by Michael G. Winston, Ph. D.
It happens every day. A
tough, bullying seventh-grader approaches a fifth-grader in a crowded
school hallway. The older child, in front of other children, damages the
property of the younger. What happens next can determine the course of
events for a lifetime.
Often, the bystanders stare
and shake their heads, but do not intervene or discourage the bully.
This passive response from bystanders is not unusual. That is why they
are called bystanders. They stand by and do nothing. Many experts say
that bystanders have the power to significantly reduce bullying at
schools.
The role of the bystander
is crucial in creating an emotionally healthy environment. If the norm
at the school is that children who observe bullying behavior in others
do nothing about it, then they end up tacitly giving their support to
the bully. The bully then continues and eventually escalates the
behavior.
Research shows that if a
bystander discourages the bully there is a 50% chance that the bully
will stop. Most bullies do their bullying because they want to impress
people and they like an audience. So if the audience is booing instead
of clapping, they realize they're losing their audience. By doing
nothing they encourage the bully.
Those who keep their heads
down and do nothing are enablers. They are enabling the bully to get
away with unacceptable and inappropriate behavior. They should not
complain about the behavior unless they are willing to make a concerted
effort to let him know that the behavior is wrong. Did you know that
over 70% of students report that bullying is a problem at their school?
And that about one out of ten middle school kids drop out of or change
schools due to bullying? This is serious stuff.
Wikipedia defines bullying
as the use of force, threat, or coercion to abuse, intimidate or
aggressively dominate others. Broadly speaking, bullying is
unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves an imbalance of power. This
problem does not go away as we get older or our circumstance changes.
Bullying shows itself in the workplace and on athletic fields. If not
confronted, it only gets worse. The Penn State scandal several years ago
speaks volumes about this. Caught up in a culture that worships
sports, coaches and winning more than a child’s safety, we were served a
stunning wake-up call. One year later we saw the coach of the Rutgers
University Basketball team manhandling and abusing the student-athletes.
People watched and said nothing. On March 14, 2015 I saw breaking news
of a child being bullied in a New York City school and her classmates
just looked the other way. They could have helped as help was needed,
but none did. Why?
Observers wonder how anyone
could ever be aware of such revolting behavior and not report it, as if
they know they would have done so if it were them. But would they? I am
not so sure. Don't underestimate the power of social conditioning.
Most people go along to get
along. This is not necessarily unethical. There is much to be said for
teamwork and sticking together. On the other hand, when this means
turning a blind eye to major ethical wrongs, then avoiding action is
unethical. We need people willing to speak the truth, even to power. The
bad actors are betting that your need to belong will be stronger than
your concern for ethics. After getting away with wrongdoing over time,
they are so convinced you won't speak up, they often double down and do
far worse things. In fact, after they double down, in essence, doing
even more nasty things, they will count on others around you to affirm
their behavior.
This plays out in the
corporate world. I saw it first-hand. Recent ethical lapses in the
corporate world seem so pervasive and intractable. The number, kind and
scope of recent ethical breaches seems unprecedented. In the run-up to
the financial crisis, regulators, corporate boards, auditing firms,
rating agencies all had easy access to data on clear malfeasance,
corruption and/or lawbreaking that they should have noticed and
reported. They did not, because it was in their own interests. Also,
they counted on not being punished. Thus, no one said or did anything,
except a few courageous souls.
A major reason people do
not speak out about unethical behavior is fear. People are afraid of
losing their jobs. For instance, perhaps they know of a boss's unethical
behavior. Others fear confronting someone engaging in unethical
behavior. They would rather stay quiet and in their comfort zone. Some
people just don't know the right thing to do, so they look the other
way. We need to look beyond the conditioning and fear and look to what
is right for your company and your community.
We read about the awful things that happened to the Countrywide
people who stood up against fraud and deceit. I was one of them.
However, most people watched, but did nothing. Thus, they were
bystanders.
Silence, in the face of
wrongdoing, is consent. Consent to a crime, white-collar or otherwise,
makes you a possible accessory to that crime. If we don’t say anything,
we essentially condone improper behavior and the person responsible for
it begins to view his or her actions as acceptable. As with playground
bullying, these corporate bullies may even escalate their wrongful
actions.
What can we do?- Stand up and speak out to tell the truth, whether in the boardroom to stop fraud or on the playground to stop bullying. There is never a bad time to do a good thing. Step up to counter injustice.
- Enlist support. There is strength in numbers. Involve like-minded colleagues, friends, associates. Have them ostracize the offending party.
- Seek out the most senior officer. Explain the reputational harm that will ensue to their institution from continued malfeasance.
- Step up. Speak out. Have the courage to go against the grain. If you do not, be prepared to find yourself powerless, voiceless, helpless and hopeless.
- Celebrate Whistleblowers. They should be recognized and rewarded. Recognize the people who fight against those who would hurt the many to satisfy their own greed. Fight against those who practice aberrant business, leadership and health and safety practices. Telling the truth is harder than towing the line. DO IT. There is never a bad time to do a good thing. There is never a wrong time to do the right thing. Whistleblowers want to do the right thing. They are conscientious, alert, tenacious and loyal. They do not act out of self-interest at all but, rather, to expose that which could endanger or defraud the public.
In high-performing,
healthy companies, challenging the status quo is viewed as an act of
loyalty, an act of corporate patriotism. Celebrate it. In fact, Motorola
executives used to expect a “minority opinion” to be given on any
critical decision. They believed a healthy culture encourages dissenting
viewpoints and differing perspectives. Ideas must be evaluated based on
the quality of the idea, not the level of the idea-generator. Such a
culture might have prevented the dangerous and embarrassing actions of
G.M., Toyota, Countrywide and BP.
Best-practice companies
enable people to state their views freely, without fear of reprisal.
Healthy debate about ideas and alternatives is encouraged. Personal
attacks are forbidden. When spirited debate is required, the sound of
silence can erode your effectiveness and degrade your business into
oblivion. We must take heed of valid action imperatives surfaced by
whistleblowers. Ethical behavior by a company or leader will keep
customers coming back and draw new customers to you.
A moral of this story: Children should not be punished for “tattling”
just like whistleblowers should not be punished for coming forward. We
should hug them, not mug them.About the Author
Michael Winston had
a career of distinction in executive positions for over three decades
in five Fortune 100 companies across three industries. He served in
executive positions for Motorola, Merrill Lynch, McDonnell Douglas,
Lockheed and Countrywide. As global head of leadership and organization
strategy, he worked closely with C-Suite Officers to develop business
models, craft strategies and structure, create cultures and develop
leaders.
As Enterprise Chief
Leadership Officer for Countrywide Financial, Winston rebuilt the
strategy, leadership and culture and tried to stop the fraud, corruption
and deception he observed. His warnings were dismissed and ignored.
Winston’s experiences in confronting Countrywide executives about fraud,
market manipulation and insider-trading are highlighted in numerous
media reports including this New York Times feature.
He is a founding member of the Bank Whistleblowers United, and holds a
Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, a Master’s Degree from the
University of Notre Dame and attended executive programs at Stanford
University and the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.
For more information about Winston visit him on Facebook, LinkedIn, michaelwinstonandcompany.com. His book, World-Class Performance, is available for purchase on Amazon and other fine booksellers.
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