Entrepreneurial Ethics, what would Alice do?

Ned asked me last week what I think about entrepreneurial ethics and what we can do about it as part of an article he is putting together, so I thought I would share it here since I find it a recurring question. 

help-ethics Entrepreneurial Ethics, what would Alice do?

I think ‘entrepreneurial ethics’ is focusing on the wrong element when what we are considering is just ethics in general. Entrepreneurs have to grapple with the topic because they are by nature pursuing abundance and playing to win and ethical issues can potentially rise from the ‘calculated’ in their ’calculated risk’. The entrepreneur will often shy to the side of putting themselves before others in a conflict and this is where the trouble stems from. The difference with those that get caught out is that they stray to the far side of the gray zone. 

How can you deal with it? 

I have a friend, Alice, who is the most ethical person I will probably ever know. If that uneasy feeling is ever present when I am doing something I simply contemplate “What would Alice do?” If I am too deep into the issue myself then I simply take it one step further and call my actual Alice to get her opinion!

If you want to use this idea all you need to figure out is - who is your Alice?

By Ross Hill - April 1st, 2009 at 8:33pm with 1,175 views -

Related posts:

  1. Pick your own editorial team
  2. The power of the prototype
  3. She holds the Deck Of Secrets
  • I think Sandra's nailed the essence of this one ~ the key for me in this stuff is that people take the time to think about and crystalise their personal values BEFORE they find themselves in a situation where they may be asked or tempted to compromise them.

    If, then, you choose to transgress your own personal values (whatever they may be) or take on another's then so be it ... but at least it is a conscious decision made with an understanding of your personal ethical benchmark and what diverging from it means for your sense of self.

    ... and of course our personal standards are inextricably influenced by others; both by those whose standards we aspire to and those we would rather die than become.

    I have many people in both of these categories in my world and, as Ross suggests, they help me to calibrate my personal benchmark on a daily* basis.



    * (... except for the days when imperfection holds a greater allure ~ no-one's perfect after all ;-)
  • I think Sandra's spot on - it's great having these people around you, but you've got to know when to go your own way. And I think talking to a variety of people helps with this, as well as highlighting excellence in ethics in your field (well, excellence in general). You get a mixture of opinions, but even if you don't have your own Alice handy, there's still other influences to help you make decisions.

    There's a great TED talk (isn't there always? ;) by Barry Schwarz on practical wisdom, which mentions ethics and how ethics courses/subjects should not be needed - we should just highlight excellence (so my idea is really his).
  • I think you are right Ross in suggeseting that Ethical behaviour is fundamental to life regardless of whether we are entrepreneurs or not. Perhaps all we need to do is publish

    Alices phone number so that we can all have access?!

    Seriously, though, if we are agreed that ethical behaviour is a given, then the question becomes one of how to instil appropriate values and 'ethics' in people. The step beyond that is that each of us must trust ourselves enough to act on what we know is right and not fall into the trap of self-deception for the potential of short-term gain.

    The minute that we act contrary to our values and better judgement, there is a snow ball effect leading to blame, self-justification and other destructive attitudes.
  • Great post Ross and insightful comment Sandra. I tend to agree - I think it is important to weigh the opinions of your 'Alice' but then match them to your own set of guiding principals. You don't want to reach a stage where you just accept everything...I think thats how many entrepreneurs get in trouble in the first place - they place their faith in the market and figure 'it's what everyone else is doing at the moment to make a buck.'

    I'd also invite @pat to comment on this blog...

    And when can we order these? http://www.ybuw.com/Wristbands/Price_Tb.asp?Are...
  • Jan Stewart
    Like this post Ross!
  • Sandra
    Haha go Alice - you're famous now! Pressure's on...

    Ross, good post! Short, sharp, to the point. I think that figuring out who your "Alice" is, is important for many different aspects in your life - essentially you are talking about someone you admire for certain qualities, that you can learn from, which is, in a sense, a mentor.

    I think it's great to learn from as many people as you can and have many mentors - I personally take this approach in my own life. But, it's also important to note that there is a difference between talking to people you admire and taking their advice on board, versus just blindly listening to them and adopting their set of values and beliefs.

    So, whilst I often consult my "Alice" for various parts of my life, I also have my own set of firm values, ethics, beliefs and so on...and I question these all the time to ensure that I'm not just swallowing other people's views for the sake of it :)
  • GBSFB
    I second his assessment. My Alice is also Alice!

    You couldn't work for an oil company, if your puppies were living with you in the street. :)
  • Oh dear ... not sure how I feel about this!

    Better watch out, my next job will probably be with an oil company ;-)
  • I think modern day entrepreneurs are far more ethical, becuase society is moving this way. And great entrepreneurs leverage changes in community sentiment.

    Steve.
blog comments powered by Disqus

You are visiting rosshill.com.au. This post was made possible by people like Jan Stewart.

Have these updates provided you value? Become a micropatron today.