No one wants to feel pressured to do something they don’t agree with. But what should you do if the incentives at your company seem to be rewarding behavior that you believe is bad for your customers or clients, or maybe even illegal? If you find yourself in this precarious situation, take a step back and make sure you really understand the situation. Ask yourself: Is this a practice that’s outside the industry standard or that clearly deviates from best practices? In what specific ways does it violate ethics, customers’ interests, or the law? Does an alternative argument (one that argues that the practice is OK) hold merit? Answering these questions will give you a better sense of whether your initial judgment was sound. If you decide that the practice is clearly wrong, the answers will give you ammunition to make your case to others and persuade them to take your concerns seriously. You are more likely to speak up if you have really thought the situation through.
Adapted from "When You Feel Pressured to Do the Wrong Thing at Work," by Joseph L. Badaracco
