Grappling with the Gray #54: Closed for Revocation?

Where's the line between exaggeration and misrepresentation?

Is promoting a good cause ever an excuse for ignoring collateral damage?

At what point does overzealousness undermine our credibility?

These are some of the questions the ethics panel takes up on this episode as we Grapple with the Gray.

Here's our scenario:

Last week, the panel discussed whether the NAACP’s recently issued travel advisory against Florida was an ethical form of protest, given their claim that the state “is openly hostile toward African Americans.”

There has been no shortage of boycotts in the headlines. Both Anheuser Busch and Target have seen dramatic decline in revenues as consumers protest their public endorsement of alternative lifestyles. The state of Israel has been the target of a boycott campaign for years based on the claimed mistreatment of Israeli Arabs. Chick-Fil-A has been boycotted for its traditional values, and is now being threatened with a boycott for hiring a VP of DEI.

The 1955 Birmingham bus boycott was one of the most successful campaigns for change in history. Many more recent protests, however, have been more ideological driven than idea driven, often misrepresenting their targets.

Doing business with an immoral company or entity poses a serious ethical challenge. But how immoral is too immoral? How do we avoid setting the bar unreasonably high, or being inconsistent with our boycotts? And how far do we have to go to inconvenience ourselves to avoid patronizing a company that may offend some of our values, but which we admire in other areas?

Meet this week’s panelists:

Paul Edwards used to drive large military vehicles through the deserts of the Middle East, armed with an assault rifle. Today, his occupation of ghostwriting requires him to ask questions first, and shoot later.”

Jolanta Pomiotlo is Vice President of Information Technology for EXSIF Worldwide who manages innovative initiatives aimed at reducing operating costs, improving profit, and growing revenue.

Michael Sherlock is a Sales & Leadership Communications Strategist and CEO of Shock Your Potential, a global professional development training company.