The seed for this book was planted in the 1970s. It was sown during a moment of temptation to make the wrong ethical decision. Author Ron Howard, working as a decision-analysis consultant, was asked by a defense contractor to analyze which fighter plane the U.S. Air Force should choose for its fleet. The contract was big, lucrative, and appealing.
The client remarked, “Of course, we all know how the analysis will come out.”
Howard raised an eyebrow. Well, no, he had no idea. The contractor’s plane might easily be the best choice, but he would have to perform the analysis first. The unmistakable body language from the client, however, suggested Howard should give in to the temptation to skip a thorough analysis. Howard just needed to say yes to manipulating the results, and the contract was his.
Howard realized as never before how technical and financial analyses don’t offer all that is needed for smart decisions. He turned down the defense contractor’s job; he couldn’t be tempted to cheat. But the episode turned him to a provocative question: how does a person systematically analyze situations to make clear and correct ethical decisions?
Years later, after teaching ethics for two and a half decades, he has collaborated with coauthor Clint Korver to put the answer in this book. The gist is this: We must master ethical distinctions to enable clear ethical thinking. We must commit in advance to ethical principles. And we must exercise disciplined decision-making skills to choose wisely.
By learning a new way of thinking, in other words, we can all become skillful ethical decision makers.
