Goal setting is not a one-time action; it is an ongoing process. Your values, roles, and dreams may change. Your resources may need to be reevaluated, or you may need to make adjustments to overcome unforeseen obstacles. Goals should remain fluid, enabling you to plan, react, and adapt to changing circumstances as needed.
9. Consider your ethics—In developing your goals, consider your and your organization’s ethical standards. You will want to have a deep understanding of your personal beliefs and principles. You can do this by clarifying your values as described and taking these into consideration in all of your personal and job-related activities and interactions. As an employee and manager, be aware of ethical norms as you and your team develop and execute strategic and tactical plans. Involve your employees in corporate planning and goal-setting sessions that include discussions of ethics and social responsibility.22
What Are Ethics? The word ethics comes from the Greek word ethos, which refers to the moral character of a group or organization.23 Ethics involves moral principles that people use to guide their behavior by separating right from wrong.24 Business ethics involves issues of morality in the sphere of business organizations, including both normative and behav- ioral approaches.25 Many complicating factors make it a challenge to establish, monitor, and maintain ethical behavior in organizations.26 The difficulty with ethics and the goals we set is that the situations we face as managers are seldom black and white, enabling a clear understanding of which answer is the best for all concerned. Each per- son has a different worldview (based on life experiences, education, family background, religious and political affiliations, perceptions, and values) that he or she brings into decision making and goal setting. Each person possesses a different ethical barometer that stems from his or her experience and background. This diversity affects the ethical decision-making and goal-setting processes, outcomes, and ramifications.
With corporate scandals continuing to surface, the ethics of individuals and organizations is coming under closer scrutiny. Increasingly, people are demanding that organizations and their employees set goals based on high ethical and moral standards. Business ethics
Why Are Ethics Important?
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has garnered the attention of business school curricula.27 As we said in Chapter 2, maintaining “transparency,” or open communication with key stakeholders, has become more than a buzzword, and the general public has high expectations of the political decision-making process and conduct in the business world. Transparency motivates corporations to make decisions based on sound ethics and accountability.
Consider the case of Takata, the Japanese manufacturer of faulty airbags that has been in the news for the past several years because of a series of massive recalls.28 These recalls greatly affected safety and consumers’ and shareholders’ perceptions of the company: Confidence in the company plummeted, reliability ratings were reduced, the company was thought to show a lack of transparency, its stock value fell dramati- cally, and its reputation was badly damaged. Takata was slow to reveal and publicly acknowledge the extent of the problems it was facing. The recall crisis greatly affected Takata’s reputation as a trusted, ethical organization and its ability to perform and com- pete against its rivals and perhaps even stay in business.
Ethical guidelines can provide organizations with a set of internal mechanisms to ensure sound decisions are made. This can result in a positive work culture, lower costs, increased reputational value, and consideration for the rights and responsibilities of all stakeholders.
As we saw earlier in the section on values, ethics also helps establish a link between an individual’s and an organization’s values. The more alignment between these two, the stronger the person–organization fit, or congruence.
Lastly, ethics is important in providing consistent guidelines to be implemented across cultures. Managers operating in international markets face significant pressure to act unethically due to bribery and other activities considered standard depending on the country with which they are doing business. Ethical guidelines can address this issue and reduce the variation in managerial judgment that is exercised across cul- tures.29 Ethics and character reflect our true inner self; they determine how we respond to managerial dilemmas. Many decisions appear on the surface to be easy, but in reality these actions build up over time and set a foundation for more challenging decisions.30 It is important to be aware of the guidelines you use for setting goals related to ethical behavior. These guidelines can affect the way you approach larger, more significant decisions in other areas of your life and work.
Ethics plays a part in our goal setting and decision making whether we are acting as an individual, a group, an organization, or a member within an organization. Ethical dilemmas are situations where we are faced with setting goals or making decisions that will be based largely on judgments and determinations rather than on indisputable facts. Ethical dilemmas can be the result of gross misunderstanding, value conflicts, cul- tural differences, conflicts of interest, personal differences, or greed. Examples of ethi- cal dilemmas are exchange of inappropriate gifts, making unwanted sexual advances, discovery of unauthorized payments or overpayments, and hiring an untrained person from a “name” family over a more qualified individual.
An ethical dilemma arises when a manager must choose between his or her own interests and the interests of someone else or some other group. Those with an interest in the outcome of the decision are referred to as stakeholders. As a manager in an orga- nization, it is up to you to take into consideration the needs and interests of all key stakeholders—the employees, customers, suppliers, and shareholders who are affected by the decision—in addition to yourself. Decisions you make reflect not only your values but also the values of the organization you represent. Decisions you make on behalf of your organization carry consequences for the company’s reputation and success in the community.
Three factors influence behaviors and actions: the individual ethics of organizational members, the corporate culture of the organization, and society as a whole. Individuals work within the environment of an organization that reflects the pressures from the external environment.31
Ethical Strategies
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Your personal values, moral reasoning, and personal ideology have a direct impact on your goals and actions. Instrumental values can influence ethical decision making.32 Your personal level of honesty is strongly related to judgments you make in the workplace. Values reflected in a person’s behavior and personality can be the basis for professional behavior. When motivated by selfishness, lack of self-esteem, or envy, the more ambition someone has, the less ethical that person is in his or her intentions and actions.33
To understand personal ethics, we can look at morality, or a person’s belief about his or her obligations. Building on the work of psychologist Jean Piaget, Lawrence Kohlberg identified six stages of moral development and reasoning, which he grouped into three major levels. Each level represents a shift in the social–moral perspective of the individual that explains how judgments affect action. Each level is also comprised of two stages. As an individual advances through each level, the second stage of that level shows greater growth and ethical character. (See Figure 3–1.)
At the first level, the preconventional level, a person’s moral judgments are character- ized by concrete, individual perspectives. Behaviors are guided by self-interest to obey the rules in order to avoid punishment. At this level, organizational members follow rules out of fear and managers tend to be autocratic.
Individuals at the second level, or conventional level of reasoning, have a basic under- standing of the need to conform to societal standards, realizing that norms and conven- tions are necessary to uphold society. These members tend to identify with the rules, uphold them consistently, and behave in ways society defines as “right.” Within this level, members collaborate and understand the need to fulfill obligations laid out by the organization. Managers at this level tend to encourage cooperation and productive working relationships.
Finally, the postconventional level is characterized by reasoning based on personal values and principles. At this level, individuals make ethical decisions based on personal judg- ments and not on societal norms. When faced with a conflict between a law and a per- sonal core value, the individual’s internal beliefs will guide the decision rather than the law. Individuals at this level seek out new solutions and work independently while managers focus on the needs of the employees and empower them to reason for themselves.
Most managers and individuals function at the conventional, or second level, where their thinking about right and wrong is predominantly influenced by significant others and rules and laws. Fewer than 20 percent function at the higher, postconventional level.35 Since most organizational members function at the level where they take their
Individual Ethics
Kohlberg’s Moral Maturity34
Source: Lawrence Kohlberg, Essays on Moral Development, Vol. 1: The Philosophy of Moral Development (San Fran- cisco: Harper and Row, 1981).
Postconventional Level
Stage 6: Universal ethical principles—acts are consistent with personal moral principles, seeking the greater good
Conventional Level
Stage 4: Social accord and system maintenance—meet expectations of society as expressed in laws
Preconventional Level
Stage 2: Instrumental purpose and exchange—acting in one’s own interest
Stage 5: Social contract—attempt to get social consensus and tolerance
Stage 3: Interpersonal accord, conformity to group norms—act to meet expectations of peers or organization
Stage 1: Obedience and punishment—act to avoid consequences
Figure 3–1 Stages of Moral Development
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cue for behavior from the organization, it is critical that organizations examine and reexamine their practices and set ethical standards to guide individual and organiza- tional decision making.
An organization’s culture and practices have an impact on the values, attitudes, and behaviors of its members. Ethics codes and training and consistent institutionalized val- ues and guidelines can establish a collective understanding of company ethics. This combination creates an ethical organization that enhances employee ethics, promotes clarity in terms of work expectations, generates positive job attitudes, and reduces turn- over.36 Organizational constraints and pressures, as well as systematic practices, have a strong link to managers’ decision making and behaviors. Since it has been shown that most individuals function at the second or conventional level of morality, it is clear members will conform to the standards the organization deems acceptable. Organiza- tional ethics are especially important now because of the different generations that are working in businesses today. Younger managers are more likely to be influenced by organizational ethics than older managers, as more experienced managers are more likely to make ethical decisions independently. Strategies organizations can employ to set the right tone include hiring people who have matching ethical standards and ethi- cal decision-making skills, ensuring ethical practices are in place across the organiza- tion, monitoring ethical performance, and offering training to managers and employees.
When ethical employee behavior at all levels is valued and encouraged, organizations function more smoothly, and perhaps even more successfully.37
Ethical Decision Making Have you ever witnessed someone cheating on a test? Have you ever called in sick when you actually went skiing or to the beach? Have you ever been given too much change and kept it? Every day we face situations where we have to make ethical deci- sions. For example, concerns about Internet security fraud are on the rise. Securities firms are constantly on the lookout for employees who are involved in insider trading. Recent surveys suggest increasing numbers of applicants lie about their backgrounds in employment interviews. Employees are creating “intellectual capital” during their day jobs and selling their expertise as consultants after hours. And ordinary employees are being entrusted with valuable financial and strategic information to help them make on- the-spot judgments about how to handle difficult situations. Managers and employees are constantly faced with challenges such as these.
Ethical decision making involves recognizing that an issue involves an ethical question, making an ethical judgment, deciding to do the ethical thing, and actually acting ethi- cally.38 In business transactions, applying principles or standards to moral dilemmas by asking what is right or wrong, good or bad, creates a basic business ethic. Ethics guide people in making decisions that are not completely based on factors that have already been specified. Ethics can present a different perspective and give a new dimension to decision making. For example, it might be obvious—on paper—that opening a new manu- facturing center in the remote areas of the Florida wetlands would be profitable due to low cost factors. Yet the detrimental environmental effects on the wetlands would be sig- nificant. Should the company open a wetlands-area plant? It’s legal, but is it “right”? Who should make this decision? The company? Or the people in the area who are advocates for the wetlands? How should this decision be made? Is profitability the only criterion that should be used in making this decision? What should the decision be? Who will be affected by the decision? Who pulls the plug if it’s the wrong decision? These are all ethical con- siderations that make the decision much more complex than it originally appeared on paper. Your own character and that of the organization for which you work are revealed by the types of decisions you make, how you make them, and to what end. Ethical deci- sion making guides you in making decisions that are right not only for you, but also for those who are affected by the decisions. See Figure 3–2 for some applicable guidelines.
Organizational Ethics
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Many companies today are providing ethical guidelines or codes of conduct for their employees to use when faced with a situation that is not covered by standard policies and procedures. This practice has several benefits:
■ Customer relations: Employees in companies with ethical guidelines are better pre- pared to treat customers fairly and consistently if a conflict arises. This helps cus- tomers feel that employees respect and understand them, resulting in higher levels of customer satisfaction.
■ Goodwill: By your company’s doing the “right thing” consistently, consumers, suppli- ers, and others in the community at large see your organization as a desirable one with which to do business. The ethical reputation of a firm can actually increase its opportunities and sales, as shown by The Body Shop. The Body Shop’s policy of purchasing natural ingredients that might have gone to waste (good for the environ- ment) from countries that are economically depressed (good for society) has been widely praised. The Body Shop offers a good example of ways a company can be both ethical and humanistic as well as profitable.40 Employees and customers have noted that decisions like these positively impact their continued association with and patronization of The Body Shop. A company’s goodwill also enhances its attractive- ness and value to potential employees and acquiring businesses.
■ Employee satisfaction: Employees in companies with ethical guidelines experience high comfort levels—they are pleased and relieved when they see their organization acting in an ethical way and actively promoting ethical behavior.
■ Employee empowerment: Employees in companies with ethical guidelines feel empow- ered to think clearly about dilemmas at hand, to make decisions, to articulate the rationale for their decisions, and to have the support of senior management if their judgment is questioned.41
Making ethical decisions is more a matter of having the right values than a set of rules. To help employees cope with the need to make ethical decisions, organizations need to raise the employees’ level of ethical consciousness. This starts by first declaring the organization’s values and expectations, and then laying out guidelines and a decision framework that employees can use when faced with decisions that require use of judg- ment in addition to adherence to company guidelines. The following are some tools that companies can use to educate employees about ethical decision making.
■ Code of ethics: A written statement of values and guidelines for how to treat employ- ees and customers. Codes of ethics provide a tangible description of what the com- pany stands for, what it wants to achieve, and the means for achieving its goals. Codes are a good first step in raising ethical issues but, unless they are part of an organizational culture that values and insists on ethical decision making, they are insufficient to ensure that organizational ethical standards are followed.42
Benefits of Ethical Decision Making
Ethical Decision- making Strategies
Figure 3–2 Eight Rules of Ethical Thinking39
1. Consider others’ well-being and avoid actions that will hurt others. Before taking action, ask yourself if anyone stands to be hurt by the action, financially, emotionally, or in other ways.
2. Think of yourself as a member of a community, not as an isolated individual. Before taking action, reflect on who will be affected by the decision, positively and negatively.
3. Obey—but don’t depend only on—the law. An action may be legal yet unethical. 4. Think of yourself and your organization as part of society. What you do and how you think
affect a larger entity beyond you and your immediate circle. 5. Obey moral guidelines by which you have agreed to live. Consider them “categorical impera-
tives” with no exceptions. 6. Think objectively. Be sure your action is truly ethical and not rationalized self-interest. 7. Ask, “What sort of person would do such a thing?” Or, “Will I be able to look at myself in the
morning after doing X?” 8. Respect others’ customs—but not at the expense of your own ethics.
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■ Ethical audit: A broad-based, agreed-upon system that lets an organization consis- tently focus and refocus on its values and whether its performance is meeting the standards it professes. An ethical audit analyzes the situational and environmental factors that have a significant impact on ethical behaviors and internal policies. These audits can reduce gaps between an organization’s ethical ideals and actual per- formance, encourage self-reflection across all levels, raise ethical consciousness, and lead to less unethical or corruptive behavior.44
■ Decision-making model: Frameworks that employees can use to help make decisions about ethical actions by following a short, step-by-step list of rules.45 Models in ethi- cal guidelines, such as those shown in Figure 3–3, aren’t a guarantee that employees will always act ethically. They are a means to get employees to think through their actions and consider the ethical standards involved when making decisions that affect them and those around them.
Ethics Test
An ethics test is a series of questions that aids employees in making well-considered judgments about a situation before making a decision. Using this test will not provide one “correct” answer. The test provides criteria to be considered when determining if a course of action is ethical.43 The test has four components: ■ The test of common sense: “Does this action I am about to take make sense?” ■ The test of one’s best self: “Is this action or decision I’m getting ready to take
compatible with my concept of myself at my best?” ■ The “light of day” approach or making something public: “How would I feel if
others knew I was doing this? Would I be willing to stand in front of my family, friends, and peers and be proud to tell them what I had decided to do?”
■ The test of the purified idea: “Am I thinking this action or decision is right just because someone with appropriate authority or knowledge says it is right?” For example, if an accountant told you it was okay to claim certain entertainment and travel expenses as business expenses, although you doubt the fairness of this determination, do you abdicate responsibility for this decision since the accoun- tant said it was acceptable?
Figure 3–3 Sample of an Ethical Decision-making Model46
Step 1: Identify the facts and issues. a. Who will be affected by my decision? b. What will be the short- and long-term consequences of possible courses of actions?
Step 2: Identify applicable values. a. How will possible courses of action impact potential stakeholders? b. What consideration should I have with regard to:
The rights of stakeholders? Justice among stakeholders? The short- and long-term balance of good among stakeholders? My gut feeling about what is the “right thing”? What I think those whom I respect for their virtue would judge to be the “right thing”?
Step 3: Seek help if needed. a. Which course of action might keep me awake at night? b. Can my supervisor or human resources department provide guidance?
Step 4: Reach the best decision based on the available information. a. Is my decision legal and within organizational policy? b. Do organizational values and my personal values support my decision?
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Unfortunately, workers often accept unethical actions as the consequence of doing busi- ness today. Lapses in ethics are viewed as standard—expected in today’s diverse, com- plex, and fast-paced world. One survey reported that 48 percent of workers surveyed said they respond to job pressures by performing unethical or illegal activities, and 58 percent of respondents reported workplace pressures had caused them to at least consider acting unethically or illegally on the job.47 The most common unethical behaviors cited were these:
■ Cutting corners on quality control (16 percent) ■ Covering up incidents (14 percent) ■ Abusing or lying about sick leave (11 percent) ■ Lying to or deceiving customers (9 percent)
It is not easy to raise the ethical consciousness of an organization. Organizations are made up of individuals who may behave in an unethical manner for what they believe are justified reasons. When people are faced with pressures at work and need to make fast decisions, they are not very likely to consult rules, regulations, and policies that often don’t apply to the specific situation with which the employee is dealing.48
This leads to many of the ethical lapses that occur in business today. In addition, organizations themselves might have policies that encourage employees to make unethical decisions. For example, a company might set unrealistically high sales targets, possibly leading some employees to engage in questionable tactics to increase sales to customers. Lack of oversight by senior management or even by government agencies, as seen in the infamous 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill crisis, compounds the problem.
Summary This chapter focused on goal setting (why it’s important, how to set goals, and how to achieve goals) and the importance of values and ethics in goal setting and decision making. Having an understanding of our values and ethical beliefs is the foundation for the decisions we make in our daily lives. These decisions have an impact on our future as well as an impact on the organizations in which we work. Refer back to your defini- tions of success and satisfaction. Through the process of writing your goals and action plans, are you now on the right road to securing these values? If not, what changes should you make to get there?
A recent research report by the Society for Human Resource Management found that only 37 percent of U.S. employees were satisfied with their job overall.49 Since we spend almost a third of our time working, understanding our values and making our goals a reality become essential to living a fulfilled life. Use your goal-setting skills to enhance and guide your life. Consider incorporating goal setting as a fundamental part of your daily life. As the legendary animator and entertainment company founder Walt Disney said, “If you can dream it, you can be it.”
Ethics-enhancing Tools
Ethics Training
Companies can offer their employees training about the company’s policies and val- ues and how to incorporate an ethical component into their decisions on an every- day basis. This training can be provided via a manual, a workshop, a Web-based self-directed program, or one-on-one mentoring and coaching sessions.
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Key Terms and Concepts Code of ethics Instrumental values
Conventional level Intangible values
Decision-making model Moral development
Ethical audit Morality
Ethical barometer Postconventional level
Ethical decision making Preconventional level
Ethical dilemmas SMART goals
Ethics Stakeholders
Ethics test Tangible values
Goal Terminal values
Goal setting Values
Discussion Questions 1. While most of us would like to be successful in life, few of us set specific goals as
to what success would look like and by when. Why is this so, and how can goal setting help make a difference?
2. How do values relate to goals?
3. We use the example that “getting into shape” is not a SMART goal and offer ways to improve this statement. What if your goal is “to be a better friend”? How can you make this goal SMART?
4. A 2013 survey showed that nearly 80 percent of workers in their 20s said they wanted to change careers, followed by 64 percent of 30-somethings and 54 percent in their 40s. What are your thoughts about this?
5. In large metropolitan cities like Los Angeles, organizations are allowed to pollute up to a certain amount. Beyond that amount, the organization is fined. If they pollute less than the limit, organizations can “sell” their pollution credits to other firms that will save money by buying the pollution credits rather than paying the fine for exceeding their own limit. Your firm has been paying $25,000 a year in fines. However, it has the option of purchasing pollution-abatement equipment for $200,000 that, if installed, will put it well within the legal limit. Should the organization invest in this equipment, continue paying fines, or . . . ? What would you recommend and why?
Endnotes 1. Yogi Berra, When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It: Inspiration and Wisdom from One of Baseball’s Greatest Heroes (New York: Hyperion, 2002).
2. Gary P. Latham and Edwin A. Locke, “Enhancing the Benefits and Overcoming the Pitfalls of Goal Setting,” Organizational Dynamics 35, no. 4 (November 2006), p. 332.
3. Edwin A. Locke and Gary P. Latham, “Building a Practically Useful Theory of Goal Setting and Task Motivation: A 35-Year Odyssey,” American Psychologist 57, no. 9 (September 2002), p. 705.
4. M. J. Neubeert and C. Ju-Chien, “An Investigation of the Generalizability of the Houghton and Neck Revised Self-Leadership Questionnaire to a Chinese Context,” Journal of Management Psychology 21, no. 4 (2006), pp. 360–361.
5. S. Georgianna, “Self-Leadership: A Cross-Cultural Perspective,” Journal of Managerial Psychology 22, no. 6 (2007), p. 572.
6. Christine Riordan, “The Positive Returns of a Happy Workforce,” Financial Times (On- lineSoapbox; May 19, 2013).
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7. Shawn K. Yearta, Sally Maitlis, and Rob B. Briner, “An Exploratory Study of Goal Setting in Theory and Practice,” Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology 68, no. 3 (September 1995), p. 237.
8. Yaping Gong and Song Chang, “The Relationship of Cross-Cultural Adjustment with Dispo- sitional Learning Orientation and Goal Setting: A Longitudinal Analysis,” Journal of Cross- Cultural Psychology 38, no. 1 (January 2007), pp. 19, 23.
9. J. J. Donovan, “Goal Setting: How to Create an Action Plan and Achieve Your Goals,” Per- sonnel Psychology 61, no. 4 (2008), p. 932.
10. Tseng Hsing-Chau and K. Long-Min, “How Does Regulatory Focus Affect Uncertainty towards Organizational Change?” Leadership and Organization Development Journal 29, no. 8 (2008), pp. 713–714.
11. Shalom H. Schwartz and Wolfgang Bilsky, “Toward a Universal Psychological Structure of Human Values,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 53, no. 3 (September 1987), p. 551.
12. Milton Rokeach, The Nature of Human Values (New York: Free Press, 1973).
13. Ibid.
14. Douglas W. Lyon and Eric G. Kirby, “The Career Planning Essay,” Journal of Management Edu- cation 24, no. 2 (April 2000), p. 279, in reference to a study by S. Courter, “Tomorrow’s Captains of Industry Rate Gates Almost as High as Dad,” The Wall Street Journal (May 14, 1998), p. B1.
15. J. R. Edwards and D. M. Cable, “The Value of Value Congruence,” Journal of Applied Psychology 94 (2009), pp. 654–677.
16. Gary P. Latham, “Goal Setting: A Five-Step Approach to Behavior Change,” Organizational Dynamics 32, no. 3 (August 2003), p. 311.
17. A. Shahin and Ali Mahbod, “Prioritization of Key Performance Indicators,” International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management 56, no. 3 (2007), p. 228.
18. T. Kavoo-Linge, V. R. Willie Jansen, and D. Sikalieh, “The Relationship between Goal Set- ting and Career Advancement: A Case of Women Employees in Kenya,” International Journal of Business and Social Science 2, no. 17 (2011), p. 235.
19. Shahin and Mahbod, p. 227.
20. Michelle Downie, Richard Koestner, Elizabeth Horberg, and Silje Haga, “Exploring the Relation of Independent and Interdependent Self-Construals to Why and How People Pursue Personal Goals,” Journal of Social Psychology 146, no. 5 (October 2006), pp. 517–518.
21. M. Huhtala, T. Feldt, K. Hyvonen, and S. Mauno, “Ethical Organisational Culture as a Context for Managers’ Personal Work Goals,” Journal of Business Ethics 114, no. 2 (2013), pp. 266–267.
22. S. Burnaz, M. G. Atakan, Y. I. Topcu, and A. Singhapakdi, “An Exploratory Cross-Cultural Analysis of Marketing Ethics: The Case of Turkish, Thai and American Businesspeople,” Journal of Business Ethics 90 (2009), p. 381.
23. James O’Toole, “Doing Good Business: Leadership and Sustainable Corporate Cultures.” In James O’Toole and Don Mayer (eds.), Good Business: Exercising Effective and Ethical Leadership (New York: Routledge: 2010), p. 112.
24. David W. Johnson, Reaching Out: Interpersonal Effectiveness and Self-Actualization (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2003), p. 378.
25. Dennis Wittmer, “Behavioral Ethics in Business Organizations: What the Research Teaches Us.” In James O’Toole and Don Mayer (eds.), Good Business: Exercising Effective and Ethical Leadership (New York: Routledge: 2010), p. 59.
26. Betty Velthouse and Yener Kandogan, “Ethics in Practice: What Are Managers Really Doing?” Journal of Business Ethics 70, no. 2 (January 2007), pp. 151–163.
27. C. Piotrowski and Roger W. Guyette Jr., “Toyota Recall Crisis: Public Attitudes on Leader- ship and Ethics,” Organization Development Journal 28, no. 2 (2010), p. 95.
28. CNN Money, “Takata Shares Crash Again: Will the Airbag Maker Go Bankrupt?” 2016, http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/06/news/companies/takata-airbags-recall-shares-crash-what-next/ (March 29, 2017).
29. B. Elango, K. Paul, S. K. Kundu, and S. K. Paudel, “Organizational Ethics, Individual Ethics, and Ethical Intentions in International Decision Making,” Journal of Business Ethics 97, no. 4 (2010), p. 546.
30. Curtis C. Verschoor, “What’s Ethical? Here’s a Simple Test,” Strategic Finance (March 2000), p. 24.
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31. See Irene Roozen, Patrick DePelsmacker, and Frank Bostyn, “The Ethical Dimensions of Decision Processes of Employees,” Journal of Business Ethics 33, no. 2 (September 2001), p. 87; and Patrick E. Connor and Boris W. Becker, “Personal Value Systems and Decision-making Styles of Public Managers,” Public Personnel Management 32, no. 1 (Spring 2003), p. 155.
32. Miao-Ling Fang, “Evaluating Ethical Decision-Making of Individual Employees in Organiza- tions—an Integration Framework,” Journal of American Academy of Business 8, no. 2 (March 2006), p. 106.
33. Glen Pettigrove, “Ambitions,” Ethical Theory & Moral Practice 10, no. 1 (January 2007), p. 65.
34. L. Kohlberg, “Moral Stages and Moralization: The Cognitive-developmental Approach.” In T. Lickona (ed.), Moral Development and Behavior: Theory, Research and Social Issues (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston: 1976), pp. 31–53; and L. Kohlberg, Essays on Moral Development, Vol. 1: The Philosophy of Moral Development (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1981).
35. Linda K. Treviño, Gary R. Weaver, and Scott J. Reynolds, “Behavioral Ethics in Organiza- tions: A Review,” Journal of Management 32, no. 6 (December 2006), p. 955.
36. Sean Valentine, Martin M. Greller, and Sandra B. Richtermeyer, “Employee Job Response as a Function of Ethical Context and Perceived Organization Support,” Journal of Business Research 59, no. 5 (May 2006), pp. 583–587.
37. Robert Audi and Patrick E. Murphy, “The Many Faces of Integrity,” Business Ethics Quarterly 16, no. 1 (January 2006), p. 15.
38. Michael L. Michael, “Business Ethics: The Law of Rules,” Business Ethics Quarterly 16, no. 4 (2006), p. 481.
39. Arthur Gross Schaefer and Anthony J. Zaller, “Why Ethics Tools Don’t Work,” Nonprofit World 17, no. 2 (March/April 1999), pp. 42–44, adapted from Robert C. Solomon and Kristine Hanson, It’s Good Business (New York: Atheneum, 1985).
40. Y. Dufour and L. Lamothe, “Revisiting a Classic Study,” Journal of Strategy and Management 2, no. 1 (2009), p. 106.
41. Curtis C. Verschoor, Lawrence A. Ponemon, and Christopher Michaelson, “Values Added: Rules and Values in Ethical Decision Making,” Strategic Finance (February 2000), p. 24.
42. Shannon Bowen, “Organizational Factors Encouraging Ethical Decision Making: An Explora- tion into the Case of an Exemplar,” Journal of Business Ethics 52, no. 4 (July 2004), p. 312.
43. Verschoor, “What’s Ethical?”
44. Denis Collins, “Five Levels for Improving Ethical Performance,” Strategic Finance 88, no. 1 (July 2006), p. 20.
45. Verschoor, “What’s Ethical?”
46. Ibid.
47. M. Selart and S. T. Johansen, “Ethical Decision Making in Organizations: The Role of Lead- ership Stress,” Journal of Business Ethics 99, no. 2 (2011), p. 130.
48. Verschoor, “What’s Ethical?”
49. Society for Human Resource Management, “Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement,” 2016, p. 5, https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/trends-and-forecasting/research-and-surveys/ documents/2016-employee-job-satisfaction-and-engagement-report.pdf (March 29, 2017).
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Exercise 3–A Values Inventory
1. From the following list, choose five items that are most important to you. Rank the top five items according to your current values. This is only a partial list; fill in the (other) blanks with items that are of personal value to you. Give the most important item a 1, the next most important a 2, and so on.
Values Current 3 years 5 years 10 years
Security
Financial independence
Having children
Owning a home
Free time
Recognition or fame
Friendships
Helping others less fortunate than you
Family
Travel
Having the respect of others
Playing sports
Having an interesting job or career
Having good physical health
Being a knowledgeable, informed person
Having a sense of accomplishment
Spiritual fulfillment
Doing well in school
(other)
(other)
2. From the same list, indicate in the columns which values would comprise your top five ranking in 3 years, 5 years, and 10 years. Look back over your rankings. Does anything surprise you? Were there any drastic changes from the present through 10 years?
3. In examining your current values, how do these fit in with the way in which you currently allocate your time? Do these values fit in with your dreams, goals, ambitions, and life principles?
4. What major, unanticipated event could cause you to modify your rankings (serious illness, business failure, marriage, etc.)? Discuss how this event would impact your rankings.
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Exercise 3–B “This Is Your Life”
Fast-forward your life video and contemplate a celebration dinner (roast) to honor you. Imagine it is years into the future and we are celebrating your accomplishments at a retirement dinner. Assume that each of the following will deliver a speech: family member, close friend, business or professional associate, community or religious representative. How would you prefer to have these people think about, see, and perceive you and your actions? Identify the main points each would make in your honor. What would you ideally like to have said concerning your accomplishments, relationships with others, contributions to society, and so on?
Family Member’s Speech
Close Friend’s Speech
Business or Professional Associate’s Speech
Community or Religious Representative’s Speech
From reviewing the speeches, is there a common thread or theme? Write a phrase or caption that would summarize your life principle.
Source: Adapted from Stephen Covey, Seven Habits of Highly Successful People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989).
Exercise 3–C Your Personal Mission Statement
1. Use the space in 2., below, to write your personal mission. Your mission statement reflects your personal constitution, set of beliefs, and value system. In it, you should address such questions as these:
a. What is my purpose? What do I believe?
b. What do I value?
c. What do I treasure?
d. What is really important to me?
e. How do I want to approach living my life?
f. How do I want to approach life on a daily basis?
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Exercise 3–D Personal Goal Setting
1. In the space provided, brainstorm your goals in the following categories. Write as many as you wish, including goals that are short-, mid-, and long-term.
Academic, intellectual
Health, fitness
Social, family, friends, significant other, community
Career, job
Financial
Other
2. Answer the questions above by first reviewing the speeches from Exercise 3–B to ensure a multifaceted mission statement. Use the space here to record insights and understandings that you have about yourself and your life plan.
Clarifying your mission is an ongoing process. Revisit and update your mission periodically.
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2. Of the goals you have listed, select from each of the six categories the two most important goals you would like to pursue in the short term (next 6–12 months). Write these here:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
3. From the 12 goals you have listed, choose the three that are the most important to you at this time, the three you commit to work on in the next few months. Write a goal statement for each one, using the following guidelines:
■ Begin each with the word “To. . . .” ■ Be specific. ■ Quantify the goal if possible. ■ Each goal statement should be realistic, attainable, and within your control. ■ Each goal statement should reflect your aspirations—not those of others such as
parents, roommates, significant others.
1.
2.
3.
4. On a separate sheet of paper, develop an action plan for each goal statement. For each action plan:
■ List the steps you will take to accomplish the goal. ■ Include dates (by when) and initials (who’s responsible) for each step. ■ Visualize completing the goal and, working backwards, specify each step
necessary between now and then to reach the goal. ■ Identify any potential barriers you might experience in attaining the goal.
Problem-solve around these obstacles and convert them into steps in your action plan.
■ Identify the resources you will need to accomplish these goals, and build in steps to acquire the necessary information in your action plan.
5. Transfer the dates of each step for each goal in your action plan to a daily calendar.
6. Keep an ongoing daily or weekly record of the positive steps you take toward meet- ing each goal.
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Exercise 3–E Ethical Stance
Are the following actions ethical or unethical in your opinion? Why or why not? Consider individually and discuss in small groups.
■ Calling in sick when you really are not. ■ Clicking “Agree to Terms” without reading the fine print before accessing Web content. ■ Taking office supplies home for personal use. ■ Cheating on a test. ■ Turning someone in for cheating on a test or paper. ■ Overcharging on your company expense report. ■ Trying to flirt your way out of a speeding ticket. ■ Splicing cable from your neighbor. ■ Surfing the Net on company time. ■ Cheating on your income tax. ■ Lying (exaggerating) about yourself to influence someone of the opposite sex. ■ Looking at pornographic sites on the Web through the company network. ■ Lying about your education on a job application. ■ Lying about your experience in a job interview.
Exercise 3–F Evaluating Goals and Ethics
1. Watch a current TV show and answer the following questions: ■ What are some of the positive goal-setting behaviors exhibited by a primary charac-
ter in the show? Describe these behaviors and the outcome achieved in the show. ■ Is there a character who offers a negative role model with respect to goal setting?
Describe this person’s behaviors related to goal setting (or lack thereof) and the outcomes.
2. View a movie in which achievement or goal setting is a theme, such as Field of Dreams, Erin Brockovich, Dead Poets Society, and answer the following questions: ■ Describe the main character’s mission, its impact on that person’s behaviors, and
how he or she dealt with setbacks. ■ Identify elements of the character’s behavior that you would like to apply to your
own life. What would this look like?
3. Choose a TV show or a movie. What ethical dilemmas do the protagonist and antag- onist face? How does each deal with the situation? What decision factors do they use to make decisions? How is the situation resolved to take into consideration the needs of all involved (or is it)?
4. The next time you’re in a group situation and an ethical dilemma arises, watch the group to see how the decision is made. What factors are considered? Is an ethics test applied? How is the decision made? Is it the right one? How do you know?
Exercise 3–G Company Description
Write down a description of your life and the company you will work for, five years from now. Include the location (city or rural), your family, your car and house, your job field, your position title, a few of your responsibilities, and a description of your company’s size, prod- ucts or services, culture, people, mission, work environment, as well as your office.
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Now, imagine your life except 15 years from now. Write down the same items and note the changes.
Submitted by: Mr. Bob Eliason, Management Lecturer, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA. Used with permission.
Exercise 3–H Your Retirement Party
You are about to retire. At your farewell party, the host wants to list your life’s accomplish- ments. Prepare a list of what you expect to have accomplished over the years. Include per- sonal as well as business successes. What are your most important successes? How will you measure your happiness?
Submitted by: Mr. Bob Eliason, Management Lecturer, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA. Used with permission.
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72 1 / Intrapersonal Effectiveness: Understanding Yourself
Exercise 3–I Life Goals
Look at your entire life. Set one goal for each life component:
Education
Yours
Your children’s
Family
Parents/Stepparents/Biological and adopted
Marriage/Partner
Children/Nieces and nephews/Godchildren
Extended family
Career
Industry or occupation
Achievements
Position at retirement
Income
Sources
Financial security
Investments (short- and long-term)
Housing
Type
Location
Recreation
Hobbies
Travel
Interests
Sports
Health
Fitness/wellness
Major health issues
Culture
Music
Arts
Performances
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3 / Establishing Goals Consistent with Your Values and Ethics 73
Social involvement
Community
Causes
Charities
Leadership (or politics)
Volunteerism
Your emotional state
Other
Submitted by: Mr. Bob Eliason, Management Lecturer, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA. Used with permission.
Exercise 3–J Career Assets
The following factors are often associated with determining and maintaining a successful career path. Write a brief description of what actions you will take to achieve each career asset.
Education
A plan for your career path
Obtaining a variety of work experiences
Setting high expectations for personal performance
Timely changing of career
Selecting work that energizes you
Being a team player
Selecting career challenges and additional responsibilities
Being assertive or appropriately aggressive
Being flexible
Seeking and accepting feedback
Taking risks
Freeing yourself from the expectations of others
Submitted by: Mr. Bob Eliason, Management Lecturer, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA. Used with permission.
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74 1 / Intrapersonal Effectiveness: Understanding Yourself
Exercise 3–K Reflection/Action Plan
This chapter focused on goal setting—what it is, why it’s important, and how to acquire and increase the degree to which you possess it. We also discussed the role of values and ethics in setting goals that are aligned with your key priorities. Complete the following worksheet upon reading and finishing the experiential activities for this chapter.
1. The one or two areas in which I am most strong are:
2. The one or two areas in which I need more improvement are:
3. If I did only one thing to improve in this area, it would be to:
4. Making this change would probably result in:
5. If I did not change or improve in this area, it would probably affect my personal and professional life in the following ways:
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3 / Establishing Goals Consistent with Your Values and Ethics 75
Exercise 3–L What Does Social Responsibility Feel Like?
Research suggests that people are happier in the long run when they focus on the happi- ness of others instead of themselves. Businesses have been jumping on this trend (e.g., Corporate social responsibility-CSR) over the last decade and have started engaging in activities for the benefit of communities, customers, and the less-fortunate around the world. Some say that this is merely a marketing ploy to encourage more people to buy their products, and others argue that anything public firms do with their earnings besides reinvesting in the company or paying out dividends is tantamount to theft. You can debate the theoretical side of this in the discussion, but since most of you do not run Fortune 500 companies yet, we will conduct the following experiment to see how you internalize this nuance of management:
1. Do something just for yourself this week. Take an extra-long bubble bath, buy your- self something nice you otherwise would not, turn down a request to help someone so that you can use that time for your own interests, or do whatever the most selfish thing you can think of is (as long as it is legal).
2. Do something purely for someone else this week. Pay for the drink order of the per- son in line behind you, water the plants for an out-of-town neighbor, spend an after- noon helping at a soup kitchen, or come up with the most creative way you can think of to be completely selfless.
After you have completed both activities, you will write a brief 1–2 page paper. Please be sure to wait at least 24 hours after completing the second activity before you start writing, as you will find that your immediate reaction is typically slightly different from the way you feel after a bit of reflection. In your paper, be sure to:
1. Describe both the selfish and selfless activities you performed and what your motiva- tion for each one was.
2. Evaluate which of the activities gave you a greater sense of joy. This is likely an extremely difficult thing to assess, but do your best to be honest. If possible, try to give numerical scores to each feeling. For example, you might write that babysitting your neighbor’s cat was not fun, left you with no sense of purpose, and didn’t improve anyone’s life greatly; so, you rate the experience as a 3/10.
3. Draw any conclusions that you can from this assignment. If you enjoyed helping someone more than helping yourself, does this make you a better person? Would the world be a happier place if more people thought like you? Or is this a bunch of hippy nonsense that is eroding the capitalist system that built America?
Submitted by: Jason Myrowitz, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Business and Administration, Northern Arizona University Extended Campuses. Used with permission.
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