This is a really interesting issue and I love the two examples given. The diversity example is interesting in that at first glance it appears to be a very cynical response to a customers requirement. So what did happen next? Did you get the job? Did any women get hired and what was their experience?
In recent years I have found myself having a degree of sympathy for the last guy to realise that times have changed. Things change slowly and there are always people out there who don't spot that that the tide has changed until long after there boat is high and dry. People who try to keep a particular industry going long after it's sell by date. the visionaries are first to leave; then those who have options and can pretend they left for some other reason if the tide comes back in; then those who use the courage of the others and scoff at those left behind recognising that the tide really has gone out for good; and finally those who are dragged kicking and screaming. It must be really scary for that last group. What goes on in the mind of the last guy to realise that racism is simply not acceptable any more or gender discrimination or ageism. They still do their job as well as before but one day the company culture changes and everything they believed yesterday is no longer acceptable. We have just introduced a ban on smoking in pubs in Ireland and some people are having a hard time of it. The pint and the cigarette are part and parcel of their whole social existence and poof, no more. There is a movement now, finally, against advertising of alcohol in the context of sport. There seems to be a tendency for more extreme elements to be left in organisations as the changes arise. I wonder what is happening in the National Rifle Association. Do the moderates leave one by one with only the hardline and very dangerous people remaining. A question for the US listers, do birds of a feather flock together into certain areas of the US and is this affecting the way certain states will vote in the upcoming elections. People under threat tend to gather with others who make them feel safe. Other more moderate voices often feel as if they are not being listened to and leave to find people with whom they feel safe. And so we get rich suburbs and inner city ghettoes. If we were to leave such groups to themselves would they become more extreme or do they eventually implode. Companies will go out of business, churches decline in attendance and sad communities die. I just hope there is somebody there to put their arm around the last smoker, or racist, or gun toten (?) NRA women or capitalist or republican or catholic or tribal warrior or whatever, who can say gently "time to change, think new things, move on to new spaces". Unfortunately, they seem so strange to us, so out of whack, we just shoot them. So here's to those strong enough to bring openness to places where there is none, light into the darkness and all that jazz. Shay At 15:20 31/08/2004, you wrote:
I am loving the discussion about ethics and OS. I agree with everyone. Here's my 2 cents. When facilitating a module on "Facilitating Ethical Conduct," within a leadership seminar to corporate folk, we discuss this issue. What's tough about ethical issues is the conflict of two equally important values, for example, justice vs mercy. Difficult choice. Does context matter? Justice if your child is murdered...or mercy for prisoners harshly treated. For me, the more I am clear on my values and principles, the easier the decision, but not without some deep thought and looking at the context. Here's two quick stories about how a consulting company handled their ethical dilemmas: About 12 years ago I interviewed with a well-known consulting group for a position as one of the first women to join their company in the position of "consultant." The president told me why they were looking to include women. They needed to diversify their consulting group. All were white males, mostly young with a few older lions. One major potential client asked them where their diversity was in their consultants because their company valued it and couldn't see working with a company that didn't show it in their business practices. Hence the jump to interviewing and including women on their team to increase business. Also, a large cigarette company wanted them to teach their philosophy in classes and do organizational consulting. It was a potentially very lucrative contract. The conflict of values, ethical issue, was 'do we help a company that makes a product that we do not condone? (the company has a religious heritage that strongly values healthy living, no caffeine, alcohol or tobacco). I found it amazing that there would even be a discussion about this or that they would even pursue this client. What they decided to do, after much thought, was not pursue the contract but offer individuals within the cigarette company an opportunity to consult with them on a one-on-one basis. Does business (money) drive our values (when we don't know where the next paycheck is coming from) or do we stand in the ones that are important to us? Clarifying our own values is the most we can do and then acting on them. Blessings, Blake PS: wasn't "Values Clarification" a big issue in the 60's? Hmmm........ * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
Crossroads Facilitation 50 Carrigdhoun, Waterpark, Carrigaline, Co. Cork www.crossroadsfacilitation.ie "Building bridges and getting you over them" * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
