Here’s one thing I’ve discovered after reading many whistle
blower stories: there is often an unbridgeable gulf between what a company or
organization’s stated policies are, and what the “chain of command” really
wants. The policies are usually idealistic, well-meaning and clearly
ethical. And of course, they’re very
well publicized both inside and outside the company. Yet, when they are
contrary to what the company ‘leadership’ wants, the policies are unceremoniously
and quietly junked. But the façade - that the policies are very much in place –
is still maintained.
This reminds me of the days of communism when East Germany
called itself the “German Democratic Republic,” when in reality it was a
full-blown dictatorship. Just because the country called itself a democracy
didn’t mean you could take that as policy and behave like a free citizen. The “policy” of democracy was literally a
death trap if you took it as reality.
Similarly, whistle-blowers suffer when they naively believe in
company policies. I’m not talking about whistle blower protection policies, but
merely the policies the organization says are important, for example, “a
culture of safety.”
The whistle blower stands on what she believes is firm
ground, and blows the whistle. Then, to her horror, she watches the ground
turning into quicksand, devouring her career. The only difference is that
unlike in a natural disaster, the whistle-blower knows the quicksand is being
engineered by the organization itself.
The harsh lesson to be learnt is: don’t obey company policy.
Instead just obey your dictators at work, and all will be well for you.
Comments? Email me: cvdhruve@gmail.com
