When facing ethically dubious tasks like Susan’s, you risk both immediate consequences (losing the internship, damaging professional relationships, financial instability) and long-term damage to your reputation if discovered misrepresenting yourself. However, compromising your values early in your career can have lasting impacts and set a dangerous precedent for future ethical dilemmas.
The three-step framework for speaking up offers a practical path forward in these types of situations.
- Acknowledge the psychological difficulty: Susan’s discomfort isn’t weakness but rather an internal alarm recognizing something problematic. The worthwhile outcome is maintaining integrity while potentially improving company practices.
- Minimize the social threat: Reframe concerns as collaborative problem-solving rather than accusation. Both experts emphasize using “we” language and focusing on protecting the company’s interests: “I’m concerned that if we don’t disclose my Zantech affiliation and word leaks out, it will reflect poorly on the firm.” This demonstrates respect while raising legitimate concerns.
- Make a concrete plan: Research the company’s values, developing alternative solutions (interviewing customers, consulting analyst firms, leveraging internal knowledge from former competitor employees), and drafting a professional email to both managers that expresses gratitude, states concerns focused on company risk, proposes alternatives, and requests guidance.
The key is presenting “not a problem but a solution,”. Come prepared to this conversation with viable alternatives that achieve the project goals ethically. If the company dismisses legitimate ethical concerns entirely, that reveals critical information about whether or not this is an environment where you want to build your career. Companies worth working for should encourage employees to voice ethical concerns and engage in constructive dialogue about navigating gray areas.
