Take the IMC USA Consulting Ethics Challenge! Read this case study and the IMC USA Code of Ethics, then comment below.
The Consulting Ethics Situation
You and your implementation support team wait for the client company’s CEO to join the meeting. Your client contact for the project, Ricco, asks you to not mention the implementation delay Ricco and his team have not yet resolved.
Ricco says he doesn’t want the CEO to worry about something Ricco is sure will be resolved. Plus, Ricco confides, he especially wants to avoid any implementation delay penalties if he can help it.
What Would an Ethical Consultant Do?
Is there an ethical question or potential violation of the IMC USA Code of Ethics?
What, if anything, would you do?
If you’d like to learn more ethics in consulting and follow a Code of Ethics, join IMC USA. All members are required to adhere to the IMC USA Code of Ethics as well as our Consultant’s Code of Conduct.
About the Author
The author of this post, Liz Weber, is a Strategic Leadership Advisor, Certified Management Consultant® (CMC®) and Certified Speaking Professional (CSP). Liz currently serves as IMC USA’s Ethics Chair. Liz holds an MBA in International Business. She has taught for Johns Hopkins University’s Graduate School of Continuing Studies and Georgetown University’s Senior Executive Leadership Program. Liz has supervised business activities in 129 countries and consulted in over 20 countries. She has written ten leadership books and currently writes a monthly blog and posts on social media daily. For more information visit her website and connect with Liz on LinkedIn.
Withholding important information is a form of dishonesty.
I agree Stephen. It may seem obvious to some, but it’s so important to maintain our personal and professional integrity.
This is a great learning opportunity for Ricco. First, you can’t control another person or their worrying. Second, we all like to avoid negative consequences. The CEO clearly has timeline expectations that were set and agreed to at the beginning of the engagement. Penalties enforce this position. Rather than hiding, we should help the PM focus on maintaining a foundation of trust. Further, he can build his relationship and reputation with transparency, resilience, and fortitude by proposing his best solution to meet the deadline.
Beautifully stated Michael. This is an opportunity to help Ricco develop as a PM the CEO can count on while maintaining our integrity.
Kudos for spotlighting the tension between discretion and honesty—Ricco’s request tests our professional spine. True leadership shines through transparency. For organizations that value both integrity and strategy, exploring leadership consulting companies is a smart move: https://echelonfront.com/
Thanks for sharing your insights Kelly. I especially like your comment: “True leadership shines through transparency.”