Consequences of Not Following Your Ethical Priority Compass
Your Compass and its sequence of self, company, manager will keep you grounded when you are facing all ethical dilemmas. Mix up any of these priorities, and you run the risk of losing your job, your reputation, and your self-respect.
Most professionals will constantly strive to do everything they possibly can to reconcile their ethics with their boss’s requests. Sometimes, however, ethical dilemmas can morph into slippery slopes of denial and rationalization. For example, you believe you are doing your job and supporting your boss on a project. Then, in the middle of the night (when we usually get our sudden revelations), you realize that your boss is participating in an unethical (maybe even illegal) practice—and what’s even worse is that you are an accomplice!
It’s time to work your Compass. First, you realize you now have to take care of yourself because you’re involved. Next, you have to protect your company because it will be affected. Finally, your boss no longer deserves your loyalty or protection, so you want to get out while you still can!
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