Timothy J. O'Brien

Looking At Our Actions In Another Way

Define your personal moral limits and use them when setting goals to reach your priorities and deciding exactly what actions to take. Before we act, let's determine whether the action we want to take makes sense. Is it functional or non functional? Is it an appropriate step to take, or is it inappropriate? Testing our plans against these two criteria will help us minimize our setbacks and embarrassing moments.

Each of us defines our personal moral limits. Many have an internal gyroscope that reminds us when we begin to stray. It serves as the monitor of what we consider to be right or wrong, good or bad behavior. Although we might ascribe to a particular religious or philosophical system, ultimately, we define morality individually.

Allowing each person to be their own moral judge, let's leave it behind us, and look at our actions from another viewpoint. Before we act, let's determine whether the action we want to take makes sense. Is it functional or non functional? Is it an appropriate step to take, or is it inappropriate? Testing our plans against these two criteria will help us minimize our setbacks and embarrassing moments.

Functional or non functional: When setting goals to reach our priorities and deciding exactly what actions to take, we need to ask ourselves these questions. "Will this activity take me closer to or farther away from my goal?" "Is this a functional, integral part of my overall plan?" "Is this the best way to accomplish this task?" These are questions of functionality. They ask: will this activity result in effectiveness? Will it get the job done?

Appropriate or inappropriate: After we decide that an action is functional, that it will accomplish our intended purpose, then we need to ask ourselves, "Is it appropriate?" To determine appropriateness, try to view the situation from the points of view of all persons involved. This is not simply a matter of touch, of social nicety. It is also a good business practice. We don't want to be or appear to be unfeeling toward others that we work with. Even if an item is on our personal agenda for today, forcing the issue at an inappropriate time could ruin both the outcome of the present and all future interactions.

Many business people trying to work with an international client have experienced cross cultural differences. Hand gestures, in particular, have embarrassed many a traveler. What is an innocent expression of welcome in the United States becomes obscene in other countries. We don't all use the same logic or sequence to approach and analyze situations. If we assume that another individual or group thinks exactly as we do, that could easily be a naive, inappropriate assumption. There are multiple levels for us to be aware of when considering the appropriateness of our plans.

Recognizing that a consistent moral foundation should underpin our every action, we then focus our attention on functionality and appropriateness. Does it get the job done? Is this the correct time, place, and circumstance to proceed? If we bounce our ideas and plans off these criteria, we'll improve our success rate in nearly every endeavor and forum.

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