Moral Intelligence Development - Essay Example

Running Head: Moral Intelligence MORAL INTELLIGENCE Introduction The concept of moral intelligence refers to the mental capacity to interpret how the universal human principles can be applied to personal values, goals and actions (Lennick & Kiel, 2007). The four main human principles in this reference are integrity, responsibility compassion and forgiveness (Lennick & Kiel, 2007). Integrity is doing what we believe is right in line with personal principles and beliefs; responsibility is the will to accept the consequences of one’s actions; compassion is to care for others; while, forgiveness is the will to readmit those who have made mistakes since all person’s, including ourselves, are imperfect ((Lennick & Kiel, 2007). This paper is an analysis of my main personal strength and weakness in relation to moral intelligence, as well as an analysis of my personal ethical code that serves as a guide for me to resolve future ethical dilemmas. Personal Moral Strength In analyzing my personal moral strength it is important first of all to consider the moral competency inventory (MCI). MCI is the first serious system designed to measure the moral intelligence of an individual. It is questionnaire originally designed by Lennick and Kiel (2007) that is available online which enables an individual to immediately carry out a self assessment. After carrying out a self-assessment, it came out strongly that forgiveness is my greatest strength. This is true because I always find it easy to forgive people even for very serious mistakes. This particular habit of mine has attracted as much awe as it has criticism from my colleagues and peers. One of the main advantages of being able to forgive others is that it creates an opportunity for us to be forgiven in turn. This is based on the premise that we all make mistakes. When we punish others for every tiny mistake they make, then of course the least we can expect is to also be punished whenever we also make mistakes ((Lennick & Kiel, 2007). Forgiveness begets forgiveness just like violence begets violence. However, this does not mean that some form of punishment should not be applied in certain situations. When dealing with a child for instance, a carefully crafted system of rewards and punishments helps them to grow and make proper choices. But even in such a case the punishment is meant to be educative and not punitive (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). Forgiveness is one of the great tenets of various religions including Christianity. The purpose served by forgiveness in maintaining human bonding and affection is quite important. Lack of forgiveness may cause break down in marriages and friendships. It obviously causes a lot of friction and turnover, if not complete breakdown, in business organizations as well. Success of any business depends to a great extent on the amount of cooperation and goodwill between the various players in the business ((Lennick & Kiel, 2007). Employees who feel sore with the management will hesitate to inform them of any business opportunities they come across. In extreme cases employees of one organization may find themselves selling out internal secrets to rival organizations due to their resentment of the management. This of course adversely affects business. One of the ways of maintaining loyalty is forgiveness of employees who make mistakes. The important thing is to make them understand that they made mistakes and to have them promise to rectify these mistakes ((Lennick & Kiel, 2007). Being compassionate and forgiving others inspires others to develop their own moral intelligence ((Lennick & Kiel, 2007). If I am in a leadership position, this is especially important since others learn from the way I treat them to treat others the same way. Being unable to forgive others for their mistakes makes it even more difficult for them to forgive us when we ultimately and inevitably make mistakes ourselves. Forgiveness is a two way saw which cuts forwards and backwards. Personal Moral Weakness The MCI test also revealed that my greatest weakness is in the area of integrity, in particular being honest and forthright. My forgiving nature makes it difficult for me to point out to a colleague when I don’t agree with what he is saying or planning to do. I often find myself avoiding to offend others by keeping mum about their immoral judgments. This is especially more manifest when the person making a warped decision or taking an immoral action is my superior (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). This attitude of mine obviously does not help others at all. It inevitably leads others to make mistakes which would have been avoided had I stood my ground and talked against what they were planning to do (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). Moreover, it is inspired by the weakness of self preservation. The need to keep quiet while things go wrong is a way of avoiding getting into immediate trouble for expressing one’s views. However, in the long run, this does not benefit anyone. Mistakes made in a business environment ultimately affect everyone including the individual who avoids pointing out the mistake in the first place. For instance when a board decision is made to sell or promote a certain product using unethical means such as telling lies, it is important to point out that this will not work in the long run. Simply endorsing the decision in order to avoid argument is the wrong thing to do. The idea may sell in the short term, but inevitably the public will find out that they are being defrauded ((Lennick & Kiel, 2007). This may irreparably damage the reputation of the firm in the long rung. Carrying out damage control the repair the image of the firm at this point will be a costly affair that may eventually not work anyway. It is therefore important to be honest and forthright with one’s views on matters of morality, even if others do not immediately subscribe to those views. In fact, even if the opposition expressed in this way is overruled, it will remain on record that someone did point out the flaws in the plan in the first place. This ultimately earns one respect rather than scorn when the eventuality strikes (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). Withholding important views just because they are bound to offend some people is a wrong approach to business management. It is a sign of irresponsibility when an individual avoids blame by not expressing his views (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). It is more prudent to take responsibility for one’s opinion even if it turns out to be serious error of judgment in the long run. None of us is always right on every issue since human intelligence is held collectively rather than individually ((Lennick & Kiel, 2007). Our previous experiences are all different and specific to the individual. These experiences may make me aware of an eventuality that others know nothing about. Consequently, failure to point out such an eventuality is a disservice to the others in the organization. It is akin to watching others walk into a fire and do nothing about it until they are burnt. Personal Ethical Code My personal ethical code which will act as a guide for my future ethical behavior is as follows. First, I will endeavor to uplift my area of weakness in order to translate it into strength. This includes always pointing out what I think is wrong no matter what the perceived consequences. However, in doing so, I will always try to use a diplomatic approach that takes into consideration other people’s feelings (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). It difficult, but not impossible, to point out weaknesses in other people’s plans without appearing to insult the person expressing those plans. Shaping other people’s opinions is a combination of compassion and firmness in order to achieve the desired objective without running into to much emotional traffic. This is like sugarcoating a pill but administering it all the same (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). The other area in which I need to improve is the reduction of pride and aloofness to the goings on around me. It is all too easy to assume that one knows everything and will thus not be affected by the foibles of others. The reality, however, is that other people’s behavior always affect us directly or indirectly (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). Pride, the saying goes, always leads to a fall. This is especially true in an organization where some regard themselves as the untouchables due to their knowledge, position or power in an organization. This leads to aloofness and pride that does not incorporate the views of others in the organization thus making them indifferent and hostile (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). Another area in which I will always endeavor to improve myself is in acting immediately on decisions I have made. Whereas it is always important to take time and consult appropriately before making decisions, it is imperative to implement those decisions (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). Many organizations fall badly out of pace with their employees and stakeholders when plans already made are not implemented according to schedule. This boils down to the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities in charge of implementing them (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). When a board or AGM has decided on a particular course of action, it makes no sense to keep holding back even when the resources and time has been allocated to implement it. Hesitation brings with it doubts and inconsistency. It may also result in the planned idea being overtaken by other events and thus not being implemented (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). Another important area is in keeping appointments. It is part of being really responsible to keep as many appointments as possible. Last minute cancellations and no shows just don’t work (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). Though it is practically impossible to attend all appointments one makes, the percentage number of appointments one actually meets is an indicator of just how responsible and reliable one is. It is a matter of taking each appointment seriously for one to be seen as serious (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). It is not a good thing to simply cancel priorly made appointments simply because one does not feel up to it, or it suddenly looks unimportant. Many organizations miss their lucky break simply by ignoring an appointment that does not look all that important just because the manager doesn’t know who he is meeting and why. Conclusion Moral intelligence is the compass with which one navigates interrelations with others in life. Human beings are social animals and their survival depends on how well they relate to others. Morality guides on these relationships so as to create strong bonds that ensure prosperity. When tempted to ignore moral responsibilities it is always important to remember that we all depend on others. References Lennick D. & Kiel F. (2007). Moral Intelligence. Wharton: Wharton School Publishing. Trevino L.K. & Nelson K.A., (2010). Managing Business Ethics 5th Ed.New York: Wiley. Read More