Fearless Advice
https://pix4free.org/photo/669/code-of-ethics.html
Last week we received a question from an Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) student about what the meaning of “fearless advice” was in the context of section 5.1 (below) from ITP’s Code of Ethics.
Members have a duty to provide loyal and competent service to their clients and employers. “Loyalty” implies looking out for their interests, giving fearless advice, providing strict confidentiality.
This is a great question, not only because it challenges us to improve our use of plain language (which this is most definitely not), but also because it’s such an important part of our profession.
Giving advice is our collective responsibility
In Information Technology (IT), regardless of the kind of role you do, there will be times when the opportunity arises to give advice or feedback to your manager or organisation.
As a professional it is your responsibility to actively seek and engage with those opportunities. Always ask yourself questions like “could we be doing this a better way” and "are we using established best practice", and have the courage to speak up and say something, regardless of your level of experience. Even the most open minded individuals can become entrenched in their way of doing things, so you would be surprised how often seemingly simple solutions to problems get overlooked.
When it comes to giving advice, particularly for more junior practitioners, many will have a sense of fear or apprehension. This is natural and something I think almost all of us have experienced at one time or another. Remember, how you approach giving advice is almost as important as the advice itself. Sometimes it’s better to ask for a one-on-one meeting to discuss your ideas, but other times there may be opportunity for group discussion. (On the flip side, as a manager or senior, you should encourage your more junior colleagues to question assumptions and yourself be open minded in receiving fearless advice.)
Knowing when to give advice
Knowing when the right time or what the right approach is can challenging, even with practice. I have personally found three key things have helped me: take the time to get to know the people and processes you work with, be humble (including being willing to ask for help), and observe how others approach similar situations.
When it comes time to give the advice or feedback, listen to what others have to say in response and (here’s where the humility comes in) be willing to let go if your advice isn’t followed. Usually people have obligation to accept advice from a subject matter expert, and there could be many reasons why it isn’t followed; there may be factors you haven’t considered, it would be too difficult/costly to implement, or there are more important priorities at the time. Sometimes there may not be a reason given. Although it can be frustrating, in most cases it’s better not to pursue it further if it’s been turned down. You want others to respect your professional advice next time, so a level of mindfulness here is important. If you are proven to be correct, it’s essential you don’t take an “I told you so” attitude as that’s unlikely to lead to people having respect in your advice. Having humility and knowing where to quit are key here!
Standing up for the right thing
On the other hand, in rare circumstances sometimes giving fearless advice means having the courage to stand up for the right thing and "speak truth to power”. If you discover something unethical or illegal you should have the courage to raise this as an issue and to advise the organisation. Significant unethical behaviour should always be challenged and illegal behaviour should always be reported. If you find an individual acting unethically or illegally, your responsibility - and loyalty - is to the organisation as a whole, not your colleagues or management.
In practice this can mean using following an internal process for some concerns, usually by talking to your manager first (or their manager if you have concerns about your direct manager). For more serious issues, particularly in situations where life or property are at risk, or where you don't get any traction internally, using an external whistleblower processes is sometimes necessary. If the organisation itself is facilitating unethical or illegal practices, your first responsibilities should always be to the protection of society as a whole and uphold the integrity of the profession, even if that puts you in conflict with your manager or the organisation. This may mean contacting the organisation's board or the relevant authorities such as Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa (NZ Police), Te Tari Hara Tāware (Serious Fraud Office), Mahi Haumaru Aotearoa (WorkSafe), or CERT NZ.
Keep a record
Finally, though not prescribed by the original ethics statement, always document any and all advice you give. Although it may sound counterintuitive in relation to ethics and loyalty, in some situations you need to be willing to put yourself first. You may one day end up in conflict over what advice was or was not given and when, so it’s essential you get it in writing.
You should be loyal to your organisation but that does not mean you need to take the blame for events outside of your control. Plus it’s always useful to have something to refer to should the same situation needing your advice arise again.
Nathan
A big mihi to Steve Reeves, Simon Ferrari, and the participants at Tech Chat Tuesday for their koha towards this article.
