Code of ethics
This mission is rooted in a set of core values. These core values, embraced by Certified Matchmakers throughout the Matchmaking Institute’s history, are the foundation of Certified Matchmakers’ unique purpose and perspective:
- Customer service
- Dignity of the person
- Importance of human relationships
- Integrity
- Competence
This constellation of core values reflects what is unique to the matchmaking profession.
Purpose of the Code of Ethics
Professional ethics are at the core of Certified Matchmakers. The profession has an obligation to articulate its basic values, ethical principles, and ethical standards. The Matchmakers Network Code of Ethics sets forth these values, principles, and standards to guide Certified Matchmaker’s conduct. The Code is relevant to all matchmakers and matchmaking students, regardless of their professional functions, the settings in which they work, or the populations they serve.
This Code of Ethics serves six purposes
- The Code identifies core values that all Certified Matchmakers should share.
2. The Code summarizes broad ethical principles that reflect the professional’s core values and establishes a set of specific ethical standards that should be used to guide matchmaker practice.
3. The Code is designed to help matchmakers identify relevant considerations when professional obligations conflict or ethical uncertainties arise.
4. The Code provides ethical standards to which the general public can hold the matchmaking profession accountable.
5. The Code addresses matchmakers new to the field having them adhere to their mission, values, ethical principles, and ethical standards.
6. The Code articulates standards that the matchmaking profession itself can use to assess whether Certified Matchmakers have engaged in unethical conduct.
Ethical Principles
Ethical principles are based on Matchmakers core values of service, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. These principles set forth ideals to which all matchmakers should aspire.
Matchmakers’ primary goal is to help people gain quality introductions.
Matchmakers elevate service to others above self-interest. Matchmakers draw on their knowledge, values, and skills to help people achieve their goal.
Ethical Standards
The following ethical standards are relevant to the professional activities of all matchmakers. These standards concern (1) matchmakers’ ethical responsibilities to clients, (2) matchmakers’ ethical responsibilities to colleagues, (3) matchmakers’ ethical responsibilities in practice settings, (4) matchmakers’ ethical responsibilities as professionals, (5) matchmakers’ ethical responsibilities to the matchmaking profession.
Articles
- Commitment to Clients
Matchmakers’ primary responsibility is to promote the well-being of clients. In general, clients’ interests are primary.
- Self-Determination
Matchmakers respect and promote the right of clients to self-determination and assist clients in their efforts to identify and clarify their goals.
- Conflicts of Interest
(a) Matchmakers should be alert to and avoid conflicts of interest that interfere with the exercise of professional discretion and impartial judgment. Matchmakers should inform clients when a real or potential conflict of interest arises and take reasonable steps to resolve the issue in a manner that makes the clients’ interests primary and protects clients’ interests to the greatest extent possible. In some cases, protecting clients’ interests may require termination of the professional relationship with proper referral of the client.
(b) Matchmakers should not take unfair advantage of any professional relationship or exploit others to further their personal, religious, political, or business interests.
- Privacy and Confidentiality
(a) Matchmakers should respect clients’ right to privacy. Matchmakers should not share any private information from clients to others unless it is essential to providing services.
(b) Matchmakers may disclose confidential information when appropriate with valid consent from a client or a person legally authorized to consent on behalf of a client.
(c) Matchmakers should protect the confidentiality of all information obtained in the course of professional service, except for compelling professional reasons.
(d) Matchmakers should inform clients, to the extent possible, about the disclosure of confidential information and the potential consequences, when feasible before the disclosure is made. This applies whether Matchmakers disclose confidential information on the basis of a legal requirement or client consent.
- Respect
(a) Matchmakers should treat clients with respect and should represent accurately and fairly the qualifications, views, and obligations of their service.
(b) Matchmakers should avoid unwarranted negative criticism of colleagues in communications with clients or with other professionals. Unwarranted negative criticism may include demeaning comments that refer to colleague’s level of competence or to individual’s attributes such as race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, political belief, religion, and mental or physical disability.
(c) Matchmakers should cooperate with matchmaking colleagues and with colleagues of other professions when such cooperation serves the well-being of clients.
- Confidentiality
Matchmakers should respect confidential information shared by colleagues in the course of their professional relationships and transactions.
Matchmakers should ensure that such colleagues understand Matchmakers’obligation to respect confidentiality and any exceptions related to it.
- Consultation
(a) Matchmakers should seek the advice and counsel of colleagues whenever such consultation is in the best interests of clients.
(b) Matchmakers should keep themselves informed about colleagues’ areas of expertise and competencies. Matchmakers should seek consultation only from colleagues who have demonstrated knowledge, expertise, and competence related to the subject of the consultation.
(c) When consulting with colleagues about clients, Matchmakers should disclose the least amount of information necessary to achieve the purposes of the consultation.
- Referral for Services
(a) Matchmakers should refer clients to other professionals when the other professionals’ specialized knowledge or expertise is needed to serve clients fully or when Matchmakers believe that they are not being effective or making reasonable progress with clients and that additional service is required.
- Billing
Matchmakers should establish and maintain billing practices that accurately reflect the nature and extent of services provided and that identify who provided the service in the practice setting.
- Competence
(a) Matchmakers should accept responsibility or employment only on the basis of existing competence or the intention to acquire the necessary competence.
(b) Matchmakers should strive to become and remain proficient in professional practice and the performance of professional functions. Matchmakers should critically examine and keep current with emerging knowledge relevant to matchmaking. Matchmakers should routinely review the professional literature and participate in continuing education relevant to matchmaking practice and matchmaking ethics.
- Private Conduct
Matchmakers should not permit their private conduct to interfere with their ability to fulfill their professional responsibilities.
- Dishonesty, Fraud, and Deception
Matchmakers should not participate in, condone, or be associated with dishonesty, fraud, or deception.
- Impairment
(a) Matchmakers should not allow their own personal problems, psycho-social distress, legal problems, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties to interfere with their professional judgment and performance or to jeopardize the best interests of people for whom they have a professional responsibility.
- Misrepresentation
Matchmakers should ensure that their representations to clients, agencies, and the public of professional qualifications, credentials, education, competence, affiliations, services provided, or results to be achieved are accurate. Matchmakers should claim only those relevant professional credentials they actually possess and take steps to correct any inaccuracies or misrepresentations of their credentials by others.
- Integrity of the Profession
(a) Matchmakers should work toward the maintenance and promotion of high standards of practice.
(b) Matchmakers should uphold and advance the values, ethics, knowledge, and mission of the profession. Matchmakers should protect, enhance, and improve the integrity of the profession through appropriate study and research, active discussion, and responsible criticism of the profession.
(e) Matchmakers should act to prevent the unauthorized and unqualified practice of matchmaking.
