Sunday, 3 April 2011

Ways To Be An Expert In Personal And Professional Ethics

By Jonnah J. Wilcox


Ethics in business seems to be the issue of the day, if news headlines are any indication. I can't help but think about how ethics might create transformation across the globe if it were simply more grounded in day-to-day life, and thereby in the business world.

Ethics is not only the moral philosophies we hold, sort of our inner guide - it's also about how consistent we can be with those moral beliefs. I can't hep but notice that if a person has a solid ethical code, and pretty consistently follows that code, he is probably going to feel great, thus the potential to have a positive impact on other people.

With the need we have for better ethics in business, it puzzles me as to why there aren't more experts in personal and professional ethics amongst the overpopulated world of personal/professional coaches. I can come up with a small group of people I know that have done great things in their personal and professional lives. Of that group, there are two that are seriously considering changing their careers to become a personal development expert. Assuming even one of them wanted to become an expert in personal and professional ethics, it would be like being an executive coach or life coach, but with an emphasis on ethics. I put together a few notes about what it is likely to take to make a change to an expert in ethics.

I would say that the very first element a person is likely to need is some type of notch on the belt - what unique life experience has been had? I think as long as you're on the path of continuously reaching personal heights, you're probably on the right track. Sure, it's important that others be able to connect to what you've done. The relationship goes both ways, as it's equally important to be able to relate to what your client is doing. Giving others a sense of your own personal growth with ethics is vital, and I think recalling any times in which you experienced an ethical breach, and make note of the things that experience taught you.

The other thing my friends have in common is they each have written down the series of steps, or method, they used in accomplishing their goals. There can be a common objective, but many ways to get there - what is yours? The distinct ways in which you might address ethics in a professional and personal context is up to you!

Because it is good to maintain some perspective, I would say the final, and often times most important element, is to have a good checkin point. Look for something, someone, or a program that will continuously challenge you, help you grow, while motivating you to be more consistent in your expression of your personal beliefs.

If you seek a more formal and guided training in ethics, an well recommended resource is Executive Success Programs, whose mission is to empower others in their personal expression of ethics. Nancy Salzman, who guides many of the trainings, is noted in the coaching world as an expert in leading other experts to success and more advanced explorations of ethics.




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