As Susan, I face a choice between two significant risks. If I speak up, my mentor Melinda warned I could be fired from an internship I need for my career and finances, or be labeled “difficult”. If I accept the task, I risk my long-term integrity and career. Melinda noted that if I’m discovered deceiving competitors, I could be blacklisted, and I’d also be damaging my university’s reputation.
Using the 3-step plan (note: I didn’t read the article because of a paywall), I would navigate this as follows:
Realize the Difficulty and Worth: I must first acknowledge the high stakes. The personal conflict is valid—risking my immediate job versus my entire career and reputation. Speaking up is worthwhile to protect my long-term professional future.
Lessen the Social Threat: I will avoid direct confrontation, which my father advised against. I’ll email both Mr. Moon and Emma Visser and frame my concern as a collaborative partner, focusing on the risk to Zantech. As expert Josh Bersin suggested, I’d say something like, “I’m concerned that if we don’t disclose my affiliation… it will reflect poorly on the firm”.
Make a Plan: I must present a solution, not just a problem. In the same email, I will propose alternative, transparent methods to gather the data, as expert Ruwan Weerasekera suggested. This could include interviewing Zantech’s existing clients about their vendor evaluations , speaking to third-party consultants , or analyzing reports from industry analysts. This shows initiative and gives my managers a constructive path forward.
