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The Discipline of Building Character

by Joseph L. Badaracco, Jr.

Included with this full-text

Harvard Business Review

article:

The Idea in Brief—the core idea

The Idea in Practice—putting the idea to work

1

Article Summary

3

The Discipline of Building Character

A list of related materials, with annotations to guide further

exploration of the article’s ideas and applications

12

Further Reading

Character is forged at those

defining moments when a

manager must choose

between right and right.

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The Discipline of Building Character

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The Idea in Brief The Idea in Practice

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We’ve all experienced times when our pro-fessional responsibilities conflict with our values: A budget crisis forces us to dismiss a valued employee, for example. Or, a new MBA must choose between playing the role of a token minority or

earning

a cov-eted spot on a consulting team.

During these

defining moments

, we must choose between right and—right. Unlike other ethical decisions, where the options are clearly right and wrong, defining mo-ments ask us to choose between two ide-als. They force us to balance our idealism with the messy reality of our jobs. They de-termine whether we’ll uphold our values—or merely pay them lip service.

Resolving defining moments requires skills not listed on most job descriptions—prob-ing self-inquiry, in particular. These skills en-able us to craft an authentic identity based on our own, rather than others’, under-standing of what’s right. Managers who brave the process renew their sense of pur-pose—and transform their values into shrewd, politically astute action.

The workplace presents three increasingly complex types of defining moments—for in-dividuals, managers, and executives. For each type, probing questions can clarify core val-ues, helping us decide what to do.

1. W HO AM I?

Defining Moments for Individuals

This type of defining moment asks us to clarify our personal identity while grappling with two equally valid perspectives. Questions include:

What feelings and intuitions are conflicting?

Example:

When Steve Lewis, an African-American, re-alized his boss wanted him to attend a company presentation as “a token black,” two of his values clashed: He wanted to

earn

his professional advancement but

also

wanted to “be a team player.”

Which conflicting values mean the

most

to me?

Example:

Remembering his parents’ dignified, effec-tive response to prejudice, Lewis felt deeply moved. He decided his race was a more vital part of his moral identity than his pro-fessional role.

How will I

implement

my personal understand-ing of what is right?

Example:

Lewis decided to attend the presentation—but as a participant rather than a “show-piece.” He successfully delivered part of the presentation, demonstrating he was a team player

and

would not be treated as a token. His ethically informed decision also ad-vanced his career.

2. W HO ARE WE?

Defining Moments for Work Groups

As managers advance in an organization, their defining moments grow more complex. In ad-dition to their own beliefs, managers must

consider their work group’s values. Questions include:

What

other

strong, persuasive interpretations of the situation’s ethics exist, besides mine?

This question prevents you from imposing your understanding of what is right.

Example:

Peter Adario’s new account manager, Kath-ryn McNeil, was highly qualified and com-petent. But as a single mother, she was also struggling to keep up with her work. Her supervisor, Lisa Walters (who reported to Adario), complained. The situation pitted Adario’s belief in work/family balance against his duty to the department’s bot-tom line. But before he could act, Walters went over his head to fire McNeil. If Adario had realized earlier that he and Walters saw McNeil’s situation through different lenses, he might have prevented the firing.

What point of view is

most

likely to win the con-test of interpretations and influence others?

Based on company culture and goals, group norms, and political jockeying, whose point of view would prevail in

your

organization?

Example:

By asking this question, Adario might have seen the McNeil issue within a larger work/family context. During these fast-paced, de-manding times, employees with children struggled to keep up. Those without family demands resented working longer hours to compensate.

Their

viewpoint would likely prevail.

What can I do to help my interpretation win?

This question enables you to plan for the reso-lution of defining moments

before

they arise.

Example:

Instead of waiting for the work/family issue to catch him and his group by surprise, Adario could have anticipated the problem and defined an organizational culture that