Theoretical Don Carty: Former CEO Of American Airlines

Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct. The term ethics derives from Ancient Greek (ethikos), from (ethos), meaning 'habit, custom'. The branch of philosophy axiology comprises the sub-branches of ethics and aesthetics, each concerned with values.

Ethics seeks to resolve questions of human morality by defining concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime. As a field of intellectual enquiry, moral philosophy also is related to the fields of moral psychology, descriptive ethics, and value theory.

Three major areas of study within ethics recognised today are:

1. Meta-ethics, concerning the theoretical

While Carty was asking rank-and-file employees to take deep pay cuts to save the company, he was also putting together a package that included $41 million in pension funding for 45 executives. If Carty had been upfront with the unions about this arrangement perhaps explaining that he felt these benefits were necessary to retain an executive team that could help pull American Airlines through the crisis the outcome may have been different. Instead, the unions got the facts from the press and demanded Carty's

Practice the concept of "no surprises." Gomer Pyle, played by the late Jim Nabors, used to draw a laugh whenever he said, "Surprise, surprise, surprise, Sergeant Carter." What made this line so funny was that Gomer Pyle's surprises were always negative. My wife is fond of telling me, "If you are going to surprise me, stick it in a jewelry box and put a bow on it." Making sure that a negotiation does not contain any negative surprises will reduce the chances of an ethical lapse.

9. Follow the Platinum Rule. The Golden Rule tells us to treat people the way we would like to be treated. Dr. Tony Alessandra's The Platinum Rule™ tells us to treat people the way they want to be treated. Caring about your counterparts enough to treat them the way they want to be treated helps build long-term relationships based on ethics and trust.

10. Be willing to walk away from a deal. When it comes to effective negotiations, remember, some of the best deals you will ever make are the ones you did not make. All of us have contemplated buying something from an individual, or entering into a business relationship with a company, and just getting a gut feeling that we should say "no." So we have walked away from the deal. Later, when we heard negative information about this individual or company, the information reinforced the fact that we had made a great decision. In negotiations, your head may try to rationalize deal points to make your gut feel more comfortable. Remember to go with your gut instinct,