Ralph Potter will never be as famous as Beatrix Potter or Harry Potter for that matter. But in the world of communication, this former professor of divinity, now retired, certainly has his place in the sun. Potter came up with an interesting model for making ethical decisions called the Potter Box. It represents a process that persons, not just those in the communication world, should follow when facing some kind of ethical or moral dilemma. Specifically, the Potter Box is comprised of four mini-boxes, each of which speaks to certain questions a person should ask him or herself on their way toward determining a course of action to take.
The four boxes within the Potter Box are: the definition box; the values box; the principles box; and the loyalties box.The definition box calls upon an attempt to define the situation as objectively and thoroughly as possible. The values box calls for the person involved to identify and compare whatever values might be involved. These could include such perspectives as being prompt, being thrifty, attempting to please others or being honesty. The principles box speaks to examining various ethical philosophies might be applied to the situation. For instance, what might Aristotle, Kant or even Confucius do in a similar situation? Finally, the the loyalties box calls for a review of obligations or loyalties one has to others. What courses of action do your top loyalties suggest?
After one has stepped into each of these four boxes, then they should determine the most compelling values, principles and loyalties that emerge. According to Potter, that will help one ultimately decide the best course of action to take. This process may seem a bit difficult and even intimidating, particularly as it calls upon one to have a good understanding of values and even be a bit knowledgeable about several of history's great philosophers. But, if followed, it helps one arrive at solutions to difficult challenges in a thoughtful and ethical manner: exactly the way the best communication decisions should be reached.
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