The inscription in the book on my library shelf reads, "For Mary Merrill, with great gratitude for all you're doing to create a more ethical future," Rushworth M. Kidder
The book was given to me in 1996 when I helped organize an ethical decision-making workshop with Mr. Kidder, founding president of the Institute for Global Ethics, for a state conference on volunteerism. At the time I considered his words as a thank you for the workshops. But over the years these words have taken on greater meaning as I have worked to strengthen leadership and organizational structures that support volunteerism and civic engagement. I believe ethics lie at the core of leadership and thus at the core of volunteer administration. John Gardner, cofounder of the Independent Sector said,
Line workers and managers alike are increasingly concerned with the honesty and integrity of behavior, personally, organizationally and within their professions. (Johnston & Waymire, 1992, p. 1)
defines ethics as "the discipline of dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation." The Oxford English Dictionary (Compact Edition, 1970) indicates the word "ethics" was derived from the Greek term "ethos," meaning "custom, usage, manner or habit," and offers the following definitions: "the moral principles by which a person is guided" and "the rules of conduct recognized in certain associations or departments of human life."
Values are the foundation of ethics. Background, experience, family, friends, faith and community all shape our personal values. These values are "deep-rooted principles which influence our attitudes and decision" (Johnston &Waymire, 1992, p.16).
As professionals engaged in the management of volunteer programs we are faced daily with the pressures of increasing program expectations, decreasing funding sources, increasing requests for short term or project oriented opportunities, pressures to maintain our traditional programs and resources, and pressures to change, be innovative, creative and different. We may find our days filled with dilemmas and tough choices as we are forced to make decisions that will have direct impacts on programs and people--people who have offered their time and talents to help us fulfill our mission. We make choices between right and wrong based on laws, rules, procedures, etc. One choice is correct, based on stated criteria, and one choice is wrong. Ethical decisions require us to make decisions based on right versus right choices. Often there is no "correct" answer. Instead we must weight both sides of the question and make a decision based on a core value or belief.
Consider this example. A long time volunteer asked me if she could use my name for an employment reference. She has been with us for a long time and I know her well as a friend. She's a good person and a dependable volunteer. But, I am very uncomfortable about giving a job reference. I do not feel she has the skills or ability to tackle the job she is seeking. I would personally never hire her for that job. That's not to say she wouldn't be great in a lot of other things. But this position is not where her strengths lie. So what do I do?
What kind of friend would I be if I refused to give a reference? Besides, what harm is there. All I have to do is answer a few questions and keep my personal opinions to myself. But if she gets the job and fails, have I really been a friend? Do I give a reference based on the value of loyalty?
She is not a good match for this job, no matter how much she wants it. She has great strengths, but not in the areas required in this position. If I give her a recommendation and she doesn't make it on the job that reflects on me as well. If she doesn't get the job because of me she will be disappointed and discouraged. Do I not give a reference based on the value of honesty?
There is no "correct" answer to this dilemma. If I place a high value on honesty, the ethical response is not to give the reference and to explain my reasons fully. If I value loyalty, I may write a letter of reference carefully choosing my words to highlight her actual skills.
Knowing your own value system doesn't make the decision less difficult, but it does help clarify why I am choosing a certain course or action. "They are genuine dilemmas because each side is firmly rooted in one of our basic core values" (Kidder, 1995). Our ethics are reflected in the decisions we make.
Applying one's core values in a consistent manner leads to integrity. Earlier I shared that the word ethos means usage or habit. Ethos relates to people's integrity, their character, and their credibility as persons. If your ethos is sound, you inspire trust; you help people believe in your integrity. An ethical person consistently applies their values so that there is congruence between what they believe, say and do. Ethics are concerned with how a person behaves, while values are concerned with the beliefs and attitudes that determine how a person behaves.
Ethics are 'values transformed into action.' In other words, our values are reflected in the things we do. If we are to be respected and credible as individuals and as professionals, it is important there be some consistency in the values that are demonstrated by our actions. (Johnston &Waymire, 1992, p.5)
Personal values are uniquely individual and we each tend to set priorities based on our core values and beliefs to help us decide how to act. Because we each have this personal value system that helps us judge what it right and what is wrong, does not mean that ethics is purely a personal matter.
The Josephson Institute for Ethics has identified Six Pillars of Character - trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship - as universal values that form the universal foundation for ethical behavior. The Jefferson Center for Character Education has identified ten "Universal Values:" honesty, integrity, promise-keeping, fidelity, fairness, caring for others, respect for others, responsible citizenship, pursuit of excellence and accountability. Thomas Jeavons names five values that are essential in the character and behavior of nonprofit, especially philanthropic, organizations: integrity, openness, accountability, service, and a caring demeanor (Herman, 1994). The International Association for Volunteer Administration (AVA) has identified six core professional values: citizenship, respect, responsibility, caring, justice and fairness, and trustworthiness. These collective values help us determine our behavior within our level of society.
Organizations and professions identify shared values to express public commitment to a set of goals or social purposes and use these values as standards for practice. Collective values build on personal values. "A belief in collective standards suggests that there is a community beyond our individual sphere" (Johnston &Waymire, 1992, p.23).
One of the most important challenges for leaders is to identify collective values and then translate those values into behavior. Anyone who has ever worked on a process to identify organizational or association values knows that the exercise itself is helpful in terms of gaining clarity about core values. But the real challenge of leadership is to align values with practices. "The believability and credibility so essential for leadership are earned when your behavior is consistent with your beliefs" (Kouzes and Posner, 1987, p. 302)
To put values into action consider each identified core value and ask, "What does it mean to live this out in our day to day operation?" I find that many times several people will use the same word to describe a value but when I ask them to explain what they mean by that word there are very different explanations.
A group of employees told me they placed a very high value on communication in the workplace. After talking in small groups about what it means to live the value of communication, one group defined communication as a consistent, timely flow of information from management to employees and volunteers. Another group defined communication as respectfully listening to one another and valuing each person's input and opinions. We had two very diverse interpretations of the same value. One-word lists of values often need to be clarified with preferred behavior descriptions. It is easier to walk the talk if the talk is clearly and appropriately stated.
AVA has defined each of its professional values with a short statement that describes preferred behavior. For example, the value of Autonomy is defined as "involving persons in decisions which directly affect them, promoting understanding and the actualization of mutual benefits inherent in any act of volunteer service" (AVA, 1999). The first part of this statement is a very clear description of behavior. . . involving people in the decisions that affect them and promoting understanding. The second part, actualizing the inherent mutual benefits, is much harder to grasp and is an example of a statement that sounds wonderful but may have little meaning to those reading it. I would recommend being careful to not be verbose or complex in your descriptions. Value statements and behavior descriptions that are simply stated and easy to understand will be easier to live.
As leaders we can play an important role by facilitating discussions around the meanings and behaviors associated with values identified for the field We can help others understand what we believe and what guides our decision making process. We can help to make our values shared values.
As a profession AVA has identified a set of core values that set the standard for how professionals will act. Our leadership role is to help make those values the collective standards of the organization so that there is congruence between what the organization says it believes and how it acts. Developing volunteer resources is not a "lone ranger" operation. If the organization does not value its volunteer resources, does not involve them in decisions that directly affect them, you cannot do it alone. Successful volunteer programs are built on a contract between the organization and the volunteers to reach a chosen outcome. Volunteers coming into our organizations know very quickly how sincerely they are wanted and valued. Effective leaders build teams that function as cohesive units that feel like families when possible. The best way to do this is to identify and talk about shared values to help everyone realize that the there is a common basis for how we reach our mission and vision.
As managers of volunteer resources we need to weave the ethics of our profession into the fabric of our organizations. We articulate and model a set of core values so that they become part of the organization's values. We act on our values by using them as the basis for decision-making.
Acting on our values can be very difficult and also very freeing. The leadership in an organization where I worked changed and over time I noticed that there was a different atmosphere and different expectation. I found myself feeling sort of "out of step" with others around me. One day during a management staff meeting I initiated a conversation about workplace values. It became very clear that our new management had a new set of values. While I valued creativity, openness and inclusion, management valued conformity, control and hierarchy. At first I was shocked. Then I actually felt relieved to understand that my internal discomfort was because I was not in a situation where I could live my values. I spent about a year trying to affect a change. But, the group values were different from my values and most of the group was comfortable with the values in place. The choice then was mine. I could compromise my values or I could leave. Based on how I had felt for many months I knew I could not compromise my values and so I chose to leave. This whole experience was not easy, but it was freeing for me to be able to understand what was happening and what choices I had. I could not bring new employees and new volunteers into an organization that did not value openness, inclusion and creativity. I was called to walk my talk.
I began and ended this article with a personal reflection, because any discussion of ethics and leadership begins with the individual. Ethics begins with identifying personal and then collective values. Leadership development also begins with a personal quest to discover who we are. Every manager of volunteer resources should take the time to develop a personal philosophy of volunteer management. Think about what you believe about volunteerism and the work of volunteers. Read the professional values identified by the International Association of Volunteer Administration and internalize what it means to live those values. Rushworth Kidder, How good People Make Tough Choices, would say that ethical fitness is like physical fitness. You have to work on it all the time so that it becomes a way of life - it is reflected in your integrity and your leadership. A mature sense of ethics is one of the most dominant of all leadership characteristics.
References:
Association for Volunteer Administration (1999). Professional ethics in volunteer administration. Richmond, VA: Association for Volunteer Administration
Blanchard K & O'Connor, M. (1997). Managing by values. San Francisco: Kerrit-Koehler Publishers
Herman, R & Associates (1994). The jossey-bass handbook of nonprofit leadership and management. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers
Johnston G. & Waymire, J. (1992). What if . . . A guide to ethical decision making. Carp Ontario: Johnston Training and Consulting.
Kidder, R. (1995). How good people make tough choices. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc.
Kidder, R. (1994). Shared values in a troubled world. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers
Merriam-Webster (1996). Collegiate dictionary, tenth edition. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
What is ethics anyway?(n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2001 from: http://www.josephsoninstitite.org
Why ethics? Why now?(n.d.) Retrieved August 8, 1999 from http://www.ethics.org/awhy.html