Question

Imagine you work at an ad agency and your team is charged with coming up with the name for Beautybee's latest perfume. You have been with the company for 6 months. The branding team has been brainstorminig for the last 2 hours, filling up pages and pages of the flipchart with innovative, imaginative names. Feeling daunted by how loudly, quickly, and assertively branding team members are shouting out suggestions, you decide to sit this one out, even though you have some ideas. You are uncomfortable shouting over everyonoe else is generating so many good names that the group is bound to succeed regardless of your input. What Do You think?

1.Is your lack of participation ethical? why or why not?

2. Would you change your answer if you'd been with the company for 10 years instead of 6 months?

Answer 1

1. Though the group is generating a lot of good names, it is not advisable for me to not share my inputs. Somehow I need to find a moment and share my inputs for consideration to the team. I need to be confident about myself and about the idea I have. It is quite possible that it turns out to be a good one which no one has thought of.

2. Lack of participation is not a desired trait, but at times participation depends on conditions and personal trait (introvert vs extrovert). Some employees are comfortable in quiet and formal discussions and may not easily open up in an environment described in the excerpt. Also, it may take time for some employees to learn ways to communicate ideas in such situations. On the other hand, some are comfortable in putting across their ideas at top of their voice. By not participating in the discussion, I am not giving my best to the organization. However, I would not categorize this as unethical. Further, I need to find other mediums to share my idea if I am not able to put across my ideas in the group.

3. Yes, I would change my answer depending on my experience with the company. Ideally, be it 1 month or 1 year with the organization, it is good to share your ideas. However, when you have spent such a long time in the company it becomes your ethical responsibility to give the company your best. In 10 years one learns the company culture and ways to present ideas in any situation including the one above in the case. Lack of participation generally means disengagement with the company and colleagues.

Personally, one has to be vocal about their ideas and for me, it should not matter if you are just 6 months old in the organization. If I believe I have an idea that can benefit the organization, it is my duty to present it forward.