ETHICS IN COMMUNICATION

Ethical Communication
Definition of Ethical Communication
•Ethical communication is a type of communication that is predicated upon certain
business values, such as being truthful, concise, and responsible with one’s words and the
resulting actions. As a set of principles, ethical communication understands that one’s
thoughts must be conveyed and expressed effectively and concisely, and that the resulting
actions or consequences will be based solely on how the message was communicated.
Thus, ethical communication defines a framework or set of acceptable communication
principles that align with an enterprise’s overarching code of conduct or code of ethics.
• Perhaps the main principle of ethical communication is honesty, as other factors stem
from this core value of presenting information in the most reliable and factual way
possible. Any attempt to mislead or present confusing information is not ethical
communication. Additionally, the “honesty” principle of ethical communication is linked
inexorably to other core principles - consistency and responsibility. This entails that
information presented to different parties be consistent, and that short-term and long-term
consequences of honest communication are to be accepted as one’s responsibility.
 Ethical Communication
•Ethical communication also assumes that communicated information is
always presented (and received by the listener) according to one’s subjective
perception, even if only in the most minimal way, and thus the goal of ethical
communication is to be as objective as possible when communicating with
others and to ensure that every recipient receives the same message.
•Truthfulness & honesty is the most core principle of ethical communication.
This means that speaking 99 percent of the truth in a matter - while leaving
out one percent of the facts - is not ethical communication, as omitting any
detail (intentionally) changes the way that a listener will perceive an event.
Thus, being 100 percent open and transparent, and hiding nothing, is key in
order for all business relationships - whether within a business between its
members, or with business and their partners, or even customers - to succeed
in the short term and long term.
 Ethical Communication
Language Use
•Obviously, ethical communication dictates that speakers utilize the language that listeners
understand. It would make little sense to present a business presentation in English to a
non-English speaking Chinese audience. Taking this example further, it would also be
unethical to communicate the information mostly in Chinese, with a certain section in
English, presenting only parts of the data to the Chinese audience.
Jargon
•Every industry has its own jargon. When speaking to a layperson, it is ethical to speak with
simple, easy-to-understand words, while avoiding the use of heavy jargon, resulting in
portions of the presentation/communication being incomprehensible to a portion of the
audience.
Language Fluency
•Ethical communication takes into account the level of fluency as well as the language
spoken by listeners so that recipients of the communication (whether it be spoken or
written) are able to fully understand what is being communicated.
 Ethical Communication
Accessibility to Technology
•In this information and digital age, some take accessibility to advanced
technology for granted. For instance, while smartphones are readily available,
and translation apps are abundant, not everyone is able to access such
applications or platforms. If a business wanted to present certain pieces of
information to an audience while expecting the audience to translate it into
their native language via an application, there may be confusion. Thus, the
ability to access certain technology - and the know-how on how to use certain
applications - may be a roadblock when it comes to ethically communicating
to a particular audience.
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 Ethical Communication
Principles of Ethical Communication
There are a myriad of core principles associated with ethical communication, starting with
the core value of honesty that all other values are connected to. However, it can be said that
there is a value underlying honesty (with regard to ethical communication) and that is
emotional intelligence/empathy as the precursor of all soft skills, which allows all personnel
to be understood, and to effectively communicate with others. Emotional intelligence,
within the framework of ethical communication, allows one to understand the needs of
others, and meet those needs in the most efficient manner possible as if you were in their
shoes.
 1. Be Truthful And Honest
•Being honest means communicating what is known to be true (only 100 percent the facts)
to a listener, with no intent to deceive or present only parts of the truth. It also means being
as objective as possible, that is, not tailoring the story based on what the speaker wants the
listener to believe. Letting the listener take the data that is objectively presented and believe
what they choose to believe is a core goal of ethical communication. Ethical
communication should be based on accurate information and facts - in a word, do not lie.
 Ethical Communication
Principles of Ethical Communication
2. Active Listening
•Hearing someone and listening to them are two different things. In order for ethical
communication to be effective, it is necessary for the recipient to pro-actively listen
to the speaker, and to not just hear what they want to hear, or to hear only parts of
the conversation. This also means asking questions when any point is not
completely understood, for the sake of clarification.
3. Speak Non-Judgmentally
•Ethically and concisely communicating means speaking in a non-judgmental
manner with every recipient, negating unnecessary conflict, which typically creates
a breakdown in communication and causes misunderstandings. Unnecessary
conflict is never good for any business, and such conflicts usually result from
unethical communications, with judgmental, accusatory, and overly-critical
comments often being the catalyst for such breakdowns in communication.
 Ethical Communication
Principles of Ethical Communication
4. Speak From Your Own Experience
•Bringing your personal experience into a dialogue with business listeners is important,
providing backup for your arguments with something more tangible. Such a
communication method (experiential communication) paints a complete picture for your
audience and helps to prove your points so that the listeners have a better understanding of
what is being said.
 
5. Consider the Receiver’s Preferred Communication Channel
•You risk losing an audience if you use a communication channel that is not preferred by
your intended receiver. To effectively communicate with your listeners, use the most
preferred communication channel, whether that be face-to-face, email, conference call,
phone call, messenger app, etc. Also, when presenting data to a business audience, be
aware of the preferred method of presentation for that business, whether it be graphs,
slides, PowerPoint presentations, etc. Additionally, since body language is very important,
it is often preferred to meet business clients face-to-face.
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Principles of Ethical Communication
6.Strive To Understand
•While it is important to be proactive in listening, it is important for listeners to also
strive to fully understand what is being said before responding. While asking for
clarification or confirmation of a point is fine, many times questions that listeners
pose have already been answered. Listeners should think about what has been said
before constructing a reply. Reading “in between the lines” is also an important skill
that allows for understanding what isn’t said, but was implicitly said or implied.
7. Avoid A Negative Tone
•Ethically communicating assumes the speaker will avoid rudeness, be polite and
professional, and have tact. The ethical communicator knows that it’s not only
important what you say, but how you say it. Tone is one of the most critical facets of
communication. A listener may miss the meaning altogether if the tone is wrong,
which can lead to unnecessary confrontations that decrease business productivity.
 Ethical Communication
Principles of Ethical Communication
8. Do Not Interrupt Others
•Allowing others to speak is important for the creation of a civil, effective working environment.
Interrupting others results in misunderstandings and unnecessary conflicts and a breakdown in workplace
communications, which only hinders corporate progress and creates problems. Interrupting others not only
shows a lack of respect, but does not allow the listener to fully grasp what is being said, which often results
in incorrect assumptions being made.
9. Respect Privacy And Confidentiality
•Most businesses should include a clause in their code of ethics defining what is appropriate when it comes
to honoring client and employee confidentiality and privacy. This can have a wide range of implications,
including minimizing workplace gossip, and mitigating toxic conversations about the private lives of
clients and/or personnel.
10. Accept Responsibility
•As noted before, a core tenant within any ethical communication framework is taking responsibility for the
actions that result from one’s words, whether it be good or bad. This includes both short term and long term
consequences of one’s communications. Owning one’s words reinforces the importance of being
conscientious about ethical communication.
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