“Probably the best ethics talk I’ve ever heard” – AOTB Moderator

The talk I gave at Agile on the Beach this summer was one of the most personal and difficult talks I’ve given in my career. It’s an experience report about my over 25 years working with corporate compliance and ethics programs and what happens when management systems stop processing the truth. 

Organizations, or what we call “groups of people”, praise honesty, integrity, transparency, and courage right up until those values threaten revenue, reputation, a delivery date, or a senior leader’s preferred narrative. In my experience, the person raising the concern often then becomes the problem.

“Honesty is praised and left to starve” is the most accurate description of whistleblowing I have ever heard. Hopefully you can learn something from the my experience and survival guide based on two personal cases studies if you ever get caught up in an ethics investigation or are considering blowing the whistle on a breach.

Big thanks to the kind folks at Agile on the Beach for giving me the opportunity to present.

Enjoy…