As professionals many of us (I’m one..) experience some sort of tendency to let go of ideals as our career advances. To avoid senior disapproval it’s easier to avoid taking a stand and ‘go with the flow’ (and reap the rewards). Ethical debate among HR@work is typically short-circuited with the “Everything is relative” refrain. Is it really? Or is it just easier to say “Anything goes, anyhow”. So you scratch my back and I scratch yours! However as expediency and self-interest prevails, mistrust increases, and the ER/IR/HR climate and long-term productivity drops.

Can senior HR leaders provoke a debate on whether our largely ‘pragmatic’ approach to dealing with human relations [all is relative, there are no moral absolutes] is OK or do we need a moral compass to navigate…to try our best to follow eternal values of truth, justice, compassion and respect? Tata Steel and Infosys are good examples of how good ethics leads to good business…

Lest there be nervousness about where ethical discussions can go, let's remember not one of us is perfectly white or black. We are all shades of grey. [God alone is 100% ethical!] So let's help sharpen one another and become a lighter shade of grey. Navigating by ‘absolute’ principles will make all the difference in the type of HR/IR climate we create, our influence on the next-gen of professionals, and how enduring is our legacy…

I look forward to your thoughts.