Thought Piece on Ethics

I recently wrote a rhetorical analysis of an apologia from Rod Blagojevich after his was found guilty and sentenced to 14 years in prison on corruption charges. While researching and reading quotes from Blagojevich, I began to formulate what constitutes ethical communications to me. Below are a couple standards I hold myself accountable to in any communication, whether personal, professional, or any other situation.

I believe all persons should always try to be respectful and trustworthy in all communications. If a person does not feel respected, there is already a barrier in the line of communication. If the communicator is not trustworthy, they will never be credible or believable. I also always try to be friendly and welcoming at all times. Sometimes a situation may not call for outright friendliness. When this is not possible, I still maintain patience and respectfulness. Another respect issue that accompanies many miscommunications is learning how to listen. Listening is key to understanding, and to be an ethical and effective communicator, one must be able to listen and think before reacting.

I also always try to be as direct and sincere as possible, and appreciate the same. When faced with allegations or a potential misunderstanding, miscommunication, or outright mistake, I apologize directly and honestly and own-up to any direct actions and responsibility. I have also learned to try to avoid using apologia strategies in rhetoric, as this is always misinterpreted as not genuine, and is usually not a sincere apology.

I am confident there are other areas of ethical communication that I have overlooked. But without Googling “define ethical communication” these are the best answers I came up with on my own.