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.
Every organization has core values like integrity, teamwork, creativity, responsibility, respect, putting customers first etc which help to shape how the organization work every day.
For example, if integrity matters, I would make sure to be honest about progress and challenges in a project. Also, if teamwork is valued, I would listen to others and support my team. If innovation is key, I would stay open to new ideas and better ways of doing things. Respect would guide how I treat colleagues, and a focus on the customer would help me design work that truly meets their needs.
These values would guild my choices, keep me grounded, and help me do work that really fits the organization’s aims and purpose.
Ensuring and Maintaning Punctuality during training to ensure management of time
Mantaining Transparency helps to ensure smooth running of the organization
Accountability helps to keep records helping us to know when we are at loss or making profit
Utilization of available resources to achiveve our project deliverables
As a project manager, transparency and accountability is important because it helps to build trust, identity and address issues quickly and also reduces risks.
As a Personal Assistant to a C.E.O of an entertainment organization, we ensure that our values and standards are upheld in delivery our services to the audience during rehearsal sections and during performance.
As a project supervisor/manager, integrity is very important whether it be in or out of your organization.
Values and morals are really important in all profession and being a project manager it fosters trust and discipline admist the team members.
In groups of organization, integrity,trust, respect, Team work are qualities of values any one should adapt to
As a virtual assistant, ethics in the workplace is one key to driving a successful task and working with teams from around the world. Though we come from different places with different values, the values at the workplaces make us one and behave accordingly, irrespective of your different values.
In Project Management, organization values as well as personal values really come to play in how a person resolves issues regarding to certain projects.
In any organization there has to be a core value that keeps them moving and staying focused on what they tend to achieve. Having moral rules guides people on what to do and not to do in any organization like don’t eat during work hours.