LIVING ETHICALLY

At my sons karate class this morning I was sitting with another parent who is also a neighbour. We were chatting and suddenly my phone vibrates twice to let me know that I have a text message. I'm not going to tell you what I did, but the situation got me thinking of vice or virtue. In today's society is it a vice for me to peek at my phone to check the message? Is it virtue for me to demonstrate respect and consideration for our conversation by ignoring the text and practicing active listening? What role has technology played in ethical complexity?

After karate we went to pick up some groceries. Is it vice for people to leave their shopping carts diagonally in the middle of the aisle where it blocks others from getting by? Is it virtue to park your grocery cart on one side of the aisle to allow your fellow shoppers to pass while you are reading the labels?

The discussion of write and wrong is relevant in so much we do and as I am discovering in any interaction with others whether active or passive. While there are no real rules about my experience in the dojo, I believe the right thing is to ignore my phone until there is a break in the conversation and then excuse myself politely in order to check to see if I have an important message. However, I've seen others sabatoge a conversation because of a meaningless text message or phone call. While there is nothing written on any signs at the grocery store it only seems ethical to keep your cart to one side to consider others who may want to pass and enjoy their shopping experience.

Not sure how much I believe in an absolute right and absolute wrong, but awareness of how our behaviour affects others in critical for leadership and building better relationships. Bass (1999) suggests that ethics plays a huge part authentic transformational leadership.

What's the big deal?  Ethics are part of the invisible network of systems that connect humans to one another.  With Ethics comes an understanding of how ones behaviour impacts others and society.  Bad in, bad out.  Good in, good out.