Ethics

Regan and Caroline recently presented on the topic of Ethics, and I have to say it was one of my favorite ones so far, just because it relates to closely to both professional and personal relationships. They asked how we would define ethics, and I've always thought of it as "who you are when you're all alone, and how you act when you know nobody is watching". Its your moral code and how you act on it, almost instinctively. It's having the devil on one shoulder and an angel on another and how you act when push comes to shove and a "right or wrong" decision has to be made.

So often in the news when a workplace scandal comes out, we hear "United Airlines is corrupt", "Pepsi is corrupt" etc., but really, it's (usually) one or two individuals at the top making a poor decision that has a trickle down effect on the rest of the company.

Being in a sorority, they always tell us that we are part of something bigger than ourselves, and our everyday actions reflect not only ourselves, but the organization as a whole and everyone else involved. They emphasized to us that before acting upon something, saying something, posting something or doing anything to ask ourselves "Is there pride in what I'm doing? Would my parents and teachers be proud of me for doing this?" and I think that this is a great motto to live your life by. If you'd be embarrassed that someone found out you were doing something, you shouldn't do it at all, even if you know you won't get caught. Acting ethically both in your personal and professional life means you will never have to cover your tracks or conceal a lie, and there's a lot to be said for living an honest life. People do not forget when they are lied to or mistreated, and having a tarnished reputation in the workplace can follow you. It's a small world and the professional world is even smaller; employers always talk and you never want anyone to have a negative thing to say about you.

Though it's sometimes innate, behaving ethically may not always be the most tempting or easy choice, but it's a matter of maturity and respect and being able to live with the decisions you make.