Post 1
I did not know there were so many factors into writing ethically in the workplace, especially when it comes to the audience. As someone who has lived in America for their entire life, I would not expect people from other countries to read what people in America write. However, this makes sense to me since technology has allowed countries to connect and communicate with one another instantaneously. Because there are audiences who may have limited or no experience with English, it does make sense to write in a way they will understand.
To me, the most important factor of ethical writing in the workplace is to just write the facts. One can write an argument, but if that argument is not backed up with facts and evidence, then that argument is invalid and not credible. An argument with no evidence may signal readers that the person who made the argument should not be trusted.
I want to expand on number 7 to the guideline of ethical decision making, which is to keep people’s information confidential. As someone who used to volunteer at a cancer center, I was not able to ask people what type of cancer or treatment since I was not their family. This makes sense because I had no purpose in knowing how severe or mild their cancer was. I, a volunteer, could not help treat the cancer patients because I do not have the credentials to do so. The only thing I could do for them was to provide food and comfort, which does not require knowing what type of cancer they have.
Confidentiality is vital to a good working relationship because, without it, no one would trust each other. As a result of this lack of trust, the company may not be able to do as well as they could have. When one person tells another to keep their information confidential, it signifies mutual trust between these two people. The person who is revealing their confidential information to another person is showing that they trust that person, whether it is a friend or professional, and believe that they have the capability to help them.
Word Count: 358
Hello Michael, I did not think there were so many factors into ethical writing either. I had a very similar most important factor regarding factual information in writings, although I did not center it around arguments like you did. I think you made a very good point while bringing up arguments. Credibility is one of the most important things in order to be successful within a professional career in order to progress and move up within a company. Do you think credibility through ethical writing is the most important factor to be successful in the professional world? I thought about expanding on number 7 and decided otherwise, but I am glad I was able to read your train of thought on it. Keeping people’s information confidential is very important in businesses for ethical, and lawful reasons. I applaud you for volunteering at a cancer center. Anybody who volunteers to help people in need deserve very high respect. I really like how you were able to relate a real life experience in order to expand your train of thought on this guideline. As you said, trust is extremely important in working for and with corporations. Do you believe that trust is just as important as credibility? Or do you think of them as one in the same? I really enjoyed reading you post!
Word Count: 220
Post 2
When you think of writing while in a working environment, ethics is not the first thing that may come to mind. Although it may not be the thing that you first think of, there is a great importance in being ethical when it comes to workplace behavior and writing. Writing ethically does not only include using your own words, but words that are appropriate, honest, and fair. After reading the first chapter, I believe the most important aspect of ethical writing in the work place is supplying accurate and updated information about yourself in your personal résumé and job application. This is incredibly important because it sets the tone for the rest of your career. By lying or being untruthful in a résumé, you are starting off that job or internship based on dishonesty. It is critical that an employer can asses you based on your true qualifications and experience within a job. This is important for the safety of you and those who are involved within your field. A truthful résumé is going to get you the job that suits an individual’s qualifications the best, and ensure that they have a fitting career.
The guideline I am going to expand on is number five, honor confidentiality at work. This means to never repeat or share information that is confidential to an individual with anyone who is not authorized to receive this information. This could include a companies private policies, strategies, or records. Not only is it unethical to share private company information, but private personal information within the work place as well. I used to work for a nonprofit company, and sharing private information that I received from a coworker could be detrimental to company, as well as the individual involved. Confidentiality is of the utmost importance in the workplace because it establishes trust and security among coworkers. Without confidentiality the company would have issues with reliance and faith between company members.
word count: 323
Hey Payton,
Interesting points you brought up there! I agree with you that falsifying information on your resume sets up a bad tone for your career. Sure, it might help you get the job, but if your employer finds out, you could be fired. Even if he doesn’t find out, the way you conducted yourself while writing that resume will translate how you conduct yourself further in your career. What’s gonna stop you from fudging a few numbers, like the company’s sales numbers, if they fall just a tad bit shy of you getting that promotion or $5k bonus? I believe that the mentality that “It’s just one time!” is what sets up a spiral of continuing engagement in unethical activities.
I also like your point that confidentiality is important in the workforce. Without it, the level of trust of all parties, whether it be employer, supplier, or customer, would be greatly diminished, which would create a toxic company culture. Adhering to confidentiality demonstrates a level of commitment to the company as well. If an employer recognizes your ability and willingness to not disclose private, highly confidential information, they may acknowledge your dedication to the company’s success and you may get that promotion you were vying for after all.
Kiryl
Word Count: 208
Hey Payton,
I like that you chose honest and accurate résumé and application information as your most important point from this chapter. While i chose two other ideas as my takeaways, I think you make an excellent point in regards to why it is crucial to provide the correct information from the start. Building your whole career and position based on lies and false credentials to get into the position in the first place is just a setup for failure and is very damaging to character. And if or when it is discovered, completely invalidates the trust and responsibility that an employee has created with the employer. And using false information on a résumé prevents someone who deserves and can do the job better from getting that job and creating a future for them self.
The guideline you chose to focus on is one very similar to the main points I gained from this chapter, which is to say that confidentiality is crucial to trust and creates a effective workplace free of safety and security concerns. My point was in regards specifically to e-security, but it fits into the issue the same way, information leakage is damaging whether it be through verbal, written, and technological means. Good work understanding the importance of information security, it is a skill that will benefit you far in the long run.
Word Count: 225
Post 3
In the workplace, it is your responsibility as an employee to keep an ethical consideration in your head when you are writing to anyone slightly related to your company or job. To do this, you need to make sure that within your writing, it is all portraying to others in a respectful, honest manor so you are able to maintain professionalism. Whatever you are attempting to write in your workplace, keeping in mind that you are representing your company, and everything it stands for will also be why ethical considerations in writing are important. If you are accurate and factual in your writings, then that will also help your credibility in the company. This also strengthens the points and arguments you are trying to make. In my opinion, the most important part of ethical writing is accurate, factual information. For example, if you do not fact check your content before sending it out, then you are setting yourself up to be exposed and have your reputation diminished because you failed to practice ethical writing strategies. An employer will have a hard time trusting you if you are known for failing to fact check yourself in your writings. Keeping an ethical consideration in mind will prevent this! If you as an employee are consistent in your writings in a positive, ethical way then that will also help display a positive image of yourself throughout the company and can only look better in the eyes of an employer while they are assessing you.
The guideline I would like to expand on is number 4, where it says, “take responsibility for your actions.” I think this guideline most closely relates to being able to write with ethical consideration because it allows you to own up to your mistakes. Once you own up to them by taking responsibility for your actions, it lets you make amends and learn from it.
Word Count: 316
Hello Aaron. I agree that accurate and factual information when it comes to writing in the workplace is extremely important. This is important, as you mentioned, for being taken seriously at work and building a trustworthy reputation among your work community. If an individual were to submit false information, their company and personal name could be at risk. Fact checking is always a must when it comes to professional writing. By publishing factual information, not only are you being ethical, but you will obtain a higher level of credibility within your position. The guideline that you expanded on, “take responsibility for your actions”, is definitely a key factor in writing and professionalism. This includes owning up to your mistakes and learning from the outcome. You had a great point in mentioning that once you confess to a mistake and take responsibility for it, it is easier to make amends and acquire knowledge form the situation. I love that you mentioned and stressed the importance of remembering who you are representing while writing in your workplace. While writing professionally, you are a representation of the company you work with and everything that they may stand for, which could be easily forgotten. You did a great job in explaining how this is apart of ethical consideration in writing and workplace behavior. Keep up the good work!
word count: 224
post 4
I believe ethical considerations in writing are important in all aspects of life, but especially crucial in the workplace. Such considerations have the capacity to foster a productive, positive, and synchronized work environment that benefits all interested parties. On the other hand, failing to consider ethics in writing can have serious consequences, such as the company losing business or you getting fired.
The guideline I will expand upon is “follow your conscience and ‘to thine own self be true’”. I believe that this guideline is fundamental to all the others because it encompasses the root of unethical behavior. I think that subconsciously, people know 99% of the time when they do something unethically. In order to deal with the cognitive dissonance, many choose to suppress their thoughts and justify their actions instead of changing them.
In order to avoid falling into the trap of justifying unethical behavior, it is important to become keenly attuned to your self by introspectively searching in order to understand your character, values, and motivations. By doing so, you are able to more clearly understand why you deem one thing ethical and another thing unethical, and become more aware of actions that you should be avoiding. This falls hand in hand with following your conscience, because in order to follow it, you actually have to understand it.
To illustrate how following your conscience is fundamental to ethical behavior, take the guideline of being suspicious to convenient appeals that go against your beliefs. In order to avoid falling into this trap, it is important for you to justify to yourself why cutting corners or lying to your employer occasionally is bad. By following your conscience, you will be able to more easily follow ethical guidelines. This is especially true in novel situations that you have never encountered, and which may be difficult to ethically assess.
Word Count: 308
Hi Kiryl,
I thought your opinions on ethical guidelines in professional writing was very interesting. I also thought it was interesting that you chose the guideline to expand upon that you did. You stated how you believe most – if not all – ethical decisions are based on personal behaviors and morals. I agree to this. People make ethical choices based on personal values and that should be no different in the workplace (which is similar to what I wrote in my initial post).
However, I was wondering what you think would happen if someone’s personal morals differed from those of the company he or she works for? For example, a coworker might see things with a consequentialist point of view, essentially believing that as long as the end result is positive, the method one uses to achieve that result is ok. The company she works for, on the other hand, might consider a Kantian perspective of ethics, including concepts such as never using someone as a means to get to a positive end. The coworker might think that cutting corners is ok in the workplace (as the ends justify the means) while the company would think this to be unethical. In this hypothetical situation, the company and the worker might have different views of how to solve a problem in the workplace, meanwhile each thinking they are doing the ethical thing.
I think this is an interesting concept to consider, especially considering your description of ethics in professional writing. I believe, like you said, there is an element of practice involved. If you can train your mind to be aware of ethical pitfalls or gray areas, then you may be better equipped to handle ethical dilemmas in the workplace when they are discovered.
Thank you for sharing your amazing thoughts on the subject. I agreed with many of your ideas and enjoyed reading your post. Great job!
Word Count: 290
Post 1
Minutes from the Pacific Management Consulting Group (PMCG) meeting on January 3, 2020, in Conference Room at 123 Pacific Street at 9:30 am.
Members present: Natasha Romanoff (President), Bruce Banner, Maria Hill, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark
Members absent: Pepper Potts (maternity leave)
Old business: the minutes from the previous meeting on December 27, 2019, were approved.
Reports:
New business:
Meeting adjourned at 10:45 am
The next meeting of the PMCG will be on January 10 at 9:30 am in the Conference Room at 123 Pacific Street.
Word Count: 315
Hey Michael,
You did a great job summarizing the meeting minutes concisely while leaving the core content intact! I would make a few suggestions that could potentially strengthen your revised meeting minutes. Although it may not be a huge deal, using the words “power” or “strength” over “manpower” could avoid potential sexism issues. Also, in the Reports section, you could condense the second sentence further by writing that Maria could suggested “identifying and approaching”, removing the need for that dependent clause.
You could also write “marketing assignment”, instead of “assignment of marketing” to make the flow a bit better. You could also avoid redundancy by removing the word “informative” from brochures, since a brochure is, by its nature, informative.
I would personally think it more beneficial to include all concern, objection, and approval made by upper management (i.e. Natasha) so that there would be a record of what she approved and denied. So I would include that Natasha approved getting laptops. I would also remove the part where Bruce asked about how many laptops to get, since Steve later said that the budget would only allow for three.
Although you mentioned that Pepper is absent due to maternity leave at the top (good job, I should have done that), I would also include it to explain why she won’t be able to secure a location for the retreat.
Overall, I think you did an awesome job! It’s hard to get every single nitty gritty detail, but the more you practice, the better at it you will be. I’m speaking for all of us right now!
Kiryl
Word Count: 264
Post 2
Minutes from the Pacific Management Consulting Group meeting January 3, 2020, at 9:30 am, in the Conference Room at 123 Pacific Street.
Members present: Natasha Romanoff (President), Bruce Banner, Maria Hill, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark
Members absent: Pepper Potts
Old business:
The minutes from the previous meeting were approved.
Reports:
New business:
Meeting adjourned at 10:45 a.m.
Next meeting: One week, same time, same place!
Word Count: 254
Hello Kiryl. You did an excellent job at summarizing and keeping the meeting minutes concise, yet informative. The beginning of your revision looks great. The only thing I would add is the reason for your member’s absence to make it more specific. For example, add “maternity leave” in parentheses next to Pepper Potts’ name to specify her reason of absence. Although it mentions her reason for absence later in the report, this reminds the reader at the beginning as to why a member may not have been present.
In your new and old business reports, you did an excellent job of making the report concise and knowledgable. There is nothing I would change about your revision in the report section. You did a great job at ensuring appropriate language was used and not interjecting anyone’s personal opinions or comments. By deleing these inappropriate comments during your revision, you diminished a sense of unprofessionalism. Minutes should stay impartial to ensure accuracy and stay away from any potential biases.
Lastly, when signaling the next meeting, I would be more specific by restating the exact time and location. This gives the reader a little more information and allows them to not have to refer to the top of the page again. Overall, your revision was very well executed. Keep up the good work!
word count: 220
post 3
Minutes from the Pacific Management Consulting Group (PMCG) meeting January 3, 2020, in the Conference Room at 123 Pacific Street, at 9:30 a.m.
Members present: Natasha Romanoff (President), Bruce Banner, Maria Hill, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark
Members absent: Pepper Potts (maternity leave)
Old business:
The minutes from the previous meeting on Thursday, December 27th, 2019 were approved as read.
Reports:
New business:
Meeting adjourned at 10:45 a.m.
Next meeting: January 10th, 2020, in the Conference Room at 123 Pacific Street, at 9:30 a.m.
word count: 311
Hi Payton! Overall, your revision is great, with a few minor changes. First, in the report session, I would get rid of the word “began by” in the first sentence and rewrite it as “Tony Starks mentioned the issue of bringing in new client”. Looking at the rewritten sentence, you can tell it is precise and more to the point, which is good because this is a legal document. Since this is a legal document, it is best not to have any fluff.
Second, get rid of the word “then” in the third sentence of the first report so that it is rewritten as “Stark mentioned that he is open to suggestions by his peers”. Again, the rewritten sentence is more straightforward and to the point.
Third, I would again specify Pepper’s reason for not being able to secure a location under the new business section. It reassures the readers that the reason she is gone is because of her baby.
Other than these tiny fixes, you did a great job! It seems like you know what you are doing. You have the right amount of information, not too much or too little. You have enough detail to help the readers be aware of what is going on, but you do not have details to the point where the readers can not understand the document. Keep up the good work!
Word Count: 230
YesterdayJan 20 at 3:07pm
Hi Payton! I think you did a really good job summarizing everything. There are just a few changes that I think would help make this a little shorter and to the point. In the reports section I would just take out, “Stark then mentioned that he is open to suggestions by his peers” and instead just go right into the sentence where Maria suggested identifying local businesses. I think by taking out that sentence you get straight to the point. In the new business section I think you can leave out that Bruce questioned the amount of laptops because then the following sentence states that the budget only allows for three anyways. I would also restate the reason that Pepper will be gone for new months as it was mentioned at the very beginning so some people might question why she will be gone for such a long amount of time so restating it will avoid any room for confusion. I liked how you changed the next meeting statement and put the actual date, time and exact location. I think that was a better idea than what the original had. Other than the few minor changes you did a great job. You didn’t have too much extra unnecessary information while also covering all the important information. Great job!
Word Count:218
Post 4
Minutes from the Pacific Management Consulting Group meeting January 3, 2020, at 9:30 am, in the Conference Room at 123 Pacific Street.
Members present: Natasha Romanoff (President), Bruce Banner, Maria Hill, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark
Members absent: Pepper Potts (Maternity leave)
Old business:
The minutes from the previous meeting on Thursday, December 27, 2019 were approved as read.
Reports:
New business:
Meeting adjourned at 10:45 a.m.
Next meeting:
The next meeting of the Pacific Management Consulting Group will be on January 10, 2020 in the Conference Room at 123 Pacific Street at 9:30am.
Word Count: 326
Hey Victoria,
Overall, I think you did a good job summarizing and shortening the minutes to an appropriate length while cutting out unprofessional talk without losing any key information stated in the meeting. The first advice I can give is that similar to the example Meeting Minutes in the book, I think the members present should be listed in alphabetical order by last name. But also, good job stating Pepper Potts’ reason for absence next to her name. Also good work making all the section headings bold and separate from the content within them. I like that you replaced “a week ago” with the actual date so anyone who was reading the minutes did not have to sit and think of what was a week from January 3rd. I would recommend doing the same thing for the second report with Steve Rogers where it says “from two weeks ago” so that it says “from December 20th, 2019.” Also, in that same report, I would change “Steve’s friend” to “the contact.”
For the first topic in New Business, I would recommend cutting out the questions and only putting in the decisions made by the staff as discussion is less important than the result. Lastly, for the New Business section, the adjourning of the meeting should be numbered and included for format. Good work on the revision and including all the participants full names every time.
Word Count: 234
Discussion 1 Peer Review
I think your feelings on moral rules are intriguing. I likewise thought it was fascinating that you picked the rule to develop that you did. You expressed how you accept most – if not all – moral choices depend on close to home practices and ethics. I consent to this. Individuals settle on moral decisions dependent on close to home estimations, and that ought to be the same in the working environment.I think this is a fascinating idea to consider, particularly thinking about your depiction of morals in proficient composition. I accept, similar to you stated; there is a component of training included. On the off chance that you can prepare your brain to know about moral traps or hazy areas, at that point, you might be better prepared to deal with moral quandaries in the working environment when they are found. Overall, it was a good job done.
Discussion 2 Peer Review
(1)
You worked admirably condensing the business minutes briefly while leaving the cor information flawless! I would make a couple of proposals that might fortify your overhauled business minutes. Despite the fact that it may not be an immense arrangement, utilizing the words “force” or “quality” over “labour” could stay away from potential sexism issues. Additionally, in the Reports area, you could gather the subsequent sentence further by composing that Maria could recommend “recognizing and drawing closer,” expelling the requirement for that needy proviso. You could likewise express “advertising task,” rather than “task of promoting” to make the stream somewhat better. You could likewise maintain a strategic distance from repetition by evacuating “enlightening” from pamphlets, since a handout is, by its inclination, educational. Overall it was a well-done job with minimum flaws and most of the important points were being discussed in the context expressing all the important aspects of the business meetings.
(2)
I would by it to be progressively valuable to incorporate all worry, protest, and endorsement made by upper administration (for example Natasha) so that there would be a record of what she endorsed and denied. So I would incorporate that Natasha endorsed getting PCs. I would likewise expel the part where Bruce got some information about what number of PCs to get since Steve later said that the financial backing would take into consideration three.In your new and old business reports, you worked superbly of making the report compact and knowledgable. There is nothing I would change about your modification in the report area. You worked admirably at guaranteeing proper language was utilized and not contributing anybody’s closely-held convictions or remarks. By deleing these improper remarks during your modification, you lessened a feeling of unprofessionalism. Minutes should remain fair to guarantee exactness and avoid any potential inclinations.