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News reports about vicious beatings or about eighty-seven percent of college students cheating on written work make us wonder where the ethical boundaries have gone. Have we pushed the ethical envelope so far that we've lost touch with the basic definition of cheating? Ethics is about staying within certain boundaries of moral conduct. Without boundaries any kind of human behavior might be possible, given the right mix of opportunity, emotion, or circumstances. Imagine living or working in a world where every ethical possibility was greeted by "so what?" or "but..."?

Such moral boundaries as honesty, fairness, and right behavior prevent us from going off into an ethical fantasy land. Of course, this is complicated because we humans have freedom of choice and we seem to have a natural inclination to test the boundaries. In the process of growing up, children not only push physical boundaries for newer and more exhilarating experiences, but they push the ethical boundaries to find the limits of right and wrong. It starts in infancy with the word "No!" As we grow older, instead of taking "no" at face value, we question what it really means.

Initially, boundaries are something we learn. Some of us learned them well and others didn't. Eventually, we headed out in life and formed our own ethical boundaries based on the values picked up along the way from our family, culture, and experiences. Here is where things get sticky.

Each person brings differing sets of boundaries to the table yet we are all supposed to fall in line corporately at work and expect things will run smoothly. Employers solve this problem by tightening things up with as many boundaries (i.e. rules and codes) as possible. But these boundaries don't always work with people who lack their own set if personal ethics. How could eighty-seven percent of college students miss the rule about cheating? Surely they were aware of the rules?

This problem should serve as a wake up call for us to take the issue of boundaries more seriously. How many of us would find ourselves in that group of cheating students if we needed it badly enough and "everyone else" was doing it or that we wouldn't get caught?

Good ethics is a by-product of our choice to live within honest and ethical boundaries. A careful assessment of one's own boundaries can be a powerful turning point. The first step is to see that boundaries don't hinder freedom but provide more freedom. A child without boundaries is an unhappy child. So it is with adults. Those without boundaries are restless and lacking in character. Knowing your boundaries allows you to breathe a sigh of relief. The second step is to consciously establish your boundaries. Don't waste another day in ambiguity or let your circumstance decide your boundaries. Write down your boundaries, talk about them, and make yourself accountable to someone. If you blow it, don't give up. Understand that sticking to your ethical limits will help you grow on a deeper intellectual and spiritual level.

Of course there are some things that organizations can do to help people become successful in learning and sticking to boundaries. First, set reasonable boundaries. The key word is reasonable. Nobody likes vague rules or micromanagers. Second, don't forget to teach the "why." "Because I said so," didn't work when you were a kid and it doesn't work now either. Boundaries must be reasonable and there should be a clear purpose behind them. Third, be positive. Boundaries should be communicated in an instructive manner rather than by lists of Do's and Don'ts. Fourth, give people a voice in the process of establishing appropriate boundaries in the workplace. Who knows better than the people who do the work every day? Sometimes employees can come up with tougher boundaries than supervisors. Fifth, get serious about enforcement. Nothing discredits standards quicker than the lack of a backbone to stand behind them. This should be done consistently and fairly.

Life without limits leads to chaos. The key to moral stability lies with the solid ethical boundaries of individuals and organizations. Human nature tells us that people need boundaries in order to make good ethical choices. Experience tells us that successful organizations create ethical boundaries and stand by them no matter who's in charge or what the economy is like. Tomorrow's top leaders are not the eighty-seven percent who cheated but the thirteen percent who, through excellence and strong character, stood within their ethical boundaries.