by Ken Vincent, Featured Contributor
OKAY, MOST OF US have found ourselves in that uncomfortable position at one time or another.
It is most conspicuous perhaps in law enforcement. Cops at various levels often find that they 
must support laws that they don’t agree with. Or, sometimes not enforce laws on the books because of “departmental” policy. A case in point is that many police forces no longer make arrests for possession of small quantities of marijuana even though it is illegal. Military personnel are also sometimes in the posture of acting within dictates but against personal ethics and beliefs.
But it isn’t rare in the corporate world either. A company may take a course of action or formulate a policy that an individual finds unethical. What do you do? Do you object? Do you support it, but only in a lukewarm fashion? Do you not support it or even quit?
Have you been put in that situation? What did you do?
Who has not had this experience!? It is very complex because not all decisions that you are required to support are of the same importance. If it is my boss’ desire that people I manage be at the divisional picnic, I can support that even if I would not do the same thing. But if my boss asks me to tell the sales people not to fully disclose some details to the customers that we have no right to conceal, that I cannot do. It has to do with values, beliefs, stuff that is at the core of my moral development —these areas cannot be compromised. You ask about lukewarm support — you will get caught if you are not honest with your boss when asked to do something you cannot ethically do, so you might as well have the difficult talk right away!