COMMENTARY 760.3 DO BAD PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE GOOD?

When she was six, my daughter Carissa asked, “Do dumb people think they’re smart?” Answering her own question, she added, “They probably do because they’re dumb.” This made me think: “Do bad people think they’re good?” I wouldn’t be surprised if most do. In fact, I think all of us are ethical in our own eyes. The human tendency to rationalize, to …

COMMENTARY 759.5: Ten Truths for the Person in Charge

Based on years of managing several organizations, including the Josephson Institute of Ethics, and on extensive consultation with large and small organizations, I’ve distilled much of what I believe and advocate into “Ten Truths.” I hope you find this list helpful. Feel free to share it with colleagues and friends. (Or print this mini-poster version of the list.) Everyone rationalizes; including you. (We’re all …

WORTH SEEING: Poster – For most of my life, my disposition toward logic and rational thinking led me to guard against and discount emotions, my own and others. I believed that feelings obstruct good decision making. I’ve come to realize this was not wise. Sometimes our hearts know what our minds haven’t discovered and sometimes following our feelings is a smarter strategy than trying to figure everything out. Non-rationally motivated decisions are not necessarily irrational or unwise. — Michael Josephson

   

COMMENTARY: Hurrah for Hollywood! This Year’s Crop is Rich in Films that Inform, Move and Inspire 759.3

I know I’m out of my depth as a movie critic, but I am venturing into this new territory because there’s so much criticism about Hollywood that we don’t always give ample credit for the substantial number of truly wonderful movies that teach, move, and inspire, as well as entertain. And from my narrow perspective as an ethicist, I am grateful …

COMMENTARY: Good Ethics is More Than Good Business 759.2

Ethics is a popular topic at corporate meetings today because managers correctly see the benefits. Good things tend to happen to companies that consistently do the right thing, and bad things tend to happen to those that even occasionally do the wrong thing. Being ethical is playing the odds. Ethical companies have a competitive edge because people prefer to deal …

OBSERVATION: “Our moral obligations and the expectations people have of us do not go away just because we ignore them.” – Michael Josephson

I once saw a cartoon depicting a CEO speaking to assembled management team at a conference table: “We have some difficult issues to resolve today. Before we begin, Ms. Gladstone, will you please hand out the moral blinders?” It may make the decision easier but it doesn’t make it better. We can’t escape moral responsibility  through legal loopholes — our conduct will …

OBSERVATION: The Ethics of Numbers — Hitting the numbers without meeting the goals.

In the last decade, the ability to track and measure almost any factor of business performance on a daily, even an minute-by-minute basis, has resulted in an even greater emphasis on setting quantitative goals to assess effectiveness and drive effort. The concept of “hitting your numbers”  is a dominant theme in many organizations. The problem is, sometimes without the knowledge …

COMMENTARY: How to Change Attitudes and Behavior — “I Can Do It and It’s Worth It.” 758.6

In yesterday’s commentary, I talked about a teacher named Shavonne who was at wits end with several students, including Leon, whose lack of self-control when he became angry or frustrated constantly created trouble.  She was certain that nothing short of intense therapy could change his behavior. Changing Leon’s behavior will be a challenge, but it has to start with changing …