Ethics Bistro

Getting notice that you’re accused of violating PMI’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct is unsettling. Breathe. This is the moment to steady yourself, get clear on the facts, and respond thoughtfully. The path forward is practical and values-based.

Use the following steps to organize your response and act with responsibility, respect, fairness, and honesty.

• Pause and get grounded
  • Don’t panic. Give yourself enough time to read the notice carefully and understand what’s being asked of you.
  • Note deadlines, requested information, and any instructions about confidentiality.
• Assess your position against the Code
  • Ask yourself plainly: do you agree a violation occurred, in whole or in part?
  • Map the situation to the Code’s expectations. Where does your conduct align? Where might it fall short?
  • Keep judgment neutral and fact-based. Avoid speculation about others’ motives.
• Reconstruct the facts
  • Gather objective materials that support your position (emails, messages, documents, system logs, meeting notes).
  • If it’s a “word against word” situation, identify witnesses who directly observed the event and can share their perspective.
  • Write a precise timeline: what happened, where, when, and who was involved.
• Review what happened after the event
  • Document what you did between the event and receiving the notification.
  • Note any actions you took to address the issue, your initial reaction, and any steps to prevent recurrence.
• Prepare a clear, complete response
  • Answer the questions you received directly and completely.
  • Explain the situation from your point of view, sticking to facts and timelines.
  • Acknowledge uncertainties rather than filling gaps with assumptions.
  • Keep your tone professional and cooperative.
• Cooperate with the process
  • Meet deadlines, provide requested materials, and be responsive.
  • Maintain confidentiality and be respectful in all communications.
  • Avoid retaliatory behavior or commentary; let the process work.
• If a violation occurred, own it and repair it
  • If you agree that a violation happened, state that clearly.
  • Propose concrete steps to make things right: clarifications or apologies where appropriate, restitution if harm occurred, corrective actions, and controls to prevent recurrence.
  • Share what you’ve learned and what will change in your practice (training, mentoring, improved procedures).
  • Openness and accountability matter. The Ethics Review Committee considers genuine ownership and corrective action.
• Use your time during the hearing
  • Make the best out of your time during the hearing. You will have 10 minutes to present your position.

A steady, principled response demonstrates professionalism under pressure. Focus on facts, align with the Code, cooperate fully, and—if needed—make amends and show how you will do better. Don’t panic. Lead with integrity, and let that guide your next steps.

Familiarize yourself with the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and refer to Ethics Case Responses & Findings for more details.

Let me know if you find this article valuable. What other hints would you add?

In the bustling offices of YKF Technical Solutions, a mid-sized IT firm, Lai-mui, its project manager, was leading a high-stakes software deployment for a government client. With tight deadlines and mounting pressure, Lai-mui delegated expense reporting to her trusted team lead, Deejay. Weeks later, during a routine audit, discrepancies surfaced as receipts for meals, travel, and equipment were inflated or entirely fabricated. Deejay admitted to falsifying receipts to “compensate for overtime and stress.” Lai-mui was stunned. What seemed like a minor infraction was, in fact, a serious ethical breach.

This scenario is not uncommon, yet it strikes at the heart of the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, which is built on four core values: Responsibility, Respect, Fairness, and Honesty.

Violations of PMI’s Core Values

• Responsibility: Deejay failed to take ownership of his actions and misused organizational resources. Ethical responsibility demands accountability, especially in financial stewardship. Falsifying receipts undermines trust and exposes the organization to legal and reputational risks.
• Respect: By manipulating expense reports, Deejay disrespected the trust placed in him by Lai-mui, the client, and the company. Respect includes honoring the dignity of others and the resources entrusted to us—including budgets and public funds.
• Fairness: Inflated claims create an uneven playing field. Honest employees, unlike Deejay, who follow protocol are disadvantaged, and project funds are misallocated. Fairness requires transparency and equal treatment, not personal gain at the expense of others.
• Honesty: The act of falsifying receipts is a direct violation of truthfulness. PMI’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct emphasizes that honesty is the cornerstone of ethical project management. Deejay’s deception eroded stakeholder confidence and jeopardized the integrity of the project.

Applying the PMI Ethical Decision-Making Framework (EDMF)

Lai-mui, now faced with an ethical dilemma, turned to the PMI Ethical Decision-Making Framework. The EDMF guided her through:

1. Assessment: Identifying the facts and stakeholders affected.
2. Alternatives: Considering disciplinary action, restitution, and process improvements.
3. Analysis: Evaluating options against PMI’s values.
4. Application: Choosing a course of action aligned with ethical standards.
5. Action: Reporting the incident, initiating corrective measures, and reinforcing ethical training.

Call to Action

The project management community must treat ethics as a living practice, not a checkbox. We must:

• Educate teams on PMI’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.
• Embed ethical discussions into retrospectives and planning.
• Encourage transparent reporting and protect whistleblowers.
• Use the EDMF to navigate gray zones with clarity.

Conclusion

Ethical leadership is not just about doing things right; it’s about doing the right things. Falsifying receipts may seem minor, but its ripple effects can compromise entire projects. Let’s recommit to the values that define our profession and lead with integrity, every step of the way.

Questions for Reflection

1. How can organizations prevent expense fraud without creating a culture of fear?
2. What systems should be in place to detect and deter falsified claims?
3. How do we empower team members to report unethical behavior safely?
4. What role should project managers play in modeling ethical financial practices?

References:

Project Management Institute, Inc. (2025). Ethics. pmi.org. https://www.pmi.org/about/ethics

Project Management Institute, Inc. (n.d.). Ethics Guidelines. pmi.org. https://www.pmi.org/about/ethics/guidelines

Project Management Institute, Inc. (n.d.). PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. pmi.org. https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/ethics/pmi-code-of-ethics.pdf

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This past week, I caught up with several former colleagues and friends from different organisations. A recurring theme emerged in our conversations: many of them are grappling with significant challenges, with much of their time and energy consumed in trying to resolve conflicts within their teams. In several cases, these conflicts are escalating and beginning to get out of hand.

By the end of the week, these discussions prompted me to pause and reflect, analysing not only what I had heard, but also how it connects with lessons I’ve learned through teaching, leadership, and practice. 

Why Do We End Up in Conflict?

Across these reflections, one root cause stood out: misaligned expectations. When expectations are not met, trust begins to erode. But why are expectations so often out of alignment?

Each person brings their own interpretation of what success will look like working in this team driven mostly by their own sense of purpose. Over time, when those expectations are not met for a variety of reasons. Without the right guardrails in place, signs of disengagement or frustration go unnoticed until conflict surfaces.

How individuals react is strongly influenced by their values and coping mechanisms. For organisations, this can result in good employees quietly leaving disruptive arguments within teams, or prolonged disputes that drain productivity and morale.

Drawing from My Teaching Experience

When teaching the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP®) course under Domain IV: Team Performance, one of the models I referenced often was Speed B. Leas’ Model of Conflict. It outlines five escalating levels of conflict from manageable problem solving to entrenched, intractable disputes.

The lesson is simple but powerful: leaders must recognise and address conflict early. In agile environments, where transparency and collaboration are vital, even small misunderstandings can snowball into major disputes if left unchecked.

Another useful framework is the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI), which identifies five approaches: competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, and accommodating. Effective leaders learn to adapt their approach to context, while prioritising collaboration for long term trust and cohesion. Together, these frameworks reinforce a core truth: effective conflict resolution requires awareness, adaptability, and timing.

Preventing Conflict Before It Escalates

The best approach to conflict is prevention. From my reflections, several practices stand out as essential:

• Shared vision and purpose: A clear “why” which keeps the team aligned.
• Team ground rules: Agreements on how the team will work and communicate serve as guardrails.
• Empathy in action: Recognising that we are all human subject to personal highs and lows helps teams support one another through challenges.
• Regular touchpoints: Leaders must check in frequently to ensure expectations remain clear and trust is intact.
• Open and safe dialogue: Providing space for candid conversations allows issues to surface early, before they escalate.

When these practices are embedded in the way we work, conflict shifts from being destructive to becoming a constructive part of problem solving.

The Role of PMI Ethics

Conflict also brings us back to values and ethics. How we respond under pressure whether we lash out, withdraw, resign quietly, or seek constructive dialogue is guided by both personal values and professional standards.

The PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct provide a compass for leaders and teams alike:

• Responsibility – owning our decisions and their consequences.
• Respect – valuing diverse perspectives and treating others with dignity.
• Fairness – acting impartially, without bias or favouritism.
• Honesty – communicating truthfully and transparently.

Applied consistently, these principles not only help to prevent conflict but also shape how teams respond when disagreements inevitably arise.

When Conflict Becomes Beyond Repair

Despite best efforts, some conflicts move beyond repair. This typically happens when:

• Trust has been repeatedly broken.
• Core values are fundamentally misaligned.
• Hostility escalates into personal
  attacks.
• Resolution is delayed too long, allowing resentment to harden.

At this stage, leadership often shifts from resolution to containment, restructuring, or separation, to protect the wider team and organisation.

These conversations reinforced my belief that conflict is not a sign of failure it is an inevitable part of human interaction. When addressed constructively, it can become a powerful driver of learning, innovation, and stronger collaboration. The true test of leadership lies in how early we recognise conflict, how openly we create space for resolution, and how firmly we anchor our actions in ethical principles. By leading with responsibility, respect, fairness, and honesty, we can transform conflict into an opportunity for trust and growth ultimately strengthening the very foundations of collaboration and leadership.

Imagine walking into a cozy little café called The Ethics Bistro. The air smells of freshly brewed coffee, and the tables are filled with people quietly reflecting on their day. At one corner table sits a project manager named David, looking worried.

The owner of the bistro, a wise old mentor, notices David’s frown and walks over.

“Why so serious, David?” the mentor asks.

David sighs. “I am leading a project team, but I am struggling to make the right calls. Deadlines, clients, budgets it feels like I am being pulled in every direction. How do I know if I am being fair?”

The mentor smiles and says, “Ah, then you need to taste the four-course meal we serve here every day. It is called the PMI Code of Ethics.”

First Course: Responsibility

“Responsibility is like the soup,” the mentor explains. “It warms the soul. As project managers, we are responsible for our decisions, both good and bad. If something goes wrong, we take responsibility instead of placing blame. Taking responsibility keeps the project honest and the team confident.”

Second Course: Respect

Next comes the main dish. “Respect is the heart of the meal. Just as food is seasoned with care, respect seasons every conversation. Whether it is a client, team member, or vendor, every person deserves to be valued. Respect builds trust, and trust keeps the project alive.”

Third Course: Fairness

Then arrives a plate of perfectly balanced flavors. “Fairness means treating everyone equally. No hidden favoritism, no secret deals. Like sharing bread at the table, fairness ensures everyone gets their piece. When the team feels fairness, they give their best.”

Final Course: Honesty

Finally, dessert is served sweet but powerful. “Honesty,” says the mentor, “is the sugar of relationships. Speak the truth, even when it is uncomfortable. A project can survive a missed deadline, but it cannot survive broken trust.”

David listens carefully, sipping coffee. “So, the PMI Code of Ethics is like this meal responsibility, respect, fairness, and honesty. If I serve these values to my team, they will follow me with trust.”

The mentor nods. “Exactly. Projects come and go, but the taste of integrity stays forever.”

As David leaves the Ethics Bistro that night, the burden feels lighter. He knows that no matter how tough the project becomes, the recipe for ethical leadership will guide him.

If you were serving your project team at the Ethics Bistro, which course responsibility, respect, fairness, or honesty would they say is your strongest flavor?

Share your answer in the comments.

Reference:

PMI Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct