allPM.com :: Ecology, Ethics and the Project manager – A Zen Perspective By George Pitagorsky, PMP

Ecology, Ethics and the Project manager – A Zen Perspective By George Pitagorsky, PMP

Published on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 - 03:16 PM

Here it is the month in which Earth Day occurs again; so the question - “How does project management relate to ecology and environmental responsibility?” is very relevant. Let’s explore the question in light of project manager ethics and, more broadly, ethical behavior in general. PMI’s code of Professional and Social responsibility calls for ensuring individual integrity. This is defined as “adhering to legal requirements, ethical standards and social norms, in order to protect the community and all stakeholders and to create a healthy working environment.”¹ Wisdom traditions generally agree upon the desirability of a way of life that results in benefit to the largest number of people possible. The Zen tradition has its roots in Buddhist thought which advises non-harming as a base for ethical behavior. Non-harming is at the root of ethics. The legal requirements ethical standards and social norms called out in the standard go beyond simply doing no harm -- they seek to ‘protect and create.’

As with ethical standards in general, the ethics for PM’s puts the individual in a decision making position. Decisions to adhere to ethical standards that may be at odds with social norms and legal requirements often require a degree of courage.

Eco-friendliness

In the past, many indigenous peoples honored their physical environment and viewed themselves as its custodians and not its owners. In these cultures, the ability to destroy the environment was limited by their technologies and their populations. In our culture, at this time, technologies give us the power to do significant damage to our ecosystems. We can destroy our physical environment and we can do such a good job that the impact will be felt for generations to come. Many of us have a ‘black box’ view. We push a button and things happen, yet we have no idea what effects we may have socially, environmentally and economically.

We have a responsibility to ourselves, our fellow earth dwellers and our offspring well into the future to behave responsibly and to promote consciousness in others regarding the need to protect the environment. Not only do we need to know the impact of our actions, we can also think about and plan for sustainability. Can our project results be sustained over time without stressing the environment. Sustainability is particularly important for those of us whose projects create products and processes that must be operated and maintained for years to come.

Social Norms and Ethical Standards

Given the relatively recent consciousness of environmental issues, social norms are more likely to promote short term personal self interest or expediency and the profit motive than to promote protection of the environment. Individuals are often faced with the conflict between personal ethical standards and social norms. Protection of the community is another aspect of our PM responsibility. Here we have the need to define what we mean by community. How often do we consider the earth as a community made up of communities? How often do we carve out “our community,” separate it from the broader community and justify sending our poisoned garbage to someone else’s community?

With increasing globalization and public dialogue about ecology, saving the planet has become something that has clear impact on our communities. A project that ends up dumping pollutants into the ocean impacts anyone who lives or plays on its shores or eats its fish. A project that increases the use of fossil fuels affects global warming which affects the way our community lives in the future. A project that promotes divisiveness affects those who must live in fear across the globe. A project that creates weapons of mass destruction threatens the very core of our existence.

So how do project managers fulfill their professional responsibility? First, there must be awareness. This means becoming educated as to what “living green” means; what ecology is all about and how the things we do, particularly, the way we use energy and create and manage waste, affects our world.

Awareness enables informed decisions. It is the antidote for ignorance. In addition to awareness we need long term, intermediate and short term perspectives. Projects tend to be short term focused. Even very long projects and programs to create infrastructures, dig tunnels, create new or revitalized commercial and residential zones are short term given the duration of the project outcome and its impact. Project results last far longer than projects. We need a view that significantly weighs long term product trade-offs with short term project cost and time trade-offs.

Of course in many communities, there are required environmental impact studies that evaluate the effect that the project and its result may have. Unfortunately, these studies can become politicized; there is graft and corruption. Depending on who is in power and the degree to which their personal financial and power interests are affected, the rules of the game may change. For example politicians and business interests may sell off the future for short term political gain and profit; sometimes blind ignorance gets in the way of seeing the potential negative impacts.

What then is the PM to do when faced with short sighted, even evil, project sponsors and clients and with the choice to take part in a project that one believes to be contrary to the best interest of the community and therefore to be ethically questionable. The idealist might say “Just say no.” But, there is the reality of career, security, and trade-offs between short term personal gains and long term losses.

Awareness, and a strong resolve for “right action” will lead one to the right decision. What is “right action”? It is doing no harm or, minimally, making, sure that the harm you do is at least the best of a number of poor choices. The right decision is often a difficult one because the short term ramifications may be severe like losing a job or being sidelined or persecuted. There are no black and white decisions.

Note that there will probably always be ‘asocial’ people who will do whatever makes themselves and their small community or family prosper at the expense of their neighbors and even their own great grandchildren. Unfortunately, many of them are in positions of power and are the sponsors and champions of projects that pay your salaries.

On a less global level, the PM is asked to be concerned with creating a “healthy working environment.” The physical environment is influenced by the attitudes and behavior of the people in it. What are you projecting? Is it open-mindedness, kindness, compassion and a sense of happiness in the good fortune of others, or is it ignorance, greed, aggression, fear, jealousy and competitiveness? Unlike the more obvious environmental impact of projects, this concern for the working environment is relevant to all who work in and around projects.

Of course the environment is also physical. Is it supportive of the well being of its inhabitants? Is it efficient? Is there opportunity to telecommute when appropriate and an awareness of how working “virtually” affects the environment?

We share our environment with everyone around us. Taking a conscious responsibility to contribute to health and well being for all is difficult but, ultimately, far more rewarding than the alternative.

In the end, will you be able to live with yourself when you knowingly take part in a project that pollutes the environment? Well it is up to you to determine the environmental impact of your projects and all your actions. As a PM you have the potential, if not the responsibility, to know the reason for your project and its potential impact. Once it is known it becomes your responsibility to make sure the impact is benign or beneficial. Raise issues and risks. Challenge assumptions. Be ready to challenge authority and even to leave your job if it is clear that your projects will contribute to environmental problems.

© 2008 allPM.com

George Pitagorsky, PMP is Senior Enterprise Solutions Advisor for International Institute for Learning (IIL) advising global enterprises on the implementation and improvement of project, program and portfolio management practices. His expertise spans project, quality and organizational change management. He is author of The Zen Approach to Project Management: Working from Your Center to Manage Expectations and Performance. He has written numerous articles on project management, organizational development, conflict resolution and personal development subjects.

¹ Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Specification © 2005 p 29

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