Let's put ethics and leadership to work.
We offer interactive ethics training rooted in ethical theory to provide your team with the skills they need to resolve complicated moral dilemmas in the workplace. This is not a compliance training program. This is about cultivating skills that make it easier for your team to think through complex problems, have difficult conversations, and make decisions in that gray area where the rules don’t really tell you what you should do. Our flexible, engaging workshops feature real-life case studies. Groups can experience the workshops at our stunning campus in the DePauw University Nature Park and then use our space for other meetings or business. We can also work with your team at off-site locations. Whether we gather at the Prindle Institute or your own office, we work with clients to create a customized and relevant sequence of workshops.
Workshop Offerings
Values in Conflict
Some of the most difficult moral situations occur when our values are in conflict. For instance, we value honesty and care, but in a particular case telling the truth will do harm. In this workshop we work with your team to identify important moral values related to your work and workplace. We then discuss situations where these values are in conflict and practice how to resolve this conflict.
Ethics without Certainty
Sometimes our first take on a situation should not be our final take. In this workshop, your team is presented with a single case study where new information is progressively revealed. Through interactive discussion and small group work, your team members will map the evolution of their views on an ethically complex case. This provides insight into what factors are morally important and also demonstrates the importance of gathering as much information as possible before reaching a decision.
Ethical Analysis
Sometimes it is hard to know where to even start when faced with an ethically challenging situation. In this workshop we lay out a concrete framework for analyzing a moral dilemma. We identify important facts, define key terms, pinpoint the relevant stakeholders, and analyze the primary moral considerations. At the end of the workshop your team will be in a better position to appreciate the complexity of a moral dilemma and make the right decision.
Boardroom Ethics
It is important to appreciate the moral complexity of a situation. It is equally important to reach a decision and then communicate that decision effectively and clearly. In this workshop your team will practice reaching a collective resolution to an ethically fraught situation. They will then present and defend this decision in an effective and intellectually honest way in a boardroom role-playing scenario.
Ethical Blindspots
When faced with an ethically difficult decision, there are a variety of aspects of that decision to consider. What are the consequences? What relationships will be impacted? What are the rules? What are the various parties’ intentions? People will naturally focus on selective aspects of a situation, which in some cases can lead to miscommunication and subpar decision making. In this workshop we introduce your team to six important moral aspects to consider and use a short personality test to identify where their ethical blindspots are so they are better prepared to communicate and decide effectively.
Dangers in Reasoning
When faced with an ethically difficult decision, there are a variety of aspects of that decision to consider. What are the consequences? What relationships will be impacted? What are the rules? What are the various parties’ intentions? People will naturally focus on selective aspects of a situation, which in some cases can lead to miscommunication and subpar decision making. In this workshop we introduce your team to six important moral aspects to consider and use a short personality test to identify where their ethical blindspots are so they are better prepared to communicate and decide effectively.
Communicating Across Difference
When we disagree with each other, it is tempting to shut down and stop engaging. But there are substantial costs to this kind of disengagement, and substantial benefits to learning to communicate across different perspectives. In this workshop, we present some research from psychology and philosophy about the benefits of such dialogue, and practice techniques that make such dialogue productive.