When there is no time to seek expert help with an ethical dilemma
Ethical dilemmas can arise at any time, often when no-one is available to advise, a decision is urgent and the consequences of getting it wrong are significant.
By David Clutterbuck · 2 min read
Ethical dilemmas can arise at any time – often at the most inconvenient point, when there is no-one available to advise, where an urgent decision is needed and where the consequences of getting it wrong are significant. It’s no surprise then, that coaches and leaders subscribing to our Ask David AI are using it to help them work through complex ethical issues to find ways forwards rapidly.
Ask David is a curated AI clone of me & my work allows Coaches, Mentors & business professionals to have a conversation with ‘me’ 24/7 and work through ideas, challenges and to develop clarity in your decision making.
Six steps for thinking through a dilemma
Embedded in the software is detailed six step process for thinking through an ethical dilemma. Ask David won’t necessarily give you the answer to a specific issue, but it will support you in each of the steps to make sure that you:
- Are clear about what the dilemma is
- Establishing what values may be in conflict
- Understand the implications and consequences of different choices
- Can define the “zones of ethical acceptability”
- Can be confident that you have applied rigorous thinking that will allow you to defend robustly the conclusions you come to.
A clear conscience, not just a justification
Using the AI as a thinking partner in this way isn’t just about being able to justify the actions you take. It’s also about having the luxury of a clear conscience about “doing the right thing in the circumstances”.
If you’d like to experiment yourself with working through an ethical dilemma (or other type of challenge) you can engage in a short Q&A demonstration or sign up for a 7 day free trial.
Questions
How can you work through an ethical dilemma when no expert is available?
Ethical dilemmas often arise at the most inconvenient point, when no-one is available to advise, an urgent decision is needed and the consequences of getting it wrong are significant. Coaches and leaders subscribing to Ask David use it as a thinking partner to work through complex ethical issues and find ways forward rapidly.
What does the ethical dilemma process in Ask David cover?
It supports you in each step to make sure you are clear about what the dilemma is, establish what values may be in conflict, understand the implications and consequences of different choices, can define the “zones of ethical acceptability”, and can be confident you have applied rigorous thinking that will let you defend your conclusions robustly.
Will Ask David tell you the answer to an ethical dilemma?
Not necessarily. Ask David won’t necessarily give you the answer to a specific issue, but it will support you in each of the steps of thinking the dilemma through.
Why use an AI as a thinking partner on ethical issues?
It isn’t just about being able to justify the actions you take. It is also about having the luxury of a clear conscience about “doing the right thing in the circumstances”.