Bad bosses

“What about the federal Do-Not-Call law?” the advisor asks. “Wouldn’t it be illegal to approach these names without first scrubbing them?” Her response: “Call anyway, since the probability of consumers complaining is very slight and, even if they did, the FTC lacks resources to pursue small violators.” The IMO rep doesn’t stop there, either: She advises him to tell anyone who complains that the government has granted a DNC exemption for this particular product.

How would you handle this black-hat situation? Clearly, you must refuse to break the law. But the question is, how? Do you point out that the IMO’s position is illegal? What if the rep insists there’s no problem doing it her way? Do you then offer an alternative, such as having the IMO scrub the list or buy a legal one? What if she still refuses to budge? Should you just end the relationship and start looking for a new IMO?

Clearly, we can’t point to a single best answer because it will depend on the circumstances of each advisor. But here’s what we can recommend: Resolve this (and all) black-hat dilemmas the SMART way. Here’s what to do:

• Study your options carefully.
• Make a mental note of everyone affected by each option.
• Assess who benefits or suffers from each option.
• Reflect on whether you’d be able to live with yourself after making each choice.
• Total up all the factors and reach a decision.

What to do if your boss dilemma is less clear cut? This means you’re dealing with a “gray-hat” boss, a challenging scenario we’ll discuss next month.

For more from Steven McCarty, see:

• Five-star ethics
• Get strong: How authenticity builds closing power
• Fear mongering: How weak advisors sell … and lose