Navigating Moral Objections: Aligning Personal and Professional Perspectives

When employees respond to moral objections, it can often lead to misunderstandings and conflicts. To truly connect with and remain relevant to most people, it is essential to “come to center” and find a balance in our personal and professional lives. This article aims to provide insights into understanding and aligning these perspectives, drawing on a psychological framework to guide us.

The Psychological Center

To start, imagine a piece of paper folded into four equal squares. In each square, mark a point as follows:

Top Left: Pragmatic Top Right: Extrovert Bottom Left: Amiable Bottom Right: Analytical

Mark the center of the paper as “zero,” with “5” on the lines halfway to the edge, and “10” at the edge. Now, consider where you score yourself on each of these dimensions. Do you feel strongly pragmatic, or are you more analytical? Where do you fall on the spectrum between outgoing and reflective? How friendly and sociable are you compared to being reserved? Understanding your score on each dimension can help you identify where you might be out of center.

Defining the Dimensions

Pragmatic: A pragmatic person is sensible, grounded, and practical. They focus on what works in the real world, without expecting magical outcomes. Matter-of-fact and pragmatical are synonyms for this characteristic.

Extrovert: Extroverts are outgoing, high in self-esteem, and energized by social interactions. They are socially confident and enjoy large gatherings and public speaking. Extroversion is all about being sociable and friendly.

Amiable: Amiable describes people who are friendly and sociable, with a pleasing quality. Amicable, on the other hand, describes peaceful and civil relations or interactions.

Analytical: analytical and analyze both trace back to the Greek verb analyein. An analytical person is good at breaking down complex problems into manageable parts to solve them.

The Centered Self

Aligning these perspectives is crucial. If you score high on one dimension but find it difficult to connect with others who score differently, it might be you who is out of center. For example, if you are a pragmatic 8 and analytical 7, the distance between you and others might naturally lead to conflicts and communication gaps.

A theory in psychology called the self-fulfilling prophecy suggests that if you strongly like yourself and believe you are always right, you are likely to be self-centered and less open to others’ perspectives. Conversely, if you are centered, you can better understand and empathize with others.

Real-World Application

Delete the self-pity stage and learn from the story of a young professional who excelled at their job but faced personal and professional consequences due to a lack of empathetic communication.

In their late 20’s and early 30’s, the professional was exceptionally successful at delivering results and solving urgent problems. However, this success came at a high cost. While always getting things done quickly, their approach often left others feeling disrespected and sidelined. Constantly demanding full cooperation and punishing dissent, they rotted the moral landscape around them.

One year, during a team meeting, the professional was not awarded despite being a significant contributor to the team. This realization made them introspect on their behavior and helped them understand the importance of being outwardly centered. They learned that caring more for others than themselves can foster a more harmonious and productive environment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, employees responding to moral objections can be transformed through understanding and alignment with personal and professional perspectives. By finding the center, we become better listeners, more open to others' feelings and thoughts, and capable of resolving conflicts more effectively. Here’s to continued growth and understanding in both our personal and professional lives.