THE BUSINESS ETHICS FIELD GUIDE Challenge 2: Made A Promise

BY BRAD YARBROUGH This series features 13 articles from Brad Agle, Aaron Miller and Bill O’Rourke, co-authors ofThe Business Ethics Field Guide. Each article focuses on a common work dilemma, provides real life examples and insightful solutions. For more information, please refer to the cover story in the November/December 2018 issue.

This article addresses the oft-faced ethical challenge of keeping promises. Indeed, establishing expectations and keeping our word is at the heart of the right of way profession. Many difficulties arise when the bonds of trust between parties are broken. I vividly remember when I assigned an agent to a client’s maintenance project involving a short pipeline and a handful of landowners. The agent faced unexpected resistance from owners who recounted the numerous promises broken years earlier during the initial pipeline construction. Though eventually successful in regaining their trust, the outcome could have been reached more quickly and less costly if the pipeline operator had been better about managing obligations in the past. Had they listened to the following advice, I believe they would have succeeded.

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ETHICAL DILEMMAS Upcoming articles in this series will take 13 a closer look at each dilemma. STANDING UP TO POWER e all make lots of 1 Someone in power is asking you to do something promises. Some are unethical. small and casual, while Wothers are formal. Some are even long MADE A PROMISE term, personal commitments such as 2 Conflicting commitments force you to choose. the promise to love, honor and respect a spouse for a lifetime. No matter what the promise is, many involve a degree INTERVENTION of uncertainty. 3 You see something wrong. How do you proceed? Think about a small commitment like promising to take someone to CONFLICTS OF INTEREST the ball game, but then it rains. At 4 Multiple roles put you at cross purposes. the time the promise was made, there was little known of the future, yet the commitment was made anyway. SUSPICIONS WITHOUT ENOUGH EVIDENCE 5 You believe something is going on, but you’re not sure. A basic moral principle is that we will live up to our promises. We like PLAYING DIRTY to think that our word is our bond. However, in a world of uncertainty, 6 Achieving justice but by doing something unethical. conflicts are sure to arise. Keep in mind that: SKIRTING THE RULES 7 Bending a rule for a better outcome. •Breaking some promises will be necessary to live a moral life. DISSEMBLANCE THE BUSINESS ETHICS • People remember when promises 8 Misrepresenting the truth for better outcome. are kept or broken. LOYALTY FIELD GUIDE Unrelenting Circumstances 9 Giving up ethical stance to protect valued relationship.

Sometimes the choice is straightforward. SACRIFICING PERSONAL VALUES You had promised to mow your neighbor's lawn, but then you receive 10 Living ethically might put burden on others. a phone call that your spouse was in a traffic accident. Most people will agree UNFAIR ADVANTAGE that the unforeseen event warrants breaking the promise to satisfy a 11 When opportunity exists to wield an unfair upper hand. higher priority. Most of the time, however, the choice is not so clear. REPAIR 12 When you are responsible for a mistake. In business, we can oftentime predict changes and plan for them. For instance, if there is a possibility SHOWING MERCY that the price of a commodity can 13 You could grant forgiveness, but you don’t know fluctuate, then the contract to supply if you should. that commodity should provide for price fluctuations.

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Communication is Key • Don't overbook yourself.

Don't decide alone. The foreman It’s difficult to estimate the time of a plant shipped a large product required to meet promises. Ensure order on the day it was promised. there is time for unpredictable The order specified that the developments. Being too busy is shipment be inspected. However, seldom accepted as an excuse for the inspection equipment was breaking a promise. broken. The foreman decided to Communication ship the items on the promised date, • Build good relationships. rationalizing that no product defects helps establish had been found in the previous five By honoring your commitments years. as a matter of course and often new expectations going above and beyond the When his supervisor learned of expectations, you will build social this, he insisted on calling the capital. That social capital will when the world customer and explaining what serve you well when you are faced happened. The boss gave the with breaking or modifying a changes. customer the option of shipping promise. the product back or accepting it. If something happened with the • Moral Imagination. product later, the boss promised to fix it. The customer accepted the Moral decisions must not consist product, but the foreman should of just two alternatives. Instead, have contacted the customer before using your imagination can result Alternate Solutions unilaterally deciding on the action. in developing a creative solution Communication is valuable. that satisfies the moral obligations Perhaps the other party may not even of all the involved parties. While want you to keep the promise. If an In Summary moral imagination doesn’t always economic panic makes it impossible produce such solutions, you might for you to fulfill an order, then Here’s some guidelines for avoiding be surprised at how often thinking perhaps a customer who is facing the or mitigating these issues: through alternatives will lead you same circumstances no longer wants to a creative solution. J the product. Communication helps • Be careful of the promises you establish new expectations when the make. world changes. Try to predict and plan for There may be an alternative course potential changes. The majority of action that would fulfill the of contract discussions original intent of the promise. don’t merely deal with the You promised to provide financial straightforward aspects of the support for a local youth group contract (quality, delivery and and the group is forced to disband price), but also the impact because of a crisis at the group's of potential future changes. Brad Yarbrough is the Owner and CEO of Pilgrim national level. Perhaps giving to It’s critical to address where Land Services, a right of way services company in Oklahoma City. With over 35 years experience in oil responsibility will fall in the another organization will achieve and gas, he has clients nationwide and an extensive helping the community. event those changes happen. network of landmen and agents.

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