LDR 615 Topic 6 DQ 2 What can a change leader use to guide decision making when faced with an ethical dilemma?
LDR 615 Topic 6 DQ 2 What can a change leader use to guide decision making when faced with an ethical dilemma?
LDR 615 Topic 6 DQ 2 What can a change leader use to guide decision making when faced with an ethical dilemma?
Many leaders in my police department struggle to differentiate between their personal connections with employees and their professional relationships, which compel them to hold their buddies accountable. For example, when a new policy or direction for a crime reduction strategy is introduced, many leaders compel employees who are not close friends to complete menial jobs. Their friends, on the other hand, are not held to the same standards.
When the leader attempted to hold their friends to the same standards as the other officers, the boundaries of hierarchy were clearly broken. When it comes to creating change, workplace friendships have been hampered by blurred boundaries, a diversion from work goals, contradicting expectations, unwarranted promotions or accolades, and an employee’s sense of betrayal if not given special treatment (Nguyen, 2021).
Subordinates felt betrayed since they were no longer empowered or given preferential treatment, and there were personality clashes and inconsistent expectations (Nguyen, 2021). Workplace friendships are beneficial for both social and professional productivity, but they present ethical concerns when boundaries are uncertain and expectations are unclear.
Finally, as indicated in previous blogs, remedies to this problem include early communication and setting clear expectations. Another technique for addressing ethical boundaries is to have a basic belief in one’s leadership philosophy and be mindful of one’s own leadership style (Hellmich et al., 2019).
Describe an ethical dilemma that you experienced, or have witnessed in a change leader, when attempting to initiate change. How was the ethical dilemma resolved? What can a change leader use to guide decision making when faced with an ethical dilemma?
Personally, I have not encountered many ethical quandaries, but one has been witnessed in the workplace. A toxic leadership team can have a significant impact on how the organization is run and how its employees perform. Toxic leadership can have an impact on overall employee performance, retention, and the overall workplace environment. This happened at a job where the leadership only cared about one part of the team and treated the other employees with contempt, even cutting their pay but making it appear as if they were getting a “raise.” That is not how a leadership team should treat the employees they are supposed to care about, in my opinion. This quandary was resolved when an employee finally spoke up and expressed their concerns and feedback to the leadership team. This is an example of how, regardless of your position, you have a say and a voice within the company.
Also Check Out: LDR 615 Topic 4 DQ 2 Discuss two strategies that can be used for leading change
Topic 6 Summary
Congratulations on successfully completing topic 6! In summary, we discussed managing through change dynamics. A few highlights of our discussions would include examples around ethical and professional dilemmas faced by change leaders as well as challenges influencing the implementation of change. One of the key strategies for overcoming both revolve around the effective use of motivation tactics which increase acceptance of change among all stakeholders. Great job with topic 6 – only 2 more to go!
Dr. E
Replies
In my police organization, I have recognized that many leaders have difficulty differentiating their friendships with employees and their professional relationship that requires them to hold the friends accountable. For example, if a new policy or directive is released for a crime reduction strategy, I’ve witnessed many leaders force employees who are not their close friends to do the mundane portions. In contrast, their friends are not held to the same standard of accountability.
When the leader tried to hold their pals as officers accountable, it was evident that the hierarchy did not apply. Unwarranted advancements or praise and the feeling of betrayal by employees who aren’t given special treatment are some of the challenges that have been highlighted when it comes to changing professional connections at a time of change (Nguyen, 2021).
Despite the fact that there were personality conflicts and conflicting expectations, the subordinates felt deceived that they were no longer empowered with particular treatment (Nguyen, 2021). When boundaries are blurred and expectations aren’t clear, workplace friendships can raise ethical issues that could jeopardize productivity and morale.
Finally, as noted in other blogs, the best way to overcome this problem is to set clear expectations and communicate early on. When leaders have a grasp of their own leadership philosophy and who they are as leaders, they may better resolve ethical limits (Hellmich et al., 2019).
Reference
Researcher’s name: Hellmich; researcher’s name: Kater; & researcher’s name: Gonzales (2019). Stand Your Ground: Creating an Ethical Leadership Philosophy and Core Beliefs. For Community Colleges, 2019(185), 43.
Friendships in the workplace: Pros and cons. Psychological aspects of work environments. For more more on the benefits and pitfalls of workplace friendships, see https://workplacepsychology.net/2018/01/07/workplacefriendships.
I enjoyed reading your post and can identify with your example; this is a common occurrence in the nursing field.
For the past 20 years, I’ve worked with many of my coworkers, and some of them have become close friends.
For some time I have had to put my friendships ahead of my professional responsibilities when I had to reprimand some of my closest friends.
There must be uniformity in leadership standards, boundaries, and unique considerations for each employee in order for leaders to be effective.
Nursing, like police work, I imagine, entails close teamwork, frequent emotional rollercoasters, and the need to grapple with difficult moral decisions.
Maintaining boundaries, holding one another to the same standards, and being aware of one’s own emotions all go a long way toward finding a middle ground (Connors, 2020).
Having witnessed other managers blur the lines with disastrous results, I’ve tried to maintain objectivity and create clear boundaries. It’s not easy, but doing so requires care and respect.
A fantastic post and a fantastic topic.
Emotional intelligence for today’s leaders. Rockridge Press is the publisher of this work.
Sincerely, thank you for writing and sharing this. I appreciate the variety of friendships you brought up. Similarly, I’ve seen this happen in other organizations as well. I’ve personally witnessed instances of nepotism among close friends and romantic partners, and I know it exists. My best pal used to work at my previous company. It wasn’t my job to assign her, and I made it clear to the organization how we met. The person who oversaw her also reported to the manager to whom I answered. We met weekly to discuss attendance, performance, behavior, and more. She was elevated as a result of her consistently high levels of attendance. As events unfolded, we discussed our plans for the future at these meetings. I made it obvious to her that she needed to take the next step in remedial action since she had missed too many days of work. I’ll never forget the manager’s expression. It was a complete surprise. Achieving a healthy work-life balance is essential, in my opinion. Don’t bring anything personal with you. If anything bothers you, that’s fine, but this is a professional setting, and you should act accordingly. Previously, my spouse and I worked together at a separate organization. We worked together as a team. We were a married couple at home. What would you do if you were in the same situation as I was?