The Six Pillars of Character
 Trustworthiness
 Respect
 Responsibility
 Fairness
 Caring
 Citizenship
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 1
TRUSTWORTHINESS!
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What does it mean to be “Trustworthy”?
What characteristics does a trustworthy person posses?
Personal assessment
Practical application
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 2
Characteristics of Trustworthiness
 Integrity
 Honesty
 Promise-keeping
 Loyalty
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 3
Rate yourself!
 Do you tell the truth, even when it may cost you?
 Are you sincere, not deceptive, tricky or sneaky?
 Are you candid and forthright, volunteering
information others may need/want to know?
 Do you honor others property?
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 4
RESPECT
 Respect is to have and demonstrate “worth” in all
individuals as well as oneself.
 To have and demonstrate Respect is an ethical “duty”
of all human beings
 Respect is not admiring someone because of status or
relationship
 Respect is treating all people with worth and a sincere
“attachment” to fellow human beings
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 5
Characteristics of Respect
 HONOR the INDIVIDUAL
 CIVILITY
 HONOR Reasonable Standards & Customs
 LIVING by the “Golden Rule”
 ACCEPTANCE of Differences
 RESPECT AUTONOMY of Others
 AVOID Violent Actions in Words and Deeds
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 6
Respect
and Universal Standards
 The Golden Rule is seen in various forms in every world
religion and is a fundamental ethical truth.
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.
 Rule of Universality: You must ask yourself, if everyone
did “it”, would it be a “good thing”?
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 7
Respect: Rate Yourself
Ask yourself how often you demonstrate these qualities?
 I treat others the way I wish to be treated.
 I respect the privacy of others (including kids).
 I respect autonomy and let others make decisions
about their own lives.
 I am courteous and polite; not yelling, insulting or
embarrassing others. I use please and thank you.
 I demonstrate acceptance and tolerance of racial,
ethnic, religious difference and ability levels
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 8
Respect & Human Dignity
 Respect the dignity, privacy and freedom of other
people with courtesy and with acceptance and
tolerance of differences.
“Sir, I will treat you as a gentleman, not because
you are one, but because I am one”-Thomas
Jefferson
Adapted from Josephson Institute of Ethics. CHARACTER COUNTS! In Iowa is a project of the Institute
of Character Development at Drake University. www.CharacterCountsInIowa.org.
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 9
Responsibility
 It requires us to recognize that what we do and what
we don’t do matters and that we are morally
responsible for the consequences of our choices.
“Too many people are ready to carry the stool when the
piano needs to be moved.”
-unknown
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 10
We Should Teach our
Children That:
 Choosing not to choose IS a choice
 Some of our choices are conscious, some are not
 We choose whether to be conscious and concerned
about the consequences of what we say and do,
including the choice to be willfully blind
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 11
12 Major Concepts of
Responsibility
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Be Accountable
Exercise Self-Control
Plan and Set Goals
Choose Positive Attitudes
Do Your Duty
Be Self-Reliant
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Pursue Excellence
Be Proactive
Be Persistent
Be Reflective
Set a Good Example
Be Morally Autonomous
Slide 12
Responsibility Inventory:
 Do you assume your professional duty, what you really
should do?
 Are you standing up and being accountable for what you do
and what you don’t do?
 Are you really doing your best, pursuing excellence in all
you do?
 Do you demonstrate self-control of your temper, desires,
and passions?
 Do you demonstrate self-discipline by doing what you
should do even when it is difficult or unpleasant?
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 13
Fairness
 Orange – scale – symbolizes an orange that can be
easily divided into equal sections for sharing among
friends.
 Fairness and justice are twin concepts concerned with
processes and consequences. They establish moral
standards for decisions that affect others. Fair and just
decisions acknowledge and deal with concepts such as
equity, equality, openness, impartiality, and consistency.
The central idea of both fairness and justice is the same.
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 14
Components of the pillar:
Impartiality
Openness
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 15
Two types of Fairness
 Procedural Fairness
 Fair Notice – Did the accused have fair notice that the conduct was wrong?
 Impartiality – Can you serve as a fair and impartial judge?
 Fact Gathering – Be thorough without being compulsive.
 Fair Hearing – Allow the accused an opportunity to tell his/her story.
 Substantive Fairness
 There is a moral obligation to make fair decisions.
 Three rules about fairness of decisions:
 Disagreements are inevitable – be content to do your best
 Be clear about the criteria you use in the decision and let people know the standards
ahead of time.
 Have a clear procedure in place for reaching decisions
 Fairness is when everyone get what they need/deserve, not necessarily what they
want.
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 16
Six Theories of Substantive Fairness:
 Merit – A person is entitled to that which he/she can acquire based
on skill, talent, or hard work.
 Need – A person is entitled to whatever he/she needs.
 Might – A person is entitled to that which he/she can acquire
irrespective of merit, need, or effort.
 Equality – A person is entitled to an equal share of that which is
available regardless of merit, need, or effort.
 Seniority – A person is entitled to a larger share of that which is
available as their age or longevity increases.
 Effort – A person is entitled to benefits in proportion to the effort
he/she expends regardless of merit, need, or power.
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 17
Wrap up and Discussion:
 A Question of Fairness Exercise
 You must fire one of the following employees/You can only keep one of
the following employees. Who will it be?
 Able – your newest employee is young, unmarried, and your best producer.
Able gets more work done effectively than any other employee.
 Needly – a competent worker of four years, is a single parent with three small
children and needs the job the most.
 Oldham – is a good worker, has been employed by your company for the
longest (18 years), and is two years away from retirement.
 Tryhard – is a good producer with a terrific attitude and is the hardest worker
you have
 Mighty – is a competent employee and is related to the Chairman of the Board.
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 18
Caring
 Caring is a cornerstone of ethical behavior
 What does if mean to be a “Caring” Person
 Personal assessment
 Practical application
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 19
Caring in action
 Be kind
 Be Compassionate
 Show you care
 Express gratitude
 Forgive others
 Help people in need
 DON’T: Be mean, cruel or insensitive
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 20
Rate yourself
Are You a Caring Person?
(Take this self-evaluation and find out.)
True False
I am never mean, cruel, or insensitive.
I treat people with kindness and generosity.
I am charitable.
I give of myself for the benefit of others.
I am responsive to the concerns and needs of others.
I conclude that: _____________________________________________
Remember, caring is not just a way of feeling, it's a way of behaving!
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 21
Practice Caring Behavior
“I expect to pass through the world but once. Any
good therefore I can do or any kindness I can
show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let
me not defer it or neglect it for I shall not pass
this way again.”
– Stephen Grellet, French Quaker missionary (17731855)
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 22
Citizenship
 Citizenship is the duties, rights and conduct and
responsibilities of the citizen of a state.
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 23
Give me examples of Citizenship
 Be a good Neighbor
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 24
What does it mean to
demonstrate Citizenship?
 Be a good Neighbor
 Care about and pursue the common good.
 Be a volunteer
 Protect the environment
 Play by the rules
 Respect authority and law
 Participate in making things better by voicing your
opinion
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 25
Personal Inventory
 1. Scrupulously follow organization rules.
 2. Playing by the rules (no cheating, shortcuts)
 3. Obeying the law/ Respecting authority
 4. Paying your taxes (whatever is lawfully owed)
 5. Performing civic duties (voting or jury duty)
 6. Doing volunteer community work
 7. Conserving our resources and protecting the
environment.
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 26
Civil Disobedience
 “ One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly,
lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. I
submit that an individual who breaks a law that his
conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly
accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse
the conscience of the community over its injustice, is
really expressing the highest respect for the law.”
 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
 Letter from a Birmingham jail, 1963
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 27
Personal and Professional
Thoughts for Consideration
 What are you doing now?
 What can you do to practice better citizenship?
 In your professional/personal contact with other
people, think about what you do to teach or
demonstrate the traits associated with citizenship.
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 28
Thank You
 Questions?
November 9 – 11, 2008
Lodge of the Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, MO
Slide 29