Imagine that you are faced with an ethical dilemma at work, and you must determine the "right," or ethical, course of action. List the eight steps you will go through to make this decision, including some of the questions you'll ask yourself at each step in the process.

What will be an ideal response?

Questions to Consider

Step 1: Gather informationHave you spoken to everyone directly involved and gathered all the facts necessary to define the problem?Have you avoided assuming facts, motivations, or actions for which there is no evidence?

Step 2: Develop a problem statementDo you know the answers to the following questions:What do people observe that causes them to think there is a problem?Who is directly affected by the problem?Is anyone else affected?How often does the problem occur?What is the impact of the problem?How serious is the problem?What are the ethical issues involved?When is a solution needed?Have you shared the problem statement with the stakeholders, and do they concur?

Step 3: Consult those involved as well as other appropriate resourcesHave you discussed this issue with your manager?Have you sought input from human resources, legal, or other appropriate subject matter experts?

Step 4: Identify optionsHave you identified the success criteria for a "good solution?"Have the stakeholders had an opportunity to offer solutions?

Step 5: Weigh optionsHow does each alternative fit with your organization's code of ethics, policies, regulations, and organizational norms?Is each alternative legal and consistent with industry standards?Does each alternative have possible unintended consequences? If so, how will you deal with those?

Step 6: Choose an optionHave you considered how choice of this option might appear to others?Would you be comfortable explaining your decision and describing your decision-making process to others?Is your decision grounded in a basic sense of fairness to all affected parties?

Step 7: Implement a solutionHave you provided to all stakeholders answers to the following questions:Why are we doing this?What is wrong with the current way we do things?What are the benefits of the new way for you?Do you have a clear transition plan that explains to people how they will move from the old way of doing things to the new way?

Step 8: Review resultsWere the success criteria fully met?Were there any unintended consequences?Is there a need for further refinements?