Ethics Start at Home

At first blush, a student of professional ethics might turn to a myriad of professional associations and government agencies in an attempt to locate applicable sources of ethical guidance. These agencies and foundations are not without merit and certainly provide a solid first source from which to start formulating a personal or team ethic. Many professions have associations which provide ethical frameworks; state bar associations for lawyers, medical and teaching boards, societies for certified public accountants, among others.
While the consideration of a professional associations code of ethics is certainly a resource from which to start, "any bureaucratization of what constitutes ethics runs the risk of absolving the student/researcher from moral reflection once the ethics consideration form is approved." (Askins, 2008)

Another source in the formation of a professional ethic is through interactive instruction with ones mentors, teachers and collaborators. In Canada, for instance, students at Ryerson University learn about reviewing protocols
through a variety of processes, including mentorship, consultation with other Board members, workshop participation, independent study and others. (Walton, Karabanow, & Saleh, 2008) At their university, the researcher suggest that the quality of ethical review boards are not only enhanced by a collaboration that include expert faculty and students but that the mix provides better for the spirit of laws governing ethical review boards.

Perhaps the most critical source upon which one must rely to decide a question of ethics is introspective in nature. In the final analysis, one must draw on the cultural teachings, the personal faith and ones own "gut" as the source of ones ethics. Indeed, what leads any individual to make what he or she sees as a reasonable judgement about the truth of a value claim is not evidence such that any reasonable person would find sufficient--but evidence that the individual finds personally sufficient to support or oppose the program put forward. (Broidy & Jones, 1998)

Ethics IS Marketing

I often mention that critical thinking is the "stock in trade" of being a systems analyst and a programming contractor. As such, conducting my business in an ethical manner is a form of marketing, not to mention the right thing to do.

Often, in order to provide a process model for a business, I must have access to a clients proprietary information. I am trusted with accounting data, passwords, personnel information and critical infrastructure upon which the client's business relies. Starting with what exists, I am then asked to help assess and form plans for the future growth of the company. Not only does this require critical thought, but also, an ethical responsibility. The health and longevity of the company and it's employees is, to a sometimes significant degree, dependent upon my performance. This statement is not intended to devalue nor indemnify other team members who share this responsibility as well.

When I bid on a job, I am promising the client that I will protect their confidentiality, use Best Practices and charge a fair but honest price. How I perform and deliver effects my reputation and that of programming contractors in general.

Writing is a Puzzle

My favorite part of writing is the opportunity to articulate my thoughts. Writing assignments are permission to express ones ideas without apology. The challenge of organizing sentences to clearly reflect my thoughts is quite enjoyable. Writing is a puzzle whose solution is the sum of parts the author manufactures. One has an idea what picture will result when the pieces are assembled but the pieces are not all provided.

The hardest part of writing for me is getting started. The transition from the blank page to a rough draft is always difficult. A technique that works well for me is focused free-writing. Once I break the inertia of staring at a blank page and start writing, the thoughts tend to flow like water from a floodgate.

With initial thoughts on paper, I rework the results, often stopping to brainstorm ideas that will support the ideas I wrote during my free-writing exercise. It is not uncommon for me to create several drafts of my ideas and modify my outline many times before I am satisfied.

Ultimately the best tip I have about writing is to avoid second guessing the ideas from the initial brainstorm. The challenge is to surmount the paradox of writing expertly about that which one is far from expert and express myself.