CAI-NJ March 2022

THE MANY ROADS OF ETHICS By Paula Santangelo, CMCA, AMS, PCAM Associa Mid Atlantic, AAMC

T he definition of ethics is a set of moral principles that govern an individual or a group’s behavior; rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad. But what does that really mean? How does it translate into our professional careers? How do we navigate and balance that sometimes cloud- ed path with boards, owners, and vendors, and what if someone else’s idea of ethics is different from yours? What do you do? We all have been placed in ethical decision situations in our careers; you know it, you feel it right away, the visceral response to the request, you are uncomfortable, a little sweat on the palms? It starts with a simple request of, “Can you ask” or “Don’t ask or tell”. What happens next is reflective of how long you are in the industry. A tenured manager has learned, by experience, how to act and respond, how to stop and navigate the process,

and professionally let the requestor know this is outside the guidelines of ethical practices and/or the manage- ment contract’s tasks and responsibilities. The purpose of this article is to provide some remind- ers, paths, and options to the newer managers who are still gaining that knowledge and experience. The question or request will come verbally and in isolated situations; it’s important to first recognize the situation, then be able to stop the process, bump it up, include others, or reply in a way so the requestor understands you will not be acting on the request. The following are some effective ways to do just that: • I’ll need to include the other board members in that request. • Is it a quorum vote of the board?

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