Return to Main Menu

Moral decision-making focus of workshop by Cindy Abole Public Relations Stress and other challenges can interfere with everyday decision-making in the workplace. Not only can it cloud an employees’ focus, but it can effect their work and daily contributions to an organization’s missions and goals.   In order to address the complexities of today’s work-related situations, employers are recognizing the importance in providing a strong framework or guidelines to ethical decision-making. Next month, the Department of Human Resources Management has invited certified trainer David McNair of the McNair Group to present a half-day values and ethics course. The program is called “Ethics: Right vs. Right" which will be held on Dec. 6.   McNair’s aim is to provide guidance to employees by teaching them techniques that will help make sound, ethical decisions in the workplace. To accomplish this, McNair will introduce the basic tools and techniques necessary to managers, supervisors and employees who want to apply these skills both at work and at home. The material in this program is not meant to replace or duplicate corporate compliance. It's meant to support existing codes of conduct and compliance policies at work.    The first half of McNair’s half-day seminar will examine today’s moral decline, especially as it applies to the workplace. The program will help define moral concepts, values and ethical policies. McNair will reveal a set of easy tools and models that can be utilized by employees of all levels in the decision-making process.   “We make decisions everyday,” McNair said. “It depends upon what degree these decisions impact us. Some of our tougher decisions can impact one or many people immediately. It’s consequences that leaves its own mark that’s usually liabilities--something that’s not fully considered in decision-making.”    "Keeping it simple is perhaps the most important part of this effort," McNair said. "It's like being able to accomplish something by using the right tools and learning to apply it."   The program looks at moral awareness and examines what drives human behavior. For example, a decision that is time-based can be driven by a sense of urgency; for ego—power; money—a sense of a need or want. McNair explained that a decision driven by power like ego and money can be so strong, that there is no struggle in the decision-making process.    An important part of the “Right vs. Right” concept is understanding how it is applied in real-life situations.  During the second half of the program, McNair will divide the audience into small work groups to observe how they can implement these skills with real workplace scenarios to determine the best outcome.    McNair uses a simple decision-making model known as “R.E.D,” or rules, effects, decisions. “In a decision-making process, a person might ask themselves if they are ready to make decisions now or should they wait or seek counsel,” said McNair.   McNair has trained and facilitated employee groups for 20 years.  In March, he presented this ethics course as part a program at the National Congress for the American College of Healthcare Executives in Chicago in March. The workshop has been certified as part of continuing legal education by the South Carolina and North Carolina Bar Associations.   The ethics seminar is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Dec. 6 in room 103, Harborview Office Towers. The fee is $75 for MUSC, MUHA, and UMA employees.   For more information, call 792-3348. The registration form can also be found at <http://www.musc.edu/hrm/training/index.html>