Project Management World Today Editorial
January 2006
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Professional Ethics – The most important subject for the PM Profession
Guest Editorial for PM World Today
David L. Pells
PMI Fellow
Over the past ten years or so, professional ethics within the project management (PM) profession have been either a hot topic, a forgotten issue, or subject of debate among PM professionals from different cultures, economic conditions or legal systems. While the subject often receives far less attention than standards, certification or other professional matters, I believe that professional ethics are the most important issue for any profession and especially project management.
The Project Management Institute (PMI®) has published a Member Code of Ethics and Member Standards of Conduct as ethical standards for project management, in order to “…earn and gain the confidence of team members, colleagues, employees, employers, customers, clients, the public and the global community.” In my opinion, these are the most important standards yet developed by PMI and provide the real foundation for PMI’s future as a professional society. As exciting new methodologies and theories of practice are developed in the future, the PM profession must ensure that those practices are employed to the highest ethical and moral standards possible. This will provide the best measure of our profession for society at large.
In my opinion, there are two primary practical arguments in support of ethical standards for the PM profession. First, a major underlying principal of ethical behavior is honesty, which basically means no lying, stealing or cheating. Honest PM therefore leads to performing project management “by the book”. I believe that honest implementation of PM leads to maximizing the benefits of all aspects of modern PM. Honest behavior also leads to more effective communication and trust among project team members, and between the project team and external parties, including executive stakeholders, customers and the general public. Honest ethical behaviors make professional project management more successful.
Second, professional ethics must also incorporate a “moral imperative” in order for the profession to be admired or respected by the general public. If we expect the PM profession to achieve true professional status, like accountants, architects, engineers, lawyers, physicians or scientists, then we must be perceived as benefiting society. That moral imperative must translate into a commitment to both moral behavior and moral projects, that is, ethical and professional conduct on worthwhile programs and projects. “Moral” projects benefit society – they must not include international terrorism, environmental destruction, harm to other persons, sabotage of systems, or other destructive “projects”.
Ethics should ensure honest behavior by PM professionals and organizations.
Ethical and honest behavior will maximize the benefits of modern PM. But
we also need to raise the bar for the PM profession and set standards that
benefit society more directly. Ethics become the cornerstone for any profession.
It is time for professional leaders around the world of project management
to recognize and act on this imperative – to make professional ethics
a high priority and a foundation for the PM profession of the future.
David
Pells President, iWorld
Projects & Systems, Inc. the parent company of pmforum.org, Inc.,
is an internationally recognized leader in the field of professional project
management, with over twenty-five years’ experience in project management
related positions. His professional experience includes a wide variety
of programs and projects, including engineering, construction, transit,
defense and high technology, and project sizes ranging from several thousand
to ten billion dollars.
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Editorial Policy: The PMFORUM® has no connection to any national or international project management organization nor does it reflect the policy of any project management professional or commercial organization. The PMFORUM® maintains an objective and impartial view of project management affairs. In the interests of advancing professional project management the PMFORUM® will publish contending and objective views on issues that reflect collegial differences and perspectives