All images courtesy of Forbes Councils members.

By Camilla Hedborg

1. Develop a code, and make ethical performance a strategic priority.
2. Set the tone from the top.
3. Engage, communicate and train your staff.
4. Provide support routes for staff.
5. Measure effectiveness of your ethics programme.

Philosophers have developed five different approaches to values to deal with moral issues.

• The Utilitarian Approach.
• The Rights Approach.
• The Fairness or Justice Approach.
• The Common-Good Approach.
• The Virtue Approach.
• Ethical Problem Solving.

Utilitarianism is one of the most common approaches to making ethical decisions, especially decisions with consequences that concern large groups of people, in part because it instructs us to weigh the different amounts of good and bad that will be produced by our action.

Instead of being a hindrance, your emotions can be powerful allies when you are faced with a decision. Don’t be afraid to acknowledge them. Not only will they deepen your self-understanding, they will help you make better decisions all around.

1. Hit Pause During The Emotion Dance.
2. Balance Your Emotions.
3. Modulate Your Responses.
4. Trust Your Gut Feelings.
5. Take Your Time.
6. Integrate Emotions With Reason.
7. Marry The Heart And Mind.
8. Ask Yourself Questions.

Emotions can affect not just the nature of the decision, but the speed at which you make it. Anger can lead to impatience and rash decision-making. If you’re excited, you might make quick decisions without considering the implications, as you surf the wave of confidence and optimism about the future.

Balancing logic and emotion to ensure good decisions

1. Remove all prejudicial factors that may impact your choices.
2. H.A.L.T. from making decisions when you are in certain states.
3. Make a list of pros, cons, and risks. Think about future outcomes.
4. Finally, search for a happy medium. Let your reason and emotion work together.

In many ways, logic is better than emotion. The more you can think critically and objectively about a decision before you make it, the more likely the decision will be the best for you. The less you are drive only by emotion and instinct, the fewer impulsive or irrational decisions you should make.

Examples of Emotional Reasoning Signs of emotional reasoning include thoughts like “I feel guilty, so I must have done something bad,” “I’m feeling inadequate, so I must be worthless,” or “I feel afraid, so I must be in a dangerous situation.”

What Is Overgeneralization? Overgeneralization frequently affects people with depression or anxiety disorders. It is a way of thinking where you apply one experience to all experiences, including those in the future. For example, if you once gave a poor speech, you may think to yourself, “I always screw up speeches.

When you’re using all-or-nothing thinking, you might be making decisions without all the information, Thorn said. For instance “My son will play either baseball or soccer” is limiting.

All-or-nothing thinking is a common type of cognitive distortion. This just means that your thinking has gotten twisted up and is based on inaccurate information or assumptions. All-or-nothing thinking is often based on things we were told as children, which we’ve accepted as facts, reinforced, and internalized.

It’s raining. She has hydroplaned and her car is upside down in a ditch. “ These are all prime examples of cognitive distortions: thought patterns that cause people to view reality in inaccurate — usually negative — ways.

12 Irrational Thoughts Even the Smartest People Have

1. I must be competent in everything or I will never succeed.
2. My emotions are outside of my control.
3. I can never make a mistake or I’ll be seen as a failure.
4. I must please others to feel good about myself.
5. If someone criticizes me, there must be something wrong with me.