Programs > Online Courses > Choices that Matter

Choices that Matter
Ethical decision-making.

Facilitated by Dr Matt Beard

Enrol in Choices that Matter to better understand how to build practices that sharpen your decision-making skills, keep your head and heart open to ethical issues and tidy up the decision-making hygiene in your leadership environment.

Duration

3 weeks

Commitment

4 x self-paced modules
2 x live webinars

April 10, 2026

Format

Online course

Certification

Digital badge

Cost

$910 inc. GST
Discounts apply for alumni/NFP.

Choices that Matter
Upcoming dates

There aren’t any upcoming dates for this course.

What’s your process for making choices that matter?

If your (honest) answer was that you don’t have one, you’re not alone.

We’ve designed Choices that Matter to help leaders and change-makers who want to ensure they are making ethical choices.

Over three weeks, Choices that Matter will combine ancient wisdom, modern psychology and real-world case studies to help you:

Develop habits, practices and skills
They’re the tools that help you sit with disagreement and uncertainty so you can make considered, ethical decisions.

Master 4 stages of ethical decision-making
Every decision has ethical components. Make sure you’re considering them by working through an end-to-end process.

Move from evaluation to action
Most decision-making frameworks forget that putting your decision into action is hard. This course helps you enact your decision once you’ve made it.

Keep your shadow behind you
Understand and neutralise the factors that drive unethical decision-making.

What you’ll learn

When you’re facing a decision, every option represents a different version of the world. Ethical decision-making offers you frameworks to determine which of these worlds deserve to exist.

Navigate ethically complex decisions with clarity and care

  • Learn a structured process for understanding, evaluating and acting in the face of challenging issues.

  • Proactively improve your personal, professional and organisational ability to make good decisions under pressure.

  • Master four ethical lenses that help you notice what’s at stake in your choices.

Follow a process that brings people on the journey of your decision

  • Learn which stakeholders to include, and trustworthy ways to include them in the decision-making process.

  • Explain your decision in ways that are likely to be understood and respected by people coming from competing perspectives.

  • Use your decisions as a catalyst to strengthen ethical practice and address systemic issues.

Course outline

Module 1: Mapping the terrain

During Module 1: Mapping the Trail, you’ll learn how to develop a better understanding of the issue where you’ve got to make a decision.

You’ll learn new ways of understanding the context around the issue, the people involved, how to determine what information is relevant, and how to bring people together to discuss the problem productively and openly.

In this Module 2: Charting the Course, you’ll be introduced to four ethical lenses that will help you to identify what is at stake in the decision you’re facing.

You’ll also learn more about what leads to unethical decisions, and some strategies to ensure that you don’t fall into the same mistakes.

When you’re facing a difficult decision, half the challenge is getting to the point where you know what is the right thing to do. But the other half is doing it.

In this Module 3: Walking the path, we’ll look at different strategies for giving effect to the decision you’ve made, and how you can make sure you’re doing so effectively and ethically.

As the old saying goes, those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Our last module will show you how to close out an ethical decision, ensuring you identify the things that went well and where there is room for growth.

It will also help you to understand how to explain and share the lessons of your decision, and identify any unresolved issues that require further attention.

Alice Proud

I would highly recommend the taking part in one of the Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership’s online courses – they are invaluable to navigating the complex role of leadership in today’s world.

Alice Proud, Porter Novelli Australia

Program overview

Choices that Matter supports you to grow in self-awareness by considering your personal decision-making style, habits and tendencies, helping you gain confidence and competence in shaping the process of decision-making. This course will help you make sure the right thing is done for the right reasons.

We estimate that you’ll need to allocate between 3 – 4 hours per week for viewing the videos, undertaking learning activities, participation in webinars, and your reflection of the coursework.

Outside of the live introductory and closing webinars with your Facilitator, the course is self-paced.

Duration

The course is designed to be completed within 3 weeks, allowing you to complete the modules which take approximately 3 – 4 hours each and participate in 2 live webinars.

Format

Interactive discussions, cohort discussion, case studies and reflective exercises

Location

Online

Focus

Build your individual capacity for making better decisions, based in ethical reasoning.

Ideal for

People who are facing complex decision-making in their career and consider decision-making to be an essential skill in their advancement.

Investment

$910 inc. GST
$630 inc. GST for Cranlana alumni, Monash alumni and staff and NFPs (30% discount)

Meet your Facilitator;
Dr Matt Beard

Ethicist | Public speaker | Program Director | Podcaster

“Ethical decisions in the real world are rarely as neat as trolley problems and other ethical dilemmas suggest. They’re usually a huge set of different, inter-related ‘mini-decisions’ that lead to a final ‘big choice’.

The quality of the ‘big choice’ is defined by how well ethical issues have been noticed and addressed in each of these ‘mini-decisions’. Ethics is a living practice – I’m excited to show how people from all walks of life can bring it to life in the big and small decisions they make each day.”

Hi, I’m Matt. I’m a philosopher, dad, husband, pop culture nerd and ethicist with a broad set of interests and experiences. I’m the Program Director of the Vincent Fairfax Fellowship at the Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership, where I help senior leaders – CEOs, senior military officers and public servants, entrepreneurs and world-leading academics – develop a personal, meaningful understanding of ethical leadership.

Until recently, I was the resident philosopher on the ABC’s award-winning podcast Short & Curly, where I taught ethics to kids using storytelling and a little bit of philosophy, and I received an award from the Australasian Association of Philosophy for my “prolific contribution to public philosophy”.

Frequently asked questions

Each of the webinars are hosted by Dr Matt Beard.

Live introduction Week 1,  12:00 – 1:00 pm AEDT

Meet your Facilitator, Dr Matt Beard as he explores the structure of Choices that Matter and takes you through the learning journey ahead. Plus, learn how to navigate the platform and introduce yourself to your cohort.

Experiential demonstration Week 3, 12:00 – 1:30pm AEDT

Experiential demonstration of the concepts explored in the course. Appropriate for learners at any stage of completion.

All live webinars are recorded and made available to participants, so you can watch them at your convenience if you miss the live event. However, we highly encourage your attendance as this is where you’ll meet and mix with your fellow students.

Do I need any special equipment or software to participate?

You’ll need a computer or tablet with a stable internet connection, so you can access the modules as they are intended and interact with the live sessions hosted by Dr Matt Beard.

Choices that Matter is designed to be completed within a three-week timeframe. It’s comprised of four modules, which take approximately three hours each to complete. As a self-paced program, it’s up to you how you distribute your learning, based on your personal and professional commitments and how you prefer to learn.

The check-ins at the beginning and end of the program are live and it is highly encouraged you attend. They usually take place on the second day of the masterclass, so you get a chance to explore the online platform before meeting the rest of your cohort. You will receive confirmation of the exact time and date of these sessions when you enrol.

Each module is designed to be an interactive and engaging combination of written and video content that delves into the topics of values conflict and polarisation through the lens of organisations and ethical leadership. Plus, there are checkpoints and knowledge quizzes to help you track your progress and two live sessions with Matt.

Upon completion of the masterclass, you’ll gain:

  • A digital badge showcasing your achievement, shareable across your profiles
  • In-depth knowledge and practical skills to support your ethical decision-making
  • Valuable connections within a professional network
  • Fresh perspectives to enhance your approach to the field

These benefits combine to provide a comprehensive learning experience that extends beyond the masterclass material, empowering you in both your personal and professional development.

Yes! While the course is largely self-paced, you’ll get a chance to get to know the other learners during the two live sessions. You’ll also contribute to conversations within the online platform, where you can contribute to discussions and exchange details.