Gumbus, Andra

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Organization Management Journal Volume 7 Issue 4 Article 10 12-1-2010 Giving voice to values: how to speak your mind when you know what’s right Andra Gumbus Sacred Heart University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.shu.edu/omj  Part of the Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons, and the Organizational Communication Commons Recommended Citation Gumbus, Andra (2010) "Giving voice to values: how to speak your mind when you know what’s right," Organization Management Journal: Vol. 7: Iss. 4, Article 10. Available at: https://scholarship.shu.edu/omj/vol7/iss4/10 Book ReviewGiving voice to values: how to speak your mindwhen you know what’s rightMary GentileYale University Press, New Haven, CT and London, UK, 2010, ISBN 978-0-300-6118-2,$26.00 ($16.99 UK Sterling)Reviewed by Andra GumbusSacred Heart University,CT, USAOrganization Management Journal (2010)7, 310–314. doi:10.1057/omj.2010.42Chuck Prince (former CEO of Citigroup) said, “As long asthe music is playing, you have to get up and dance” Does thishold true for business ethics, and acting on your values, or canskills that allow for alternatives in the business realm be developed,and honed? This is the fundamental question explored in thenewly released Yale University Press book Giving Voice to Values:How to Speak Your Mind When You Know What’s Right by Mary C.Gentile. Gentile is a 10-year veteran of the Harvard Business Schooland a pioneer in both fields of business ethics and diversitymanagement. Currently she is director of the Giving Voice toValues curriculum and senior research scholar at Babson College.The book provides you an alternative solution to resolving ethicaldilemmas that might crop up in the workplace. Gentile argues thatwe do not spend time on action and developing plans and scripts torespond in a way that corresponds with our values of what is rightand wrong. Gentile further argues that simple awareness andanalysis of an ethical dilemma are not enough, nor is relying onthe standard ethical decision-making frameworks that are tradition-ally taught in business courses, such as justice, rights, virtue, andutilitarianism. The author comes up with a new approach called the“Giving Voice to Values (GVV)” approach, which allows us to writescripts that counter the commonly heard reasons and rationaliza-tions that prevent us from acting on our values. The approach allowsyou to practice how to handle the discomfort that can result fromacting counter to the prevailing values at work or when placed in asticky situation that challenges your moral compass. The author ofthis review has used the GVV approach and materials at both thegraduate level in a course titled Legal and Social Responsibilities inBusiness and at the undergraduate level in a required Business Ethicscourse at Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT. Sacred HeartUniversity has made a conscious decision to infuse the entireundergraduate business degree with an emphasis on a values-baseddecision-making approach.A virtuous circleThe GVV approach is built upon various assumptions – primarilythat we all want to work hard, and be able to bring our best selvesinto our workplaces, yet we can encounter corporate cultures,Organization Management Journal (2010) 7, 310–314& 2010 Eastern Academy of Management All rights reserved 1541-6518www.omj.netbosses, co-workers, or clients that cause valueconflicts. In addition we can experience negativerepercussions in our career or face socialdisapproval for going against the grain. In doingthis GVV does not fall prey to the dreaded P’s :preaching, parochialism, pettiness, and paternal-ism. This little gem of a book provides storiesof people who have delivered effective responseswhen put in challenging situations, and givesthe reader the tools to identify, deconstruct,and respond to rationalizations and barriers toethical behavior. It takes the standard model ofteaching ethics and turns the kaleidoscopeto view a refreshingly unique lens throughwhich we see, define, and respond to ethicaldilemmas.The working metaphor of GVV is akin tosomeone learning a new sport or physical skill.The approach is practiced in a supportive environ-ment where confidence and fluency in thedelivery of alternative responses can thrive. AsGentile puts it, “rather than experiencingthat deer-in-the-headlights feeling when weconfront values conflicts, our muscle memory cankick in and the emotionality of the moment isreduced y we can expand our sense of what’spossible – another virtuous circle.” The approachis delightfully positive as opposed to the manycases we have all read about ethical disasters asof late that provide a negative example ofwhat went horribly wrong instead of how to doit right.Distinctive features of the GVV curriculuminclude the following:(1) A focus on positive examples of times whenfolks have found ways to voice, and therebyimplement their values in the workplace.(2) An emphasis on the importance of finding analignment between one’s individual sense ofpurpose and that of the organization (analignment that involves self-assessment and afocus on one’s individual strengths).(3) The opportunity to construct and practiceresponses to the most frequently heard reasonsand rationalizations for not acting on one’svalues.(4) The opportunity to build commitment by provi-ding repeated opportunities for participants topractice delivering their responses and tolearn to provide peer feedback and coachingto enhance effectiveness (www.givingvoicetovalues.org).Building confidence and skillGVV begins with an engaging exercise that buildsconfidence and skill by having participants writeabout two situations: one where we spoke up andacted to resolve a conflict in a way that wasconsistent with our values, and the other whenwe did not. As an opening activity it allows forpowerful learning at both individual and organiza-tional levels by juxtaposing the two stories, andanswering reflection questions that define perso-nal, and organizational motivators and inhibitorsthat were a part of the situation. This generates alist of enablers and disablers to voicing values.Giving Voice to Values is about learning how to acton your values effectively – not about wonderingwhether you could. The components that form thefoundation of the GVV approach are in the stepsbelow.ValuesKnow and appeal to a short list of widely sharedvalues: for example, honesty, respect, responsibil-ity, fairness, and compassion. In other words, don’tassume too little – or too much – commonality withthe viewpoints of others.ChoiceBelieve you have a choice about voicing values byexamining your own track record. Know what hasenabled and disabled you in the past, so you canwork with and around these factors. And recognize,respect, and appeal to the capacity for choice inothers.NormalityExpect values conflicts so that you approach themcalmly and competently. Over-reaction can limityour choices unnecessarily.PurposeDefine your personal and professional purposeexplicitly, and broadly before conflicts arise. Whatis the impact you most want to have? Similarly,appeal to a sense of purpose in others.Self-knowledge, self-image, and alignmentGenerate a “self-story” about voicing and acting onyour values that is consistent with who you are, andthat builds on your strengths. There are many waysto align your unique strengths and style with yourvalues. If you view yourself as a “pragmatist,” forexample, find a way to view voicing your values aspragmatic.Book Review311Organization Management JournalVoicePractice voicing your values in front of respectedpeers using the style of expression with which youare most comfortable and skilled. This also involvesusing a style of expression that is most appropriateto the situation, and which invites/allows coachingand feedback. You are more likely to say thosewords that you have pre-scripted for yourself andalready heard yourself express.Reasons and rationalizationsAnticipate the typical rationalizations given forethically questionable behavior, and identifycounter-arguments. These rationalizations are pre-dictable, and vulnerable to reasoned response(www.givingvoicetovalues.org).Why work?The GVV approach spends time up front havingparticipants focus on why they work in a broadsense. Your professional and career purpose isanalyzed using broadly based goals that are part ofan organization, and as a citizen within a broadersociety. Terms such as providing value to custom-ers, and providing good jobs in a supportive workenvironment illustrate the scope. An explorationof the impact we want to have in our job or pro-fession, and an appeal to others’ sense of purpose ispart of this definition. A tool is described thatsurveys professional and personal tendencies andpreferences (Personal-Professional Profile can befound in the appendix). Self-knowledge, self-image,and alignment to strengths facilitate speaking froma position that is familiar and confident. Stories ofindividuals who have voiced their values reveal fiveareas that make it easier to act on values when facedwith a conflict and are assessed using the profile.They are definition of purpose, personal risk profile,personal communication style or preferences, loy-alty profile, and self-image.Gentile refers to this as our self-story – a narrativeof who we are, and what we stand for that can helpsupport using our voice with confidence when weface fear of lack of acceptance, or run the risk ofbeing labeled naı̈ve, not willing to make difficultcalls, or disloyal to the company. This prefaces thecornerstone chapters of the book that focus onfinding your voice and overcoming reasons andrationalizations not to use your voice.Finding voiceThe uniqueness and therefore the strength of thebook lies in the emphasis given to examples ofindividuals who found their voice, and overcamethe prevailing winds of doubt and rationalizationsand found a safe harbor. Gentile explores the factthat there are a myriad of ways to voice values,some working better in certain situations withcertain audiences. She admits that we are perhapsmore skillful or comfortable with an approach weprefer, and this might make or break our decision tospeak. Her genuine and easy style of conveyingsimple truths that are not rocket science allows thereader to relate, and feel like you are being coachedby a good friend. Gentile understands that someorganizations, and bosses can either help or hinderusing voice, yet reassures us that there are things wecan do to increase our chances of success and thelikelihood that we will exercise our voice. Shestresses practice and coaching. Gentile makes all ofher points using well-referenced researchers andscholars in the field, but she also draws on commonsense to support her accusations. She profiles LisaBaxter as an example of someone who developedher voice over many years, and made manydecisions to intervene when she was a novice aswell as a seasoned executive and faced injustice atwork. The story of Lisa Baxter is one of manyindividual profiles that Gentile narrates in order tomake her approach come to life. Baxter is used as avehicle to enumerate a tool kit of enablers forvoicing values such as: experience, positive reinfor-cement, mentors, support systems, and practice.Having followed Lisa Baxter as a new hire early inher career as well as having been a senior executiveallows Gentile to dispel the common myths that weare too novice to speak up at the one end, and toovested at the other. She illustrates effective use ofvoice at both ends of the career spectrum amongjunior and senior employees.Reasoned response to rationalizationsAn unethical course of action usually results whenwe justify pursuing a questionable goal usingreasons and rationalizations. In order to counteran unethical choice, Gentile encourages the forma-tion of scripts by answering the following fourquestions to get at the motivations that guidechoices: What is the action or decision that we believe isright? What are the main arguments against this coursethat we’re likely to encounter? What are thereasons and rationalizations we will need toaddress?Book Review312Organization Management Journal What’s at stake for the key parties, includingthose who disagree with us? And what’s at stakefor us? What are our most powerful and persuasiveresponses to the reasons and rationalizations weneed to address? To whom should the argumentbe made? When and in what context?These four questions are also used to debrief theGVV case studies that are a part of the curriculumfound on the GVV website (but not found inthe book). The book would have benefitted fromthe inclusion of sample cases in the appendix toillustrate how a story portrayed in the book wasused to generate a teaching case. The presence of asample graduate level and undergraduate levelcase would have enhanced the book and helped areader to understand the GVV approach. I foundthis lacking, and if included it would further clarifythe model.Common categories of ethical dilemmas arereviewed based on research from the Institute forGlobal Ethics. These are: truth versus loyalty,individual versus community, short term versuslong term, and justice versus mercy. The mostfrequently used categories of rationalizations thatwe face when trying to speak out against unethicalpractices are also explored. These arguments are:expected or standard practice, materiality, locus ofresponsibility, and locus of loyalty. We hear themplayed out in the form of comments like, “every-one does it, it’s standard practice, it doesn’t hurtanyone, it’s not my responsibility, just followingorders, I don’t want to hurt my team, boss, orcompany.”Gentile then proceeds to tear apart each of theserationalizations, and provides levers and strategiesto help the reader script an effective response. Byreframing them, she gives us ways to think, act,and position ourselves with counter arguments.This also helps to recognize these rationalizationswhen we hear them, to understand them, and beprepared to respond to them. A detailed story ofhow it all might play out is provided to illustratethe reasons, and rationalization plus the responsethat might be given to counter them. It is the storyof Denise Foley and her decision to challenge theCEO’s plan to sell their non-profit hospital to a for-profit institution. Foley felt that this decisionwould threaten the well-being of the communityand she carefully articulated a message that wentcounter to the tendency to obey the authority ofthe CEO. Gentile artfully crafts a response to thedecision biases using this example. It is one ofmany that she calls upon to clarify and bring themessage of GVV to life for the reader. These makefor a very easily read and comprehended book thatoffers scripts and advice in practical terms.Gentile also reviews decision biases that canaffect ethical choices and lead to less than ethicaldecisions. She again makes these real for the readerby using stories of individuals who recognized thebias and created scripts to counter it. Some of thebiases explored are obedience to authority, falseconsensus effect, over-optimism, self-serving bias,sunk cost and loss aversion, and other welldocumented and researched decision traps.Idealism married with pragmatismGiving Voice to Values is infused with examples ofindividuals who chose to focus their career narrativeon what they could do based upon their position,not what they could not. These are examples ofindividuals who did not ask permission, but infor-med superiors respectfully and firmly. Rather thantalk about disablers, and personal risk of speaking,they choose instead to frame a situation in terms ofwhat can go wrong if I do NOT speak up. The ideathat risk is in the eye of the beholder is a novel wayto define personal and organizational risk. A juniormember of a firm relied on fear to protect himselffrom the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), ego as anambitious young man, and his desire to learn fromthe industry. These seemingly opposing motivatorspropelled him to use his voice in a challengingsituation to illustrate that indeed we can marryidealism with pragmatism.Pearls of wisdomIn putting it all together, Gentile offers final wordsto the wise from those who found their voice. Shereassures us that our arguments may not be perfectnor our voice unassailable. She cautions that weshould reflect on the risks associated with notspeaking up as opposed to those associated withspeaking up. She encourages experimentation, andcreativity noting that the most effective argumentsmay be the ones we least expect. But first andforemost, she gives us the courage to take control ofour own lives, and careers, and to acknowledge thatchoice exists within many degrees of freedom. Sheinvites us to become a peer coach in our businessschools and organizations by practicing and shar-ing the GVV paradigm. This ultimately empowersus to “equip ourselves to know not only what isright, but also how to make it happen.”Book Review313Organization Management JournalIn the appendix, starting assumptions, an intro-ductory exercise, examples of enablers, the Perso-nal-Professional Profile, guidelines for peercoaching, and an action framework to do list areprovided. For additional materials and the entireGVV curriculum the website provides a wealth ofsupporting articles, research, case studies that aredrawn from the individual stories used in the book,and ways that business schools are using the GVVcurriculum. For educators the teaching notes areavailable for the case studies as well.Giving voice to values, not ethicsIn conclusion, this book is not about giving voice toethics, and does not emphasize externally imposedrules of what is right and wrong. It is about valuesthat are individualistic, the beliefs we hold dear,and experience deeply. The values are clusteredaround those commonly held across cultures anddiverse groups that are widely shared: honesty,respect, responsibility, fairness, and compassion. AsGentile writes, “giving voice may mean simplyasking the well-framed and well-timed questionthat allows people to think in a new way about asituation. Or it may mean working to make surethat certain information is included in a proposalthat allows decision makers to see longer-term, orwider potential impacts for their choices thanoriginally considered. It may mean speaking quietlybehind the scenes, with someone who is betterpositioned than we are to raise an issue. Or it maymean simply finding another, ethically acceptableway to accomplish an assigned task.” She con-cludes, “In the end, none of us can be certain in allsituations what the right thing to do is, but we canagree that it is important to try to find and act onthat ‘right’ and that empowering voice will move usforward in that endeavor.”About the authorAndra Gumbus is an Associate Professor of Manage-ment at the Welch College of Business at SacredHeart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. Herresearch in organizational behavior includes articleson human resources, career development and ethicalissues in business. She has taught business ethics atboth the undergraduate and graduate levels for thepast 9 years. The GVV curriculum is a cornerstone ofthe Sacred Heart University program. Reach her atgumbusa@sacredheart.edu.Book Review314Organization Management Journal

Giving voice to values: how to speak your mind
when you know what’s right

https://scholarship.shu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1243&context=omj

Giving voice to values: how to speak your mind when you know what’s right

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