Often Insurance Professionals face circumstances that force them to evaluate and decide what is the right thing to do. If you are facing a situation that seems unethical, Here are a few steps you should consider before making a decision.
The following series of six steps that lead to ethical decision-making. Keep reading to learn about this important tool you can employ when weighing choices and outcomes.
1. Define the Problem
Consider not only what the problem is, but how it could affect you, your client, and the agency. Is the problem illegal? Does it violate the company’s values? Outline the full scope of the problem and be honest throughout the process.
2. Seek Out Resources
If it’s hard to arrive at an objective solution on your own, seek out available resources to fairly evaluate the problem. Reach out to mentors, coworkers, friends, and family, as well as professional guidelines and organizational policies.
3. Brainstorm Potential Solutions
Don’t only take into consideration what’s been done in the past. Keep an open mind when it comes to new and different ideas. Ultimately, you’ll want to have at least three to five solutions.
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4. Evaluate Those Alternatives
Now that you have your list of possible solutions, weigh each one and consider all positive and negative consequences and how likely those consequences are to occur. Once more, refer to resources, guidelines, and standards.
5. Make Your Decision and Implement It
At this point, you should have all the information you need to make a fair and ethical decision. If this decision involves others, be transparent with your solution and the alternatives you considered. People need to understand that you used appropriate and objective measures in your decision-making.
6. Evaluate the Decision
Just because you’ve implemented your solution it doesn’t mean your job is done. You must evaluate whether your problem was fixed or not. If there are unforeseen consequences, revisit the prior steps and seek alternative measures to fix them.
Ethical decision-making is just one of the many topics covered in our CISR Agency Operations course. To learn more about legal & Ethical Requirements and build skills in the areas of, Communication and Technology, Agency Workflow Concepts & Steps, Account Management, and how to reduce Errors & Omissions, register for our upcoming webinar and self-paced course!
