Check decisions and planned activities for "rightness" before implementing them. Use the questions below (or similar ones supplied by your organization) as your litmus test. Answering "no" to one or more of the following would suggest the need to either develop an alternative strategy or to seek counsel and advice from appropriate sources:
THE ETHICAL ACTION TEST
A. Is it legal?
B. Does it comply with our rules and guidelines?
C. Is it in sync with our organizational values?
D. Will I be comfortable and guilt-free if I do it?
E. Does it match our stated commitments and guarantees?
F. Would I do it to my family or friends?
G. Would I be perfectly okay with someone doing it to me?
H. Would the most ethical person I know do it?
Tip is excerpted from Ethics4Everyone, a unique and powerful resource for employees at ALL levels. It provides practical information to guide individual actions, decisions, and daily behaviors. And it will help your entire workforce understand that, when it comes to business ethics, everyone is responsible ... everything counts!