Ways to Practice Ethics Daily

In professional and personal settings, everyone has an opportunity to implement ethical decision-making in their day-to-day lives. Need some inspiration on how to integrate ethics into your daily life? Here’s are a few suggestions courtesy of the NASBA Center for the Public Trust (CPT) …

Respect Autonomy

Autonomy is the right or condition of self-government. Whether you are navigating professional or personal relationships, respecting an individual’s right to make decisions and choices for themselves free of undue influence is imperative. Allow others around you to make choices how they see fit without trying to sway or coerce them into choosing what is best for you.

Create the Opportunity for Discussion

In the workplace, there will be times when changes are made to policies, workflows and more. In personal relationships, these changes can look like moving to a new state, adopting a pet, facing conflict and so on. If you are initiating change or if something is changing and you have concerns, create the opportunity for discussion. Allowing all parties to respectfully voice their thoughts and ask for clarity surrounding the topic will give everyone the chance to be heard and considered.

 Accept Feedback

From work projects to interactions with friends and family, it is almost impossible to not make mistakes or miss the mark in certain situations. While mistakes are inevitable and usually not done in malice, it is likely that the other individuals involved will have feedback to provide. It is crucial that you accept feedback without reacting negatively and take it into consideration moving forward. Not only does welcoming constructive criticism better you as an individual, but it also shows other people that you value their feelings and opinions.

How will you make small changes to implement better ethical decision-making in your life?

– Gia Tims, Communications & Digital Media Specialist