Ethical Houston

            There were three that passed up the man who had been assaulted and robbed.  

 Luke 10:33-36  “But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.  Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.  The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper.  ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’  “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who into the hands of robbers?”

 This parable is another example of Jesus beseeching us to go the extra mile.  We know that there are numerous lessons that we can learn from this story.  The one that I want to focus is that Jesus puts faces on those that he helped.  It wasn’t something that he did from afar.  We are called to be in relationship with the other, not just give persons a handout or a donation, but to be involved one on one or with a group to share in their lives and they in ours.  This call is not just about charity.  It has its applications to ethics too.  In my conversations with my friend Bob Gower, one of our presenters at the Ethically Speaking conference in September, he told stories about his work at Lyondell Chemical as its CEO.  I was most impressed that he took time to personally visit the plants and to have lunch with some of his line employees to find out about what they were doing and thinking.  To me that’s above and beyond the call of duty.  It not only gave Bob a different perspective of his company operations but it gave the employees a feeling that he cared and that he was approachable.  And the policy of giving employees a feeling of safety to report problems directly to him, was another way of being accessible.  As Bob said recently, “As I read about so many issues–in companies, in government, in the CIA, in Homeland Security–I often think about what I told Lyondell managers and all of our people over and over.  You can not frighten people into doing a good job, you can not just cheer lead people into a good job, not at least over the long haul.  They have to want to do it.  And they will want to do it if you treat them with respect, tell them what is going on, and make sure they know what is expected of them.  That is what works for me, and it has worked with almost everyone else with whom I have worked.”  Some executives would feel that this kind of management was inappropriate and unnecessary for the CEO of a major company.  But the results were borne out in the outcomes of that company, from a very sick enterprise to being one of the top 100 companies to work for in America, not to mention its return to profitability and benefit to shareholders.

 This hands on management style also had an effect on company ethics.  There’s probably not a lot written about this, but it stands to reason that when you have a relationship with a person, and you have grown up with a belief in ethical standards and the worthiness of all human beings (see I and You) you will tend to be more ethical than if you see persons as commodities and blocks on an organizational chart. 

 Because of the complexity of today’s society, it’s difficult to build personal relationships within large organizations.  And when there is that attempt it is often in programs like “town hall meetings” or talking head presentations where people come to expect that the presenter will do something to alleviate their concerns, when in fact the presenter may not be empowered to do so.  This only makes the listeners even more frustrated and angry.  They may have been listened too, but not heard. 

 In the 1960’s there was a slogan that was associated with the ‘free speech movement’.  “Do not fold, bend, mutilate or spindle”.  The protests of that time were a cry for more open dialogue and accountability with those in power positions.  The slogan is interpreted as we are not computer cards with any identity other than being just a number.   There is often still the feeling that we are only numbers on a bar chart.  We are merely a demographic and not individuals.  Throughout the world today there are numerous individuals and organizations that are attempting to make our institutions more accountable and responsive to human interests and needs.  And there are indications that we have the tools to bring about better relationships in our communities and organizations.  As we have said in numerous places on this blog, it is impossible to legislate people’s ethics.  But we are now recognizing that as individuals we are also a part of an interconnected network of persons who demand ethical standards that inform our relationships with one another.  The question then that was posed to Jesus and prompted the parable of the good Samaritan of ‘who is my neighbor’, is that everyone is my neighbor and therefore my ethics demand that I treat others as ‘self’.  We may not have the time to create personal relationships with more than a few people in our lives, but we can acknowledge them as having worth as children of God and treat them accordingly.