Defending Your Integrity

Source: David Maister—Professional Business, Professional Life

Thirty years ago, David Maister was working with a consulting firm on creating a strategy. With eight or 10 senior people in a conference room, the CEO said, “You’re not really trying to help us. You just want to see us change so you can get consulting fees.”

He did not respond. Eventually one of the people began to move the conversation along. The engagement was completed and the subject never again came up. But you cannot expect that to happen. You might hope someone would come to your defense. But this is unlikely.

What is the best response to such an attack? Here are some possibilities:

• Carry on until you can find time for one-on-one discussions, which might reveal the real issue. Or a later private meeting with the accuser might settle the matter.
• Terminate the engagement.
• Assure the group you are sincerely trying to help them.
• Tell them you have plenty of other work—so your only motive is to help them.
• Remind them you guaranty your work and that if they are not satisfied they don’t have to pay.
• Ask them to decide whether they want you to continue.
• Indicate that you don’t accept clients who don’t have real problems. Contriving work would not be of value to anyone.
• Spend some time discussing the benefits for which they are looking.
• Advise them to choose an advisor they trust.
• Tell them they make the decisions—you only create ideas and options.
• Ask the group if they agree with the CEO. This is risky because the group is likely to be loyal to the CEO.

Some of these approaches are likely to provoke contentious arguments that no one will win. You might try to construe the CEO’s comment not as an affront, but as an opportunity to demonstrate your integrity.

• Invite the accuser to elaborate.
• Ask the accuser if he wants to discuss it now or later. If the answer is now, you become a facilitator asking the group whether or not they believe there is a need for change in the company.

Trying to validate yourself will make you sound defensive. It would be better to imply that your integrity is unquestionable. But you cannot convince people of your high integrity by simply declaring it. Tone of voice and body language will convey more than your words. For some people, it may be advisable to have a planned response to such situations, and to rehearse it. It is possible for you to discern how you are perceived by others.

From David Maister—Professional Business, Professional Life, http://davidmaister.com. For the complete article, click here, then select the article Integrity Impugned.