Please consult the Association Forum’s “Ethical Behavior of
Association Leaders” Professional Practice Statement for
more information about essential traits of ethical behavior
and other conduct and ethical behavior necessities. Visit
associationforum.org>Resources>Samples and Best Practice
Guidelines>Professional Practice Statements.
step in ethical decision-making protection. The following four steps will aid
leaders in making ethical decisions,
particularly when under stress.
1. Process orientation. Ethical decision
making is done in the context of
organizational initiatives or projects.
Leaning on the basics of good project management can help leaders
stay process-oriented. A commitment
to good processes guards against the
kinds of emotions that can short-circuit good judgment. For instance,
should a significant new grant surface with a short application period,
teams may be inclined to skip steps
with the good intention of capturing
new funds. Careful analysis might
reveal, however, that the association is not equipped to meet all of
the grant’s requirements. Careful
recordkeeping provides for an objective review of the decision points
with the anticipated outcomes. In
these ways, leaders can use systems
and institutional memory to defend
against the natural biases built into
human memory.
2. Openness to feedback. Leaders who
isolate themselves are much more ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ;;;;!; ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
susceptible to logical fallacies, since
they have limited their opportunities
for checks and balances. Ensuring
that the decision-making process
includes gathering multiple viewpoints and vetting pros and cons
keeps the discussion open and honest.
3. Take a turn in everyone’s seat. Taking the time to think through all the
stakeholders potentially affected by
a leadership decision, the short- and
long-term consequences, and the
effects of even the most unlikely
outcomes creates an ethical audit
of the options. The association will
benefit from both the ethical and
the strategic screening. Being very
clear about all the people who stand
to benefit, or get hurt, by leadership decisions makes it easy to see
potential consequences from their
viewpoints. Leaders, their teams and
their members will all benefit from
the patience and diligence a solid
analysis requires.
4. Open communication. In today’s
leadership parlance, a synonym
for open communication is transparency. Like the “red-face test,”
imagine if decision options and the
rationale were put on public display.
This kind of scenario can serve as a
good guide for decisions that match
ethical intentions.
Leaders with a solid history of
success see their own good judgment as part of their association’s
strategic advantage. Being naturally
subject to irrationality and bias may
seem counterintuitive. Yet, psychologists give us fair warning of the logical fallacies and preconceptions that
can trip up the best among us. In
his first inaugural address, Abraham
Lincoln spoke of “the better angels
of our nature” in appealing for balanced decision making. Awareness
and monitoring of the inherent
obstacles to ethical decisions can
help leaders fully avail themselves of
“their better angels.”
Beth Michaels is principal of Primer, Michaels
and Associates, and professor of leadership at
Northwestern University. She may be reached at
bmichaels@primermichaels.com.
