The media is fraught this week with "hand caught in the cookie jar" tales. Oh, of course, the responses try to deflect responsibility from the individuals involved, but let's be real -- they only care because they've been caught.
First, the Toronto District Catholic School Board (TDCSB) trustees. All of a sudden they seem to have a "hallelujah" moment wherein they declare that they will give away all the perks, which they shouldn't have had in the first place and which were against all rules and common sense. They believe that this will help restore trust in their ability to perform their functions!!! Give me a break -- any other thief repenting might get a few years less in jail -- but quite honestly
-- their actions when they felt they were not being watched give the true picture of what they are -- pigs lined up to at the public trough. Not only should they all be dismissed from their posts, but there needs to be ramifications to their actions which border on criminal. Of course it begs the question -- who is monitoring the school board activities in general and how many other of these abuses are going on?
Then there is Gordon Eckstein from Livent who has is trying to save his own skin by being a defense witness against Garth Drabinsky and Myron Gotleib. Eckstein -- oh yes he repents -- but he was after all "only following orders!". How often have we heard this one? Ok folk say oh it's the Nuremberg defense -- but let's face it -- this has been used over and over again it various corporate corridors -- and of course he was only following orders -- and he didn't personally benefit from it? The following orders defense might even be acceptable if you believe that by not doing something you or someone else will be killed, maimed etc. But in this case -- what would have happened to good old Gordon -- Oh my gawd -- he would have possibly lost his job and worse -- lost a significant amount of his probably pumped up salary -- well that's a good enough reason isn't it to do something criminal isn't it????
Siemens executives are on trial for authorizing bribes to various countries to obtain business.
Of course -- they were probably just looking out for the greater good weren't they? Or again -- just for their self-interest??
Recently, I was presenting on leadership to a large group of procurement professionals and during that presentation the issue of ethics and integrity arose. What was interesting in this discussion that a number of folk noted that their corporations had a "zero tolerance" for taking gifts, lunches etc. However in the same breath -- all of these individuals noted that "zero tolerance" was a moving target and the higher you went up the corporate food chain -- the more tolerant accepting gifts, tickets and invitations to lunch and dinners became.
So that begs the question -- does zero tolerance mean that if you are a zero in the corporate hierarchy -- we will have no tolerance?
First, the Toronto District Catholic School Board (TDCSB) trustees. All of a sudden they seem to have a "hallelujah" moment wherein they declare that they will give away all the perks, which they shouldn't have had in the first place and which were against all rules and common sense. They believe that this will help restore trust in their ability to perform their functions!!! Give me a break -- any other thief repenting might get a few years less in jail -- but quite honestly
-- their actions when they felt they were not being watched give the true picture of what they are -- pigs lined up to at the public trough. Not only should they all be dismissed from their posts, but there needs to be ramifications to their actions which border on criminal. Of course it begs the question -- who is monitoring the school board activities in general and how many other of these abuses are going on?Then there is Gordon Eckstein from Livent who has is trying to save his own skin by being a defense witness against Garth Drabinsky and Myron Gotleib. Eckstein -- oh yes he repents -- but he was after all "only following orders!". How often have we heard this one? Ok folk say oh it's the Nuremberg defense -- but let's face it -- this has been used over and over again it various corporate corridors -- and of course he was only following orders -- and he didn't personally benefit from it? The following orders defense might even be acceptable if you believe that by not doing something you or someone else will be killed, maimed etc. But in this case -- what would have happened to good old Gordon -- Oh my gawd -- he would have possibly lost his job and worse -- lost a significant amount of his probably pumped up salary -- well that's a good enough reason isn't it to do something criminal isn't it????
Siemens executives are on trial for authorizing bribes to various countries to obtain business.Of course -- they were probably just looking out for the greater good weren't they? Or again -- just for their self-interest??
Recently, I was presenting on leadership to a large group of procurement professionals and during that presentation the issue of ethics and integrity arose. What was interesting in this discussion that a number of folk noted that their corporations had a "zero tolerance" for taking gifts, lunches etc. However in the same breath -- all of these individuals noted that "zero tolerance" was a moving target and the higher you went up the corporate food chain -- the more tolerant accepting gifts, tickets and invitations to lunch and dinners became.
So that begs the question -- does zero tolerance mean that if you are a zero in the corporate hierarchy -- we will have no tolerance?
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