You see your boss do something that appears unethical, but you are not sure.
You are confused because your boss is a good person, one that you can’t imagine doing something wrong.
How comfortable are you to discuss your concern with her?
Now imagine that when you were interviewing for your current job two years ago, you asked your boss if she would welcome you bringing to her attention any behavior of hers that bothered you, and she answered yes. The two of you have not had a similar conversation since.
Are you now more comfortable?
Pretend now that your boss regularly tells you and your colleagues that she expects anyone who has concerns about her behavior or decisions to bring it up to her directly. She says that she will listen to the feedback, no matter how uncomfortable, and that there will never be any retaliation.
How do you feel now?
A culture of compliance is best served when managers make their employees feel safe about speaking up. If you are a manager, don’t expect your employees to speak up without any encouragement from you. Make your commitment to compliance clear and visible.
This post was originally published on The Ethical Leader and is reprinted here with permission.
Writing as “The Ethical Leader,” Yan Tougas draws on 15 years of experience as a compliance & ethics officer at a Fortune 500 company, sharing insights, wisdom and lessons learned. This post originally appeared on “The Ethical Leader” and is reprinted here with permission. Views expressed are that of the author. Visit him at YanTougas.com, connect with him on LinkedIn or follow him on Twitter.
Yan Tougas, Global Ethics & Compliance Officer, Raytheon Technologies Corporation
Yan Tougas oversees Raytheon’s global ethics programs, supporting a network of nearly 300 Ethics & Compliance Officers, managing the company’s Ombuds program, and ensuring that best practices are adopted across Raytheon’s business units. Ethical culture and leadership is the focus of all activities under his responsibility.
Yan joined Raytheon in 2000 and held positions of increasing responsibility at several of its business units. He took his current position at the Corporate Office in 2012.
Yan holds a LL.B from the University of Sherbrooke School of Law (Quebec) and a LL.M. from University of Connecticut School of Law. He sits on the Board of the Ethics & Compliance Initiative and on the Advisory Board of the Hoffman Center for Business Ethics at Bentley University. Yan currently lives in Connecticut with his wife and three children. 
