ethics

Why I’m Writing About Justice on My Business Blog

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Like many of you, current events leave me searching my heart for the right words, the right tone, the right course of action, and the right response to injustice in our culture. On occasion (e.g. here and here), I have used my business blog as a platform.

I have settled on two rules for this: (1) Business blogging must tie back to the work; it should not become a platform for either ranting or navel-gazing. (2) When my writing invokes others’ pain, it must be motivated by a sincere desire to help. The point is to share my expertise and perspective to alleviate suffering, not the other way around.

These two rules can coexist logically, I hope, because I have aligned my business model with my values.

Speaking out for justice aligns with my business strategy. This is a good thing.

Truth be told, I worry sometimes about limiting my client pool. However, I am determined that the normal anxiety of business development will not warp my values or my vision. It’s simple, really: I want to work with clients who share my concern for justice.

Social justice, racial justice, economic justice, LGBTQ justice, food justice, sexual justice, environmental justice, international justice, intersectional justice. Justice for the elderly; justice for youth. Justice for the differently abled. Justice for all.

Once I put my brave face on, I see this more clearly.

Marketing 101: know your best-fit clients.

These are the clients who will most benefit from your particular services, who will value your particular contribution, and for whom you know you can do great work — based on your particular acumen.

My unique background–in management and as a trained ethicist–differentiates me from other coaches. My best-fit clients want a coach who will support their values and ambition for impact, while also propelling their professional growth. They are business executives, nonprofit leaders, educators, artists, and individuals in transition. They walk many paths, and I walk my own as their coach. Together, we leverage their talents for positive impact — in their lives, their organizations, and the wider world.

Why do I write about justice on my business blog? My mission is to empower others to align their work with their values. My goal is to lead by example.

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The #1 Question to Ask About Your Work

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I write this in the wake of horrible violence, yet again, in my country. Last night, snipers killed 5 police officers at what should have been a peaceful protest against bloodshed. Our nation is deeply troubled by cycles of violence, both individual and systemic. Civil discourse has degraded into partisan bullying, and everyone is heartbroken. You know this. I know this. But what do we do?

Let’s turn that question inward. What do you do? 

Seriously. What do you do with your time and energy each day? What is your work?

These are not easy questions, ethically speaking. In fact, they are decidedly uneasy. As you consider them, I propose that you employ a concept from just war theory. The just war tradition has been used for centuries by heads of state and other political leaders to make sense of right and wrong in the context of war. It has been extremely influential in world history.1Learn more about the content and history of just war theory here, and learn about pacifist ethics here. However, it interests me today because of its framework.

Specifically, just war theory unravels two distinct aspects of war-making and sets clear ethical parameters for each. The two aspects are jus ad bellum, which governs the decision to go to war, and jus in bello, which governs conduct in war. I see this framework as useful for examining the ethics of work because it untangles two important threads of consideration: major strategic decisions and in-the-trenches tactics.

Here are analogous categories for the ethics of work:

Strategic:

  • What is my profession?
  • Whom do I work for?
  • What is my organization’s mission?
  • What is the broad impact of my profession and organization?

Tactical:

  • How do I conduct myself at work?
  • Am I learning as much as I can, to do the best work that I can?
  • Am I practicing self-care to support engagement and energy?
  • What are the practical ethics of my profession? Do I know them and hold myself accountable?
  • What are the impacts of my specific, day-to-day decisions?

Surely, both of the categories above are paramount to ethical work. We need more people (you! me!) to choose professions and organizations that make positive impacts on the world. We also need to work ethically and earnestly within those contexts. What we learn from the just war framework is that both sets of conditions — the strategic and the tactical — are necessary. Either/or is inadequate.

I urge you to examine how closely your answers align with your personal values, your philosophical and religious commitments, your family’s collective mission, and your desire to DO SOMETHING in light of our shared struggles. Find the support you need as you make the changes you should (and surely we all must change).

What you do with your time is your impact on the world.

Let me say that again: what you do with your time IS your impact on the world. You likely spend 40, 50, 60 or even more hours at work — especially if you factor in commuting, travel frequently, or work as a caregiver. If you are fortunate enough to choose your work (and too many aren’t), you have a responsibility to choose wisely and a responsibility to go about it honestly.  Bring your values into the equation, rather than compartmentalizing work vs. life.

“What do you do?” is classic small-talk, but it shouldn’t be. It’s the most important thing we can ask ourselves as we grapple with the dark and difficult. Honest answers will begin to shed a little light.

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1. ↑ Learn more about the content and history of just war theory here, and learn about pacifist ethics here.

Strength of Character at Work

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I recently met with a client who is handling a thorny challenge with impressive magnanimity. As we discussed her decision, her management of it, and the business impact, it struck me:

My client is doing a brave thing.

I sat back, looked her in the eye, and said, “I want you to know that I admire you for doing this. Most people would be less generous.” Her response was simply, “How could you not?”

That, dear readers, is strength of character.

When you witness strength of character, you should acknowledge it. Tell the person that you admire them. Doing so encourages them to continue their brave work, which will surely be difficult. Equally important, it raises your standards. Marking the moment gives you  a mental benchmark for your own difficult decisions.

Stay alert for colleagues and managers who make the tough decisions well. Thank them, and follow their lead. They deserve it, and so do you.

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