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Personal Ethics
« Previous Entries Next Entries »Was SEC Chair Christopher Cox right to dismiss self-regulation?
Thursday, October 2nd, 2008As the subprime mortgage/credit crisis continues to play out, the second-guessing has begun. The New York Times recently quoted Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox as blaming the SEC’s “voluntary regulation” program for the failure. To grossly oversimplify the program, investment banks were invited, but not required, to submit to the SEC’s supervision, opting [...]
Is the Church of England’s “apology” to Darwin really an apology?
Monday, September 29th, 2008Recently, a friend forwarded an article from the London Telegraph reporting that the Church of England was going to issue an apology to Charles Darwin for its initial hostility to his theory of natural selection. Written by Rev. Dr. Malcolm Brown, the Church’s Director of Mission and Public Affairs, the apology reads as follows:
Charles Darwin: [...]
Referee Hochuli may have missed the call, but it was the NFL that fumbled
Sunday, September 21st, 2008In the interests of taking a break from the melodrama on Wall Street, let’s turn to the world of professional sports, where another drama is unfolding. A week ago, referee Ed Hochuli blew a call in a critical game. Hochuli’s error cost the Chargers a victory and, with the amount of money at stake in pro football, [...]
Do your children know how to apologize?
Monday, September 15th, 2008When I talk to interviewers about my book, The Art of the Apology, they frequently ask if it’s important for parents to teach their kids how to apologize when they’ve done something wrong. The answer boils down to two words: you bet. Apologizing is an essential social skill that kids need to learn if they’re [...]
Check out CNN.com for The Frisky’s “The 8 Worst Apologies Ever”
Thursday, September 11th, 2008By now, my readers know that I’m passionate about helping people learn to make effective apologies that restore and strengthen their relationships. So I was delighted to see CNN.com pick up a post today by blogger Judy McGuire of The Frisky titled, “The 8 Worst Apologies Ever.” Ms. McGuire focused on ways that women often [...]
Is it ethical for failed CEOs to accept big exit pay packages?
Wednesday, September 10th, 2008Today, the federal government announced its conservatorship plan to bail out mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In all honesty, the government probably didn’t have much choice in the matter, because the two companies own or guarantee almost half of the mortgages in the United States. If either or both were to go [...]
Former school superintendent’s apology mends fences
Monday, September 8th, 2008In Emeryville, California, Stephen Wesley reportedly did a great job as School Superintendent, enhancing student morale and improving the academic culture in the tiny, two-school district. Unfortunately, his success was short-lived. Wesley was hired in 2007, based in part on his claims that he had a Ph.D. from Columbia University and master’s degrees in theology and philosophy [...]
New York Times “Social Q’s” apology advice misses the mark
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008Yesterday, New York Times “Social Q’s” columnist Philip Galanes answered a query from an irritated hostess named “A.S. from Manhattan.” A.S. explained that, at a recent dinner party, one of her “dear friends” got a little tipsy, spilled red wine on A.S.’s new rug, and never acknowledged the gaffe. Not only did this friend fail [...]
Happy Independence Day!
Friday, July 4th, 2008On this 4th of July, I want to write just a little about how ethics and liberty go together. Too often, people think that ethics are all about restrictions: laws, rules, regulations, codes of conduct, and so forth. They focus on how principles of ethics restrain behavior, and overlook the freedoms that ethics protect.
In my [...]
Are you afraid to talk ethics with your employees?
Thursday, July 3rd, 2008Employers can be uncomfortable talking about business ethics with their employees for a variety of reasons. Some bosses are afraid of seeming naive or too “goody-goody,” especially when dealing with cynical employees. Other bosses worry that, if they bring up ethical issues, their employees will become fearful that they’re being set up for discipline. Another [...]
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