Why is Ethics a boring topic?

This is a really interesting point. When we think of historical big construction/engineering projects where codes of conduct needed to be enforced due to "life and limb" issues, the PM would often have been a professional engineer and that profession's code would have trumped others.

But PMs in other industries may not have started in "professional" roles (i.e. those considered to be professions) which creates the challenge of global compliance. After all, PMI is not the only PM association out there - even if a PM falls afoul of PMI's Code, this wouldn't necessarily mean they are unable to manage projects or join other PM associations.

Kiron

Sergio

my perspective is different, as you might know.

You are right that there are country registered professionals in many global professions. Medical doctors follow a global code of ethics in addition to that registration. PM as a young profession is only registered in few countries yet, e.g. UK.

Code of ethics NEVER are legally enforceable, but they are sometimes enforced by professional bodies like PMI or also for doctors or journalists or lawyers.

We all are bound by many group norms, laws, codes. Many hospitals have own code of ethics, and doctors working there have follow at least 2 codes plus local laws. Similar to construction PMs, they commit to construction based norms and if they are PMP to the PMI code.

And yes, this is another source for ethical dilemmas.

Code of ethic in a real profession is not legally enforceable. It is legally actionable, which is not the same. There is no way that a discipline can be consider a profession if some critical points are not followed. Those critical points are because the demange a discipline can create with those actions. So, my point is, in the extreme, call project management a profession is disrespect real professions like doctors and others. Just my line of thinking and behave. For me, what a profession formaly implies is a very serious thing to be taken into account (I do not find other word but I am not saying that is not serious for other because the comments above).

Sergio

Codes of ethics are also not legally actionable. Ethics and laws are different things, though a violation of ethics might sometimes constitute also a violation of law and vice versa.

Show me a code of ethics that is legally actionable.

PM is a profession in development, and other than with e.g. lawyers or journalists there is a global code of ethics available.

Stephane,

agree, and it is not only about the different ethics codes, it is about any norms, beliefs and values (the culture) of the communities we are part of.

Think about family, spouse, school, job, employer, team, profession, etc. Everything we do is somehow the result of considering all these parameters. Our brain seems to be able to do that intuitively, but sometimes we run into conflicts between values or beliefs, which then may constitute an ethical dilemma.

You hit the mail. Adding to that is what a discipline must address to be consider a profession because in this case things,that must be defined as a requirement, like code of ethic must be address local laws and jurisdictions. On top of all of that, totally independient of "papers" is the real debate about ethic that must be done in the field of phylosophy and they are totally influence by things like culture. For example, the way in which women are treated in some countries is totally unethical for me but it is not for the people of that country nor for many others who do not make the slightest comment for doing business with them even when being in a meeting business where they see that reality. Or project managers working on projects that generate weapons of mass destruction is totally unethical for me but for some organizations it seems that is not the case because they grant credentials to these people. This would be prohibited for a doctor due to the code of medical ethics because it would be a crime and could go to jail. Then, if we will debate ethics, just in case we will do that out of any framework and using personal perception then it will be boring and with no sense for me.

Good points, Albert.

Ethics too often is seen as limiting and policing while it could be enabling. It is sometimes good to have a framework, like a good checklist, to do things based on good practice. Our intuition works well if we made an experience before, but not so much if we run into a situation for the first time.

Before using a code of ethics as a sanctioning instrument, we should use it as a development tool: think about what you will do in specific situations, maybe learn in simulations (like we do for negotiations), read stories about ethical solutions.

The question is how to become a good (ethical) person. You can rely on intuition, or on punishing bad behavior, but as we know from elsewhere, learning by positive feedback is a better way.