Get the Emotions Under Control Before Making Decisions!-week 10

In their book “Judgment in Managerial Decision Making” Bazerman and Moore indicate that in order to make better decisions we should follow this steps “decision analysis tools, acquired expertise, de-bias your judgment, reason analogically, take an outsider’s view, and understand biases in others” (Moore, 2,009)
I found this section particularly interesting because it give me an starting point to make better decisions. I personally feel that acquired expertise, debias your judgement, take an outsider’s view and understanding biases in others are steps that truly can help in the process of decision making. However, there is an important area that is not mentioned as part of the steps and I think it should be included: walk away of a situation and get control of your emotions before even starting the process of making a decision.
Through out the “Ethics and Decision Making” course we have been hearing that the area of the brain that reacts intensively when making decisions is the area related to emotions. In other words, emotions play an important role in the decisions we take. Before we can reach the point where we remember to use Bazerman’s and Moore’s steps we need to be aware of our emotions and get them under control.
Last night, for example, I let my emotions guide my decisions and I totally disregarded anything also. I received an e-mail that I did not appreciate. I replied expressing my mind without debiasing my judgement, nor did I took an outsider’s view, and I honestly did not care to understand the biases in the other person. In fact, I purposely choosed to answer the way I did. Perhaps I felt that my reaction was justified, but the reality is that I am in the communication’s program to aquire expertise and apply that knowledge to every area of my life, including personnal relationships.
I look forward to apply the skills I am learning in this course, but I realize it is not an easy task. It takes a serious focusing to detect our own biases, and also to understand other people’s biases. I only can hope that by acquiring expertise we move one step forward into the process of better decision making.

De vez en cuando

te metes en mis sueños
y te amo a ratitos
pero luego despierto
y solo tu olor
queda en mi cama...
mmm soñarte otra vez
quizas mañana...!

Respuesta

El amor existe? Me preguntas…
Existe el aire que respiras y no vez?
Existe la paz de un atardecer?
Cual paz? Me preguntas…
Como sabes que es la paz?
Es la quietud mientras el sol
Se desdobla entre los arboles
El cantar de los pajaros celebrando
la llegada de la noche
la brisa que sopla suavemente
y aunque no la vez
la sientes en tu cara…
o es que acaso, me preguntas,
sera el cerebro quien escoje
sentir la brisa y quizas,
no existe tal cosa
llamada brisa…
ah! Ya esta aqui la noche
oscura y tenebrosa…
ya se escuchan los grillos
conversando y las estrellas
en lo alto estan brillando…
pero espera, tal vez
eso tampoco exista
esta solo en nuestras cabezas…

Aqui esta mi respuesta:
el amor es la escencia
del ser humano
y tal vez amigo
esta sea la verdad,
si no existe el amor
tu y yo seamos
pura falsedad.

Una Vez Mas

Siento ganas de ti
de beberte una mañana
como quien bebe un cafe
para renovarse el alma
me corre en el cuerpo ganas
de sentirte como el sol
cuando calienta mi cara...

Pero si eres el agua del rio

entonces quiero sumergirme
en tu corriente
bajar a las profundidades
de tu cuerpo
y respirar lentamente
para ahogar mis pulmones
con tu vida!

Te miro en la distancia

y me pareces ahora tan lejano
inperceptible,inalcansable
como los copos de nieve
que se deshacen en mi mano
o el agua de un rio
que se escapa en la corriente
y aunque se que existes
que respiras y vives
en este mismo planeta
pareces que no existieras!

An Insight of Four Weeks of Ethics

The battle between right and wrong seems to be a simple matter of black and white. No room for grays. However, as we move into our fifth week of classes we are learning that when comes to ethics there are many shades of grays that influences the process of decision making. According to Jones and Ferrill every culture, country, religion, and profession have their own guidelines about what is considered acceptable or unacceptable. This characteristic, they said, makes the teaching of ethics a difficult task. They suggest that “The Seven Layers of Integrity” is an effective tool to teach ethics. They based their argument in the fact that the Law is the one layer of integrity where is not room for ambiguity. The Law is a clear and anyone who shares The Land is under The Law.
In my opinion “The Seven Layers of Integrity” is an interesting approach to the teaching of ethics. I question however,the total absenteeism of the great Greeks whose thinking helped to shape the notions of right and wrong. I suppose that it could be argued that the Greeks did not have to deal with corrupt corporations and online leaks, and that today's generations are different; therefore we need to create new ways that work for them. That is a valid argument.
Certainly today's generation have in their hands a heavy load of mistrust, broken dreams, back stabbing, shameless behaviors…all great elements for a successful soap opera: The Enron Scandal, the Tobacco companies and their manipulation of the truth as we saw it in “The Insider”, The Wiki Leaks, the crisis of the house market caused by predatory lending, the credit card crisis...should I continue? I may run out of paper!
The issue that I find interesting, scary, and shocking is the one found in chapter 12 of “The Seven Layers of Integrity” regarding the use of electronic communication. I guess as we go deeper into discussions I realize that the danger of electronic communication is a real threat. In fact, the awareness of this danger is helping me to re-evaluate my thoughts about this type of communication. I think this is actually positive because is stimulating my awareness. I also find interesting the exchange of ideas in the discussion board, it is enlighten and challenging at the same time.