What can a change leader use to guide decision making when faced with an ethical dilemma?

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?

I have not experienced many ethical dilemma’s personally but there is one that I have witnessed within the workplace environment. Having a toxic leadership team can really impact the way the organization is run and how the employees perform. If there is toxicity within leadership it can affect overall employee performance, retention, and the overall workplace environment. This happened at a job of mine where leadership only cared about one specific portion of the team and treated the other employees with no respect and even cut their pay but made it look as though they were getting a “raise”. In my opinion that is not how a leadership team should treat the employees that they are supposed to care about. This dilemma was solved by an employee finally speaking up and expressing their concerns and their feedback to the leadership team. This is an example that shows that no matter what position you are in you still have a say and a voice within the company.
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Erica Richmond
Posted Date
Nov 17, 2021, 7:36 AM
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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
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Michael Frye
Posted Date
Nov 15, 2021, 10:41 PM
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Replies to Apryl Thimsen
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 attempted to hold their friends accountable as the other officers, it was clear the lines of the hierarchy did not apply. Challenges to workplace friendships when it comes to implementing change have been identified to include blurred boundaries, a distraction for work objectives, conflicting expectations, unwarranted promotions or praise, and a feeling of betrayal by the employee if not given special treatment (Nguyen, 2021).

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There were personality disputes and conflicting expectations; the subordinates felt betrayed they were no longer empowered with special treatment (Nguyen, 2021). Workplace friendships are suitable for their social purposes and work productivity but can cause ethical concerns when boundaries are blurred with unclear expectations.

Finally, ways to resolve this conflict involve setting clear expectations and communication early on as stated in many posts. Another resolution technique for ethical boundaries consists of the leader possessing a core belief of their leadership philosophy and understanding who they are as a leader (Hellmich et al., 2019).

Reference
Hellmich, D., Kater, S. T., & Gonzales, S. R. (2019). A Leg to Stand On: Developing Core Beliefs and a Leadership Philosophy for Sound Ethical Decision-Making. New Directions for Community Colleges, 2019(185), 43. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/cc.20337

Nguyen, S. (2021, March 28). Workplace friendships: The Benefits and challenges. Workplace Psychology. Retrieved November 16, 2021, from https://workplacepsychology.net/2018/01/07/workplace-friendships-the-benefits-and-challenges/.

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Deanna Higgins
replied toMichael Frye
Nov 16, 2021, 5:58 PM
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Replies to Michael Frye
Hello
Micheal
I enjoyed reading you post and can relate to your example; this happens in the nursing profession as well. I have worked with my fellow nurses for 20+ years and some are great friends I have had before I became their manager. At times the friend professional relationship has been tested when I needed to discipline close friends and losing friendships in the process of holding them accountable. For leaders to be successful all staff have to be held to the same standards, boundaries must be maintained, and special accommodations are equal to each employee. In nursing similar to police work I assume we work close as a team, share encounters on the job that challenge emotions, and cause moral dilemmas. The balance lies in the maintenance of boundaries, holding each other accountable to the same standards and understanding the feelings involved can get in the way (Connors, 2020). As I have seen fellow managers blur the lines with poor outcomes, I have strived to remain impartial and set these boundaries, while not easy it can be done with the understanding of caring, with respect can be successful.
Great post and great topic
Connors, C. D. (2020). Emotional intelligence for the modern leader. Rockridge Press.
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Amanda Beaven
replied toMichael Frye
Nov 17, 2021, 6:33 PM
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Replies to Michael Frye
Michael,
Thank you for sharing your post with us. I like how you brought up different types of friendships. I have also seen this happen in other organizations. Nepotism is real, and I have seen it firsthand where friends or those in a relationship treat each other differently than others. At my last job, my best friend worked there. She was not assigned to me, and I made sure the company knew how we knew one another. Her supervisor was a supervisor that also reported to the same manager I did. Every week we would have a meeting and we collaborated on attendance, performance, behaviors, etc. She was brought up due to attendance. During these meetings, we would discuss what each of us would do based on what was going on. When it got to me, I stated clearly that she should move to the next level of corrective action because her days missed were excessive. I will never forget the look on the face of my manager. It was pure shock. My point is that you must be able to balance work and home. Leave your personal life at the door. Sure, there are some days where something is going to be weighing on you, but you are in a professional environment, and it should remain that way. I have worked with my husband at a different organization. When we were at work, we were colleagues. At home, we were husband and wife. If you were faced with the scenario I was in, how would you handle the dilemma?

What can a change leader use to guide decision making when faced with an ethical dilemma?