Letting Go of the Rocks
Publication: Leadership and Management in Engineering
Volume 6, Issue 3
It is my belief that to lead an ethical life it is necessary for me to always be ready and willing to stand alone for what I believe is right, or ethical, or moral. I must always be ready and willing to take courses of action that are unpopular or may present economic risk or loss of power or status, if I believe such a course of action is in the best interest of the public or my client. Indeed my life must reflect a belief that what is good for society is inherently good for me and that, in the long run, good will prevail.
Let me illustrate this concept with a little story taken from Richard Bach’s 1977 book Illusions:
Once there lived a village of creatures along the bottom of a great crystal river. The current of the river swept silently over them all—young and old, rich and poor, good and evil, the current going its own way, knowing only its own crystal self.Each creature in its own manner clung tightly to the twigs and rocks of the river bottom, for clinging was their way of life, and resisting the current was what each had learned from birth. But one creature said at last, “I am tired of clinging. Though I cannot see it with my eyes, I trust that the current knows where it is going. I shall let go and let it take me where it will. Clinging, I shall die of boredom.The other creatures laughed and said, “Fool! Let go, and that current you worship will throw you tumbled and smashed across the rocks, and you will die quicker than boredom!”But the one heeded them not, and taking a breath did let go, and at once was tumbled and smashed by the current across the rocks. Yet, in time, as the creature refused to cling again, the current lifted him free from the bottom and he was bruised and hurt no more. And the creatures downstream, to whom he was a stranger, cried, “See a miracle! A creature like ourselves, yet he flies! See the Messiah, come to save us all!”And the one carried in the current said, “I am no more Messiah than you. The river delights to lift us free, if only we dare let go. Our true work is this voyage, this adventure.” But they cried the more, “Saviour! All the while clinging to the rocks, and when they looked again he was gone, and they were left alone making legends of a Saviour.”
I cite all of this as background material related to the following conversation that I recently overheard between two civil engineers.
The situation
Engineer “A” began: “I cannot tell you the number of times in the last thirty years I have been asked to contribute to the campaigns of elected officials who are in positions of power to grant engineering contracts in this country. I think it is another form of bribery. I think we should develop a consensus of American Civil Engineers to eliminate the practice of any contributions (money or time or any other favors) for individuals who are in a position to grant engineering contracts.”
Engineer “B” replied: “There are laws that govern campaign contributions, and whether we like it or not there are many legal forms of it. While I consider arm-twisting of employees to contribute to be repugnant, it is legal even though it is a lousy way to treat employees and to run a business. Even ASCE uses resources gathered from members to lobby Congress! Where do you draw the line? One time I was told to contribute $1,000 to a fund that would help a presidential candidate and that such a contribution would help our firm win a specific contract. I did it and immediately contributed the same amount to his competition!”
Engineer “A” responded: “How do you draw the line between a donation that is intended to secure work and the organized support of candidates who support the funding of programs that would benefit our industry? The difference seems to be the focus of the donation. If it is from an individual or company and is given to someone who can influence the award of a particular contract to that donor, it would seem to be a clear breach.”
As I later pondered this discussion I was reminded that the most difficult problem with my own behavior over the years has been that, while I have occasionally tried, I cannot blame my own unethical behavior on others. I cannot claim to want to live an ethical life or conduct my professional career in an ethical fashion if I am unwilling to do what I believe is necessary whether or not my friends, my colleagues, my competitors or anybody else is willing to follow suit, or even to agree with me! My ethical behavior is my responsibility and it cannot be dependent on the existence of a law, rule or regulation, or lack of it. If I fail to take an action that I believe is the “right thing to do” because I may lose an opportunity I can make no defense of my action on ethical grounds. It is unquestionably true that the “high road” is sometimes a little lonesome. The good news is that it is ALWAYS the “high road.”
What do you think?
In the matter cited above I ask the question, “Is it ethical, under any circumstances, to support the campaign of a person that I do not genuinely believe holds the interests of society first and foremost and who will be an effective builder of solid public policy?” Campaign contributions given as described in the conversation above are really nothing more than a high-risk business venture. I give the contribution with the expectation that I will be rewarded with a contract in return—never mind the consequences to society of ego-driven or incompetent public leadership on the part of the official that I helped put into office. Whether it is legal or not, it’s difficult for me to see how this sort of action can be presented as ethical under any circumstances.
It seems to me that it is important in the consideration of this matter to understand one thing clearly, and that is the motivation for the campaign contribution. One thing for sure is that honest people of good faith will often disagree on matters such as who will be the best leader. In the matter of what is best for society, none of us has all of the answers and if we are going to consistently “get it right” we need to teach ourselves to hold calm and reasoned discussions about political issues and ethical issues just like this one. I say this because I believe that the question to be answered isn’t “Is the giving of the contribution ethical?” The important question is “Am I serving the public’s best interest in the giving of this contribution?” If I give the contribution because I believe in the candidate’s strength and vision, with no expectation of a returned favor, it seems to me that it is ethical. If I give the contribution because I am afraid that I might not be favored with a future reward, or that my competition, who gives a contribution, might be favored because of it, then the contribution seems unethical. And, only I know the answer!
I would also invite anyone reading this essay to refer to the current ASCE “Code of Ethics.” After reading all seven canons carefully it seems to me that an unethically given campaign contribution is a patent violation of Canons 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6! In spite of Engineer A’s desire for a consensus, there is already an established guideline. The need here is not for a rule, further agreement, or consensus. The need here is for Engineer A to be willing to take a stand; to let go of the rocks and soar with confidence; to do the right thing and uphold the canons of our profession, even when others may not!
In closing, I note that when I choose to act in a fashion that I believe is unethical, no matter what the reason for my choice, my personal reservoir of integrity is diminished, I respect myself just a little bit less, I become a little weaker and I diminish the quality of life for all of society, and for myself.
Let us know
Have you had an experience recently with a colleague, a client, a supervisor, where you thought what was being asked, expected, or demanded was “not right”? If so, please submit the facts and a summary of your concerns to ASCE. In each issue, a case study will be published so that we might all answer the question, “Was it ethical for?”
Please submit your responses or questions to Dr. Charles Glagola, University of Florida, Dept. of Civil Engineering, 365 Weil Hall, P.O. Box 116580, Gainesville, FL 32611-6580; by e-mail, [email protected].
Biographies
—ASCE Business Practice Committee and Michael F. Garrett, P.E., M.ASCE. Michael Garrett has over thirty years’ experience in the design and construction fields. He has been the owner of an engineering and construction management practice in upstate New York since 1985, and is presently licensed to practice in several states. He can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Leadership and Management in Engineering
Volume 6 • Issue 3 • July 2006
Pages: 141 - 142
Copyright
© 2006 ASCE.
History
Published online: Jul 1, 2006
Published in print: Jul 2006
ASCE Technical Topics:
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