Ethical Decision Making

Transcript

The following presentation will be given Mr. Benedict Po the special advisor within the office of values and ethics. It is his role to provide guidance, advice and training on Public Sector Values and ethics, Code of Conduct, Conflict of interest, harassment prevention, values-based management and leadership principles, ethical risk management and disclosure of wrongdoing.

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Hello! And Welcome to the overview presentation of the Employment and Social Development Canada Ethical Decision Making model.

ESDC developed and implemented an ethical decision making model. It is an outline of 7 steps to apply when faced with ethical dilemmas. The model recognizes the reality that humans make decisions based on a mixture of emotional and rational thinking. Let me clarify.

Over many thousands of years, humans have relied on the brain to make decisions and survive. This portion of the brain, the limbic system sometimes referred to as "lizard brain", is a system that is involved in our emotions and feelings of pleasure related to survival. The most recently developed structure in the history of brain evolution, the pre-frontal cortex, is in charge of abstract thinking, analysis short and long term decision making, planning and strategizing.

Did you know that? :

While the brain itself has only increased in size about three fold in the past 5 million years, the size of the pre-frontal cortex has increased six fold.

Research has shown that in the face of uncertainty the less information we have the more irrational and erratic our decisions become. As uncertainty increases our brains tend to shift control over to the limbic system the place where emotions, anxiety and fear are generated. As we face uncertainty our brains push us to overreact. In today's workplace successful people are able to override this mechanism and shift their thinking in a rational direction. They remind themselves that a primitive part of their brain is trying to take over and the logical part needs to be the one charge.

Do we face uncertainty at work? Do we always have complete and clear information to carry out our tasks?

As a public sector organization the department's interest is in its employees and managers having the ability and capacity to make the best decision at all times.

We have found that the chances of making good decisions go up with:

  1. An increased awareness of how our brain makes decisions: Decisions are strongly based on emotions, limbic or lizard? And it is necessary to balance this tendency with our capacity for analytic and rational thinking.
  2. Increased exposure to various experiences and building up those varied experiences to draw from when making a decision. In this past this has been referred to gaining or having the experience to make good decisions and we associate this with individuals we refer to as the "office veterans".
  3. Putting in place a rational thought process. The ESDC Ethical Decision Making Model is one tool that can assist you in boosting the rational part of your thinking process when you are faced with uncertainty.

The model is composed of 7 steps:

  1. To identify the issue
  2. Fact finding and analysis
  3. Identify your reference points
  4. Identify all possible solutions and or options
  5. Select the best possible solution
  6. Commit to and implement the decision well
  7. Reflect and learn

For the first step, Identifying the Issue, refers to accurately and concisely identifying what the problem or issue or dilemma is. This is important because if you don't correctly identify the issue your solution will be wrong. This is why we have the saying: "You have the right answer to the wrong question".

Getting this 1st step right, gives you a strong foundation for the next steps; if you have multiple issues at the same time, list them all down and you can use this model to address each one of them in priority.

The second step, Fact Finding and Analysis, refers to gathering data, evidence and facts to give you a better understanding of the causes and consequences that surround your main issue. Your objective at this step is to gather information the decision making step comes later. Don't get it mixed up or you might find yourself in a situation of decision-based evidence making. Some questions that can help you in this step are:

  • What are the facts?
  • What is the quality of our evidence?
  • What information is missing?
  • What information or evidence do I need to obtain?
  • Who are the experts or trusted councillors that can provide information?

Did you know that? :

The recent trend in data analytics, predictive modelling and decision making trees has their foundations in Step 2: Fact Finding and Analysis and as well as ethical decision making models.

Don't forget that you are looking for facts not rumours, innuendos or suspicions. As sample statement to frame your fact finding approach could be: "I want to know what you know and I want to know what you think." And you need to be clear which is which.

The third step, Identifying your Reference Points, refers to the rules, laws, policies, procedures and guidelines that apply to the issue.

This is the step where the values of the Public Sector come in. These are the values that must be considered in every decision we make while we are in the public service. Additionally and as an example if you are faced with a staffing or human resources issue one of your reference points will be the Public Service Employment Act. If you are dealing with an issue regarding privacy and confidentiality you need to know and understand the Privacy Act and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Document Act. These are examples of reference points.

The fourth step, Identifying All Possible Solutions or Options, refers to listening to various potential options and solutions including those options that may appear to be impossible or untenable. You take each option and consider the potential outcomes and risks. Generally speaking there are at a minimum three options that usually present themselves.

  • Do nothing
  • Delay Or
  • Do Something

Some questions that can help you in the step are:

  • What are the benefits and who will this benefit?
  • What are the risks and potential consequences?
  • Does this option reflect our values?

Did you know that? :

The industry of simulations which allows behaviours to be modelled that would otherwise be too dangerous or expensive to study or apply has its foundations based on this fourth step of identifying possible solutions and options.

The fifth step, Selecting the Best Option, refers to choosing the best solution or option after weighing each during step four. Keep note that while your preference may be an ideal solution or option sometimes you may have to make do with your second best option. And then there are those situations where there is no positive option available and you may have to with the option that minimizes harm or the lesser of two evils.

The sixth step, Committing to and Implementing the Decision Well, refers to the importance of following through after you have made a decision. Attention to detail is a must and how you implement is as important as the results you are achieving.

The seventh step, Reflect and Learn, refers to the importance of doing yourself a favor and setting up time in the future to review your decision and reflect on how it all turned out.

  • Was the decision the right one?
  • What have you learned?
  • Do you regularly check yourself for biases, emotions and self-deception?

Did you know that? :

We are already doing this and have been doing this for many years.

  • Have you ever formulated a New Year's Resolution list?

Regardless of the outcome you will feel more comfortable or assured that you made the best decision at the time with the information and resources you had available when applying the decision making model.

There you have it! ESDC's Ethical Decision Making Model a system that has been part of human brain development over millions of years and now provided to you in a condensed and systematic approach to solving problems and ethical dilemmas in the workplace.

If you are interested in learning more about the model or if you are seeking assistance in navigating through an ethical dilemma don't hesitate to contact our office.

The Office of Values and Ethics.

Thank you.