You've Got to Be Kidding!: How to Keep Your Job Without Losing Your Integrity

Good News: It’s Working!

Ralph’s company recently hosted one of my ethics workshops where he learned about my Ethical Priority Compass. A few months later, Ralph called me and shared the following success story:

Nan, six of us support the principals of a CPA firm, and each of us has to handle the many travel requests and arrangements of our multiple bosses. Our company has specific guidelines on airline fares (lowest rates) and hotels (reasonably priced). However, I had been continually frustrated with handling these arrangements, as two of my bosses always preferred to travel on a certain airline to gain personal mileage points, and the third boss preferred a five-star hotel (not in the guidelines). In short, all three of my bosses were pushing the outer limits of company policy.

Following my seminar, Ralph said he began discussing his frustrations about these expense accounts with his peers. The other admins said they also had dilemmas and similarly felt uncomfortable bending the rules.

Then, they began talking about my Ethical Priority Compass and their new awareness of their personal exposure and concluded they needed to protect themselves. They soon devised this plan: Each would develop a monthly spreadsheet to be submitted to their supervisors that included their bosses’ requests, the date each was made, the date of travel, and a listing of all arrangements—including the costs. Late requests sometimes resulted in higher costs, so if there was a delay in receiving the request, ...