Overview:

What exactly makes a decision ethical? The problem with ethics is that what may seem morally right (or ethical) to one person may seem appalling to another.

This course will not provide you with an easy way to solve every ethical decision you will ever have to make. It will, however, help you define your ethical framework to make solving those ethical dilemmas easier. We’ll also look at some tools that you can use when you’re faced with an ethical decision. And, we’ll look at some techniques you can use so you don’t get stuck in an ethical quandary. Best of all, we’ll look at a lot of case studies so that you can practice making decisions in a safe environment.

Course Objective

After you complete this course, you will be able to:

• Understand the difference between ethics and morals
• Understand the value of ethics
• Identify some of your values and moral principles
• Be familiar with some philosophical approaches to ethical decisions
• Identify some ways to improve ethics in your office
• Know what is required to start developing an office code of ethics
• Know some ways to avoid ethical dilemmas
• Have some tools to help you make better decisions
• Be familiar with some common ethical dilemmas

 

Course Content Details:

Session 1:

•  Course Overview
•  Learning Objectives
•  Pre-Assignment
•  Pre-Course Assessment

 Session 2:

•  What are Ethics?
•  Defining Ethics and Morals
•  The Grey Area
•  Step One: Identifying Your Values
•  Step Two: Defining Your Values
•  Step Three: Put It All Together

 Session 3:

•  Taking Your Moral Temperature, Part One
•  Instructions
•  Scenario One
•  Scenario Two
•  Scenario Three
•  Scenario Four

 Session 4:

•  Why Bother with Ethics?
•  Introduction

 Session 5:

•  Kohlberg’s Six Stages
•  The Six Stages and Three Levels
•  Level One: Pre-Conventional Morality
•  Level Two: Conventional Morality
•  Level Three: Post-Conventional Morality
•  Example
•  Different Levels for Different Situations
•  Identifying Stages: Scenario One
•  Scenario Two
•  Scenario Three

 Session 6:

•  Some Objective Ways of Looking at the World
•  An Introduction to Philosophy
•  The Golden Rule
•  The Golden Mean
•  Utilitarianism
•  The Categorical Imperitive
•  Utopianism
•  Applying Philosophical Approaches
•  Scenario Two
•  Scenario Three
•  Scenario Four
•  Scenario Five

 Session 7:

•  What Does Ethical Mean?
•  Merck Pharmaceuticals
•  Developing Mectizan
•  Decision Analysis
•  Perspective One: A Merck Stockholder
•  Perspective Two: A Merck Employee
•  Perspective Three: A Drug Recipient
•  Perspective Four: Philosophical

 Session 8:

•  Avoiding Ethical Dilemmas
•  Some Easy Strategies
•  Case Studies: Scenario One
•  Scenario Two
•  Scenario Three

 Session 9:

•  Pitfalls and Excuses
•  Introduction

 Session 10:

•  Developing an Office Code of Ethics
•  Are You Ready?
•  Sample Codes of Ethics
•  Rotary Four-Way Test
•  Minnesota Principles
•  U.S. Bank Ethical Principles
•  Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics
•  Making Connections, Part One
•  Making Connections, Part Two
•  Your Code of Ethics

 Session 11:

•  22 Keys to an Ethical Office
•  The 22 Keys
•  Pre-Assignment Review

 Session 12:

•  Basic Decision Making Tools
•  Model Introduction
•  The Problem Solving Model
•  Model Information
•  Another Perspective
•  The First Phase
•  Perception
•  Definition
•  Analysis, Part One
•  Analysis, Part Two
•  Analysis, Part Three
•  The Second Phase
•  Brainstorming
•  Checkerboard
•  Research and Report
•  Evaluation
•  Decision Making
•  The Third Phase
•  Planning
•  Implementation
•  Solution Planning Worksheet
•  The Problem Solving Toolkit
•  Sample Criteria
•  Force Field Analysis
•  Legitimizing Problems and Positions
•  The Communication Funnel
•  Using the Funnel

 Session 13:

•  Ethical Decision Making Tools
•  Three Types of Tools
•  Tools for Quick Decisions: Ethical Priorities
•  Tools for Quick Decisions: The Smell Test
•  Advanced Processes: The Potter Box, Part One
•  Advanced Processes: The Potter Box, Part Two
•  Advanced Processes: The Kidder Process
•  Case Study
•  Task

 Session 14:

•  Dilemmas with Company Policy
•  Common Dilemmas
•  The Third Option
•  Providing Solutions

 Session 15:

•  Dilemmas with Co-Workers
•  Potential Dilemmas
•  Case Studies: Scenario 1
•  Scenario Two
•  Scenario Three
•  Scenario Four

 Session 16:

•  Dilemmas with Clients
•  Potential Dilemmas
•  Making Connections

 Session 17:

•  Dilemmas and Supervisors
•  Dilemmas with Your Supervisor
•  Plan A
•  Plan B, Part One
•  Plan B, Part Two
•  Plan B, Part Three
•  Plan C
•  Dilemmas as a Supervisor

 Session 18:

•  What to Do When You Make a Mistake
•  Introduction
•  The Six-Step Plan

 Session 19:

•  Taking Your Moral Temperature, Part Two
•  Instructions
•  Scenario One
•  Scenario Two
•  Scenario Three
•  Scenario Four
•  A Look Back

 Session 20:

•  A Personal Action Plan
•  Starting Point
•  Where I Want to Go
•  How I Will Get There
•  Summary
•  Recommended Reading List
•  Post-Course Assessment
•  Course Completion
•  Certificate

---