Do you tend toward 'doing the right thing
It sounds like a simple question. Why not value them both equally? Well, my experience tells me that people tend toward one or the other without necessarily knowing it.
Let me give you a simple example. Last week my wife asked me to run an errand to our local drugstore. On the short list was an 8-oz bottle of Tylenol. As I browsed the drugstore aisle, I noticed that the store brand of Acetaminophen was half the price of Tylenol. Should I purchase the store brand or the more expensive Tylenol? I'll share the answer later.
"Doing Things Right"
In today's world, the ability to execute and follow-through are important skills to master. Not only do we expect others to execute on their commitments, but we want them to do things "right." "Right" can mean executing with quality as planned or instructed. Dependable executors are unfortunately hard to find. Leaders seek these people out as valued team members. Each of us would love to have a "go-to person." Workers are often rewarded and recognized for consistently doing their job "right."
As consumers we expect our suppliers and servicers to do things right too. Manufacturing operations continue to strive for quality and zero defects in execution. Some organizations market their ability to do customer service right the first and every time. The military, for example, is built on a command-and-control structure that assumes troops will carry out orders as given and with excellence. In general, our world would be confused and unworkable if people did not consistently do things right.
"Doing the Right Thing"
Many situations require the exercise of in-the-moment judgment as part of execution. What seems right in one context can lead the unintended results in a different context. Circumstances could have changed since the instructions were given. Similarly, actions must take into account the context for execution. We seek to train our children and our employees to make sound judgments based on the facts at hand. Oftentimes, those decisions may appear counter to our instructions. In such situations we hope that individuals can discern the difference and do the right thing.
The "Right" Dilemma
Over time we tend toward one value of 'right' over the other. Those who focus on execution excellence may, in fact, suppress their own judgment in favor of fulfilling a commitment made to others. For example, we do not want our military personnel to question each order they are given. Similarly, in business, employees are sometimes asked to do things that don't make sense to them. They execute because they are loyal, respect authority and usually have less information than superiors who passed along the directive.
As we assume increased responsibilities, we must use our own judgments to guide our actions. There may not be someone to tell us what to do. Part of learning is building wisdom and exercising judgment to "do the right thing." Over time we hope to gain enough experience to make choices even when the right thing is not obvious.
Back to my trip to the drugstore - I purchased the Tylenol. What would you do?
Pushing the Edge of Your Thinking
1. Do those who take direction from you know when to do what is right even if different from you instructions? Why do you think they do or do not know?
2. Do you know when to do what is right and not necessarily what you were asked to do? On what basis do you make your judgments?
3. How do we teach our children to develop both skills and make judgments on which is appropriate in a given situation?
4. What behavior do you model for your children or direct reports?