Spark #10 – Is nicking the last drop of milk from the office fridge a question of ethics?
Popping to the office fridge and realising someone’s pilfered the last drop of milk.
Opening the communal coffee pot or cookie jar to discover there ain’t enough to make a proper brew with something dunkable. We’ve all been there.
Seem like small issues? Or perhaps the opportunity for some personal reflection and meaningful debate about ethics.
A growing number of employees say they want to work for companies with high ethical standards – according to research from BUPA a whopping 45% of Gen Zs sampled would take a pay cut to work for a more ethical employer. Yet what ethics means on a personal level – and whether we apply this sense of morality to our own, small, everyday actions – might be a point for reflection.
We expect organisations to live by a strong ethical code. Do we ever stop to consider how our little actions can have just as much – if not more – of an impact?
Taking a few sheets of paper for our home printers, ‘borrowing’ a splash of milk, even charging our personal phone using the office electrical supply – they might seem innocent, but they actually raise interesting moral dilemmas.
Following decades of research into what makes ‘good’ work, Harvard professor Howard Gardner created The Good Project – a bank of resources that supports people (and organisations) to be ‘better citizens’.
It includes a series of papers on dilemmas, demonstrating how challenges around ethics aren’t always easily resolved.
Simply considering these dilemmas
…from our own personal perspective, gets those neurons firing. That’s even before we add other people’s view in the mix. So the next time you reach for the communal cookie jar…
Why not ask yourself about the ethics behind your actions? Even better, have a chat with a colleague about it.
You might just unearth some fascinating insights.
Coffee, anyone?
The Spark of an idea, a feeling, a sense, a curiosity.
It’s the best catalyst for creativity, connection and breakthrough thinking.
This is your weekly spark – who knows what it might ignite for you.
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