As we talked about before in this module, it’s important for project managers to work ethically. This means doing the right thing, not just following rules. There are written rules and laws, but there are also moral rules and values.
What are these moral rules and values? Let’s break it down with some explanations and examples.
Moral rules are like a list of dos and don’ts for how a person should behave. For instance, one moral rule is “don’t steal.”
Values are strong beliefs that guide how we act in different situations. They show what we think is good behavior. Values can be personal, but they can also be shared in groups like companies. When a bunch of people in the same group share these values, they shape how everyone acts in that group.
In companies, these shared values are super important. They make up the core of what the company’s culture is all about. These values are a small set of important beliefs that don’t change much, and they really influence how people act at work.
For example, The Open University (2019) has some values they believe in:
In our work, we stick to The Open University values of being inclusive, innovative, and responsive.
The value of being inclusive and innovative is a big part of what people do at The Open University. They use this value to make sure everyone can access knowledge through new and creative solutions.
Values and moral rules help everyone know how to behave in a group or at work. It’s good to think about them to understand how they affect the decisions we make when working on projects.
Think about the values your workplace or a group you’re in follows. Can you name some of these values? How do these values affect how you work on projects? Share your thoughts with other learners in the discussion below.
As a small business owner and aspiring project manager, my values are effective communication, transparency, honesty, truthfulness, respect and patience. This ensures smooth business transaction between the involved parties which enable my clients to trust the brand.
As a collaborator of an environmental NGO in Nigeria. Our value is to promote sustainable development, environmental conservation and community engagement, using social media and on-site to enlighten Nigerians about the need for us to work together for a better environment.
As someone who has worked in a retail establishment
Our values are
Innovation, integrity, accountability, and customer centric which has helped in a way we engaged customers and relate with other colleagues
As someone who works in a fintech as a customer support agent, our values are comply to compliance policy or regulatory and respect customers right.
As an aspiring project manager, my values are to promote honesty, transparency, communicate effectively with my team, maintaining a conducive environment for project team development, efficiency and accountability.
As someone who works in the real estate sector, our values consist of Accountability and integrity
These values ensure we are accountable to our clients and making sure we source for the best properties out there in the right location with reasonable pricing.and also not just selling to them and that’s the end but also backing it up with proper follow up to know that they got value for their money
As a pharmacist, our core values are to dispense the right drug, using the right route, with the right dosage to the right patient and at the right time .
Also in the military health sector, the core values is “All lives are precious”. This helps us to treat all patient with empathy, respect and care.
As a business person and aspiring project manager my values are soft-spoken, respect,kindness, honesty, transparency and a very good communication
In my current Organization, we have imbibed the values of Honesty, Transparency, and Integrity. Staying respectful, especially as we deal with people from different ethnic backgrounds, has also been key to maintaining and sustaining a good working environment for the project team and the stakeholders. These values will optimally breed success in the project.
Ubong Mbat
I’m my current organization, integrity is our core value.
This helps us to be upright, honest and truthful.
One of the values is honour. This ensures that respect is given to every client, making sure everyone feels respected and properly attended to.
As a Public speaker, serial entrepreneur, Writer and aspiring project manager here are my values
Productivity, honesty, sincerity transformation and efficiency
In my line of work as an entrepreneur,
Integrity, Respect, Empathy, Communication, good quality of products , Efficiency and Continuous Learning are some of the values to uphold.
Ngozi Aniedobe