{"id":409,"date":"2015-07-30T16:24:57","date_gmt":"2015-07-30T16:24:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/cameron\/?p=409"},"modified":"2017-04-13T20:54:16","modified_gmt":"2017-04-13T20:54:16","slug":"defining-moments-building-character-one-decision-at-a-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/cameron\/defining-moments-building-character-one-decision-at-a-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Defining Moments: Building Character One Decision at a Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Dr. Michele Simms—–We love reading the classics or watching classic films because of what they teach us about ourselves and about life; they are timeless gateways to authenticity. When we return to them years later, we continue to pull from the meaning of their deeper message. The HBR generates a list of its classic articles, one being \u201cThe Discipline of Building Character\u201d by Joseph Badaracco, Jr<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0 Since its publication in 1998, the article is one of the most read and included by HBR as part of any must-read on ethics. This article has been required reading with an affiliated assignment in every class I\u2019ve taught and continues to be a personal touchstone after 17 years. Peers, students and colleagues have all benefited from understanding the difference between encountering a difficult ethical decision and a defining moment.<\/p>\n

As so defined by Badaracco:<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cAn ethical decision typically involves choosing between two options: one we know to be right and another we know to be wrong. A defining moment, however, challenges us in a deeper way by asking us to choose between two or more ideals in which we deeply believe. Such challenges rarely have a “correct\u201d response. Rather, they are situations created by circumstance that ask us to step forward and, in the words, of the American philosopher John Dewy, \u201cform, reveal, and test \u201c ourselves. We form our character in defining moments because we commit to irreversible courses of action that share our personal and professional identities We reveal something new about us to ourselves and others because defining moments uncover something that had been hidden or crystallize something that had been only partially known. And we test ourselves because we discover whether we will live up to our personal ideals or only pay them lip service.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

DEFINING MOMENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Navigating through our defining moments, over time, culminates into a life defined by integrity and character precisely because such moments pose the demands that come with the challenge of choosing between two right actions. Only through the discipline of building character are we capable of exercising what Badaracco refers to as the \u201cgrace\u201d and \u201cstrength\u201d that comprise the decision-making that accompanies a defining moment.<\/p>\n

To assist us in this process, Badaracco identifies three types of defining moments. The first is an issue of personal identity: \u201cWho am I?\u201d; the second is organizational and personal: \u201cWho are we?\u201d as a team of colleagues working together; and the third is what he views as the most complex: \u201cWho is the company?\u201d in light of its role in society. The value of these categories, from which he draws from classic and contemporary philosophers, are the thought-provoking, deeper yet practical questions one can ask while sifting through two right courses of action.<\/p>\n

The author states that defining moments become more difficult to resolve as one advances in the organization (thus making the second two categories more challenging). Given my personal and professional experience as professor and consultant, answering the \u201cWho am I?\u201d question often surfaced as the most difficult precisely because of the influence and subsequent pressure to adhere to corporate team goals and the organizational culture, and compounded by the temptation to deflect a conflict situation away from one\u2019s self and onto the team and\/or company.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

SELF-AWARENESS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Enter the concept of self-awareness defined as the extent to which a person monitors and reflects upon his or her own behaviors, traits and accomplishments. The more self-aware one is, the more likely the attempt to match behavior to his or her beliefs and internal standards. For example, if individuals have norms against stealing and cheating, those who are self-aware are much less likely to engage in these behaviors. Some evidence suggests that self-aware individuals are more likely to assume responsibility for a given action. Research and practice in systems theory cites self-awareness as an integral component to effecting systemic organizational change.\u00a0\u00a0 Self-awareness can be applied to the broad, abstract and far-reaching (i.e., \u201cHow do I uniquely contribute to bettering society?\u201d), to the narrow, concrete and short-term (i.e., \u201cDo I tell a white lie to get ahead?\u201d).\u00a0\u00a0 The process of self-awareness requires a person to examine his or her potential actions in light of moral standards, thus becoming an integral component of exercising mindfulness in the workplace.<\/p>\n

Therefore, to answer the \u201cWho am I?\u201d question and to achieve self-awareness, a dedicated amount of time to self-inquiry, reflection, and introspection are required in order for a person to define with clarity his or her core values, their origin, and their alignment, if any, to the company. Further, the practice of these skills requires an environment of silence, time alone, and daily, dedicated time disconnected from the online world. Engaging in practices that could be defined as counter-cultural are in themselves an indicator of character; being true to such practices over time is why the author defines building character as a discipline.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

THE CHALLENGE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Badaracco closes his article with a quote by Nietzsche: \u201cI believe it is precisely through the presence of opposites and the feelings they occasion that the great man–the bow with great tension\u2014develops.\u201d I would invite you to consider your life as a classic novel or film with its own chapters or scenes comprised of defining moments. \u00a0Choose one to reflect upon: how did you ultimately choose between two ideals? How did you manage this test? What did you learn about yourself and others? What irreversible course of action shaped your personal and professional identity as a result? Are you living up to your personal ideals?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Michele Simms, Ph.D.<\/a>
\nProfessor of Management and Marketing<\/p>\n

See more posts by this author<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Badaracco, Joseph L., Jr. \u201cThe Discipline of Building Character.\u201d Harvard Business Review<\/em> 76, No. 2 (March-April 1998).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Badaracco is the John Shad Professor of Business Ethics \/ Harvard University.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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