Finishing School: Ethics

Morning Session

This Careers Preparation National Center product was funded by a National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity grant (H98230-22-1-0329), which is part of the National Security Agency.

Welcome

• We are so glad you are here!
• I am [Instructor Name]
• Credentials
• Fun/icebreaker info
• Finishing School is not like a traditional school
• There are not grades & assignments
• There are way more involved discussions, researching in small groups, and focus on finalizing what you already have in you
• Ethics, Professionalism, Resume, & Interviewing
• At a deeper level

Understanding Ethics

• Per Oxford, “moral principles that govern a person’s behavior or the conducting of an activity.”
• Per Canada, “Ethics examines the rational justification for our moral judgements.”
• We may agree or disagree with definitions as ethics is a unique thing that exists personally and within almost every framework we interact with
• At it’s core, ethics can be defined as a system of moral principles that helps guide human behavior.

Ethics vs Morals & Values

• While closely related has different meanings:

• Ethics
• Rules or guidelines
• Typically set by social groups or culture as well as rules and laws
• Rights & Wrongs
• More systematic
• A collective set of standards that a majority agrees on

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• Morals
• Usually more personal & individual beliefs about what is right and wrong
• Typically based more on religious, cultural, and philosophical principles
• Morals usually describe personal convictions.
• Influenced by one’s upbringing, culture, & personal experiences

• Values
• Often described as deeply held beliefs that guide our behavior and decision-making.
• Principles that may form the basis of our morals and ethical decisions
• Values are often described as honesty, integrity, stewardship

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Perspectives on Ethics

• Virtue/Character Ethics
• Good people make good moral choices
• Plato
• Rule/Deontological ethics
• Following good rules enables us to make good moral choices
• Marcus Aurelius
• Consequentialist/Teleological Ethics (Utilitarian)
• Good results make moral choices good
• Thomas Hobbes

Maybe we’re born with it?

• Not in the way we describe ethics as a system of rights and wrongs.
• It is something that changes over time
• Think back to your early years…what has changed in your thinking of ethics?
• What was the catalyst for the change?
• However, the debate is still there
• The jury is out on how some our basic inclinations (think your earliest feeling of fairness or something being resolved fairly) develop
• But this differs from what we define as our (developed) ethics
• Indeed it is…

Nature vs. Nurture

• Why are we talking about this?
• Understanding ethics isn’t just about reflecting on yourself.
• It’s about understanding those around you – from your bosses to your coworkers
• Nature
• That which is innate
• Born with it
• Nurture
• That which influences us
• Our environment
• Physical & Virtual

Ethical Developments

• Developing ethics is a lifelong commitment
• It requires reflection
• Grit
• Determination
• Tough conversations
• Personal ethics influences our professionalism
• Which is why we are starting with it here
• Take a moment, reflect on your own ethics and how that may have developed

Shaping Ethics Today

• Question: Did you notice a difference in your understanding of ethics then to now?
• Do you think more about ethics today?
• Arguably, we think more about ethics today individually than we did in previous years
• We see this in how we apply our own personal ethics, morals, and values to businesses and corporations
• We also see it in how social media influences our own personal ethics, morals, and values
• As well as seeking out those who share our views

Self-Reflection & Reasoning

• Our ethics are identified through self-reflection
• The meeting of our actions, beliefs and motivations with our personal moral principles
• Self-reflection may not be easy
• But that is good
• Through reflection we can begin reasoning and understanding
• Motivations behind things
• Intentions, that may look bad but be good
• It is important for us to go through it so we can understand others
• The benefits play out over time

Personal Values & Beliefs

• Take time to identify 5 personal values & 5 beliefs.
• Write them down no need to say them out loud
• Looking at what you wrote down, write a short ethical statement

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Sample Ethical Statement:

"I pledge to act with honesty, respect others, make fair decisions, and be accountable for my actions, always aiming to positively impact my community."

Case Study on Ethical Dilemma

• Take a look at case study: Cheating: Atlanta’s School Scandal
• Read over it and let’s talk about it as a group, feel free to research it more while you wait.

Lifelong Learning & Ethical Standards

• As mentioned, ethics is a lifelong commitment
• Think about how you can continue to develop your ethics
• These becomes standards:
• Honesty
• Integrity
• Fairness
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Confidentiality
• Stewardship

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Education, Family & Experiences

• Education plays a role in helping to develop ethics
• Such as reading great works
• Family, as mentioned in Nurture vs Nature, plays a role as well
• We develop our ethics around those we love
• Our experiences are a huge influence on our ethics
• Good or bad

Critical Thinking & Decision Making

• Critical thinking is the process of analyzing information to make highly effective decisions.
• Sidenote: I was told it was “thinking about your thinking to make your thinking better” and I love that definition.
• It is a skill that requires constant training
• Sharpens the more it is used
• This helps immensely with our decision making and is an employable skill

Ethics in the Workplace: Case Study

• Let’s take a look at this case study on ethics in the workplace: The Costco Model
• Read over it and let’s talk about it as a group, feel free to research it more while you wait.

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Ethical Leadership

• Not just for your boss, but for you as well
• Ethical leadership is more than just displaying ethical characteristics we discussed.
• It is also building relationships with others
• It’s about displaying ethics within the relationships
• When challenges arise people may look to you
• It has a profound impact on the workplace

Ethical Culture

• Workplace culture cannot be ethical without ethical employees
• Ethical culture is formed from ethical leadership
• Still not talking about your boss
• Leadership in small groups and teams
• Leadership in projects
• Leadership in challenges
• When a workplace is ethical, trust is easier to develop which impacts satisfaction.

Activity: Ethics – The Balancing Act

• Revisit the Costco Model Case Study
• With what we just covered, how does your view on the study change?
• What caused your change in thought?

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Conclusion/Summary

• Ethics is not something that is just given
• We aren’t necessarily born with it
• But it is important for us to understand our own ethics first, to better connect and understand those around us
• These things transfer well into the workplace and can even influence the workplace culture
• Leading to a more enjoyable experience for everyone
• But it starts with us

Finishing School: Professionalism

Afternoon Session

Welcome Back

• We hope your lunch went well!
• Glad to have you back!
• Did you think about ethics at lunch?
• Any interesting discussions or thoughts anyone wants to share?
• Let’s dive into professionalism!

What is Professionalism?

• Per Merriam-Webster, “the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person”
• Per LinkedIn, “Professionalism is a way of thinking, behaving, and appearing that demonstrates a commitment to excellence in all aspects of one's work.”
• We are called professionals but do we really practice professionalism?
• It relates to your ethics more than you think…

Defining Professionalism in Various Contexts

• Workplace Professionalism – how you display your behavior, attitude, and level of skills in the workplace.
• Academic Professionalism – professionalism in academia, calls for intellectual honesty, integrity in work, and respect for others ideas.
• Sporting Professionalism – professionalism in sports is sportsmanship, respect for rules, teammates and even the officials. Maintaining a positive attitude winning or losing.
• Customer Service Professionalism – Treating others with respect, listening to needs, being courteous and efficient. Even when the customer is … well, not.

Characteristics of Professionalism

• These may sound like skills or attributes.
• Especially to athletes (you can relate these skills to the workplace!)
• They are:
• Competence
• Respectfulness
• Professional Appearance
• Effective Communication
• Self-Regulation
• Continuous Learning
• Teamwork

The Importance of Professionalism

• Professionalism isn’t only for you
• It’s for the environment
• It’s for your coworkers
• It’s for your managers, supervisors & bosses
• It’s for your customer
• It sends a signal of trustworthiness, dependability, confidence, and pride in your work.
• Professionalism plays a huge role in career growth

Developing Professional Skills & Attitudes

• Like ethics, developing professional skills requires dedication
• Preferably, lifelong!
• Athletes, you have a bit of a head start on this. You just need to translate it to other parts of your life.
• We all already have these skills and attributes
• We just need to practice it a bit more
• Attitude is another one that we have to be sure we work on
• It can make or break future plans

Continuous Learning & The Role of Education

• Continuous Learning is a must for a professional and for developing professionalism
• Education can help make that process easy
• BUT, this isn’t an attempt for you to go back to college
• Use your resources, take advantage of online resources, classes that can be taken at community colleges
• Learn new skills outside of your job role, be versatile
• You never know how it will pay off, even if it’s just having a new skill
• Enjoy what you learn, you’ll enjoy what you do

Mentorship & Role Models in Professional Development

• Mentorships can be a great way to develop professionally
• They can be role models that you work alongside or under.
• Obtaining mentorships falls on the mentee (that’s you)
• There are a few ways to get a mentor, let’s discuss 2:
• It is your responsibility to build the relationship with whoever it is you want to be your mentor after researching and learning more about them.
• This helps especially if you aren’t one to be so straightforward; or if you know that it may negatively impact your relationship with them
• Once a good foundation is established, then respectfully ask them to be a mentor to you. Explain your interest, be brief but respectful, why you think they could be right for you and be ready to answer questions they may have.

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Mentorship & Role Models in Professional Development

• The other method comes from LinkedIn:
1. Reflect on whether mentorship is the right fit
2. Identify your mentorship needs
3. Consider people you admire
4. Start with your network
5. Explore other options for finding a mentor
6. Prepare your elevator pitch
7. Request a meeting with them
8. Explain your interest

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Professional Conduct

• When in the workplace, professional conduct is a must.
• Typically there is either an employee conduct policy or an employee handbook/manual
• It is important to know what is expected of you within the workplace, not just job tasks but actual conduct
• Professional conduct is important for a professional environment. It is present in an ethical workplace culture
• At it’s core professional conduct are the traits we’ve defined, being shown to those you encounter

Communication Skills & Professionalism

• Communication is a critically important skill
• Not just verbally, but electronically and written
• Effective workplace communication helps maintain not just a quality work environment but also relationships with coworkers. It helps to build trust and understanding between members as well as managers.
• Communication isn’t just about speaking, it is about listening and ensuring others are being heard.
• These are the skills that help you standout!

Time Management & Responsibility

• Time Management is a must!
• Professionalism is about respecting others and that includes their time, with the expectation that they will respect yours.
• Use your calendars, use your alarms.
• A Master Calendar helps keep dates and appointments both personal and business in line
• It helps hold yourself and others responsible.
• It helps build a reputation of dependability within the workplace.

Integrity, and it’s friend Ethics

• Integrity – the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.
• It goes hand in hand with ethics, which goes hand in hand with professionalism
• Again, this builds a reputation of being dependable.
• Honest
• Reliable
• These are the traits that will take you far into your career
• So practice them now!

Professionalism & You

• Take some time identify some of your own professional traits
• Write them down
• Then write down how you identified them
• Did someone call you honest?
• Have you been consistently going to the gym? Even when you don’t want to…
• You can see professionalism is you
• You just need to translate them into the workplace

Consistency & Reliability

• It is actually quite easy to translate these skills.
• Start by being consistent. Start small, show up to your appointments, classes, work on time. Aim for a 5 minute early time zone.
• Plan your route’s early
• Prepare your clothes the night before
• Prepare your breakfast and/or lunch the night before
• Work on being reliable. Don’t wait last minute to contribute.
• Be one of the first to volunteer, when you truly mean it
• Try to get your work in early, you’ll find it pays off in the long run

Lifelong Commitment

• Then turn it into a lifelong commitment
• You may start to see positive benefits in your personal life.
• Note, this is different from bringing your work home
• Part of professionalism is having a healthy work-life balance
• It is knowing when to enjoy life as well as when to work
• Professionalism is an agreement with an organization and the people within it
• So be sure to still have a personal life

Professional Growth

• Professionalism can help lead to professional growth.
• Recall looking at the types of professionalism in various contexts
• Professionalism is not about remaining stagnant in a job
• As you grow your skills, you may want to seek to grow within your career
• Find something you enjoy, build your skill in it
• Research how you could use that skill on your career path
• Work towards that goal by showcasing it
• Gain certifications, participate in things that will allow you to exercise that skill

Conclusion/Summary

• Professionalism & ethics have a strong relationship
• Which has a strong impact on how we operate in our personal and professional life
• But these traits are not a given, we may not be born with them
• But that’s okay
• We have an understanding of them
• We know how we can identify, sharpen, and exhibit them
• It is a lifelong commitment

Wrapping Up Day 1!

• Thank you for attending Day 1, we hope you enjoyed it!
• We look forward to having you back for Day 2, same time
• Where we will be going over:
• Resumes
• Interviewing
• We hope that you’ll reflect on what we went over today and we encourage you to keep a copy
• See you tomorrow!