Joy is a mid-career professional who previously worked in the travel industry. After deciding to switch careers, she recently started a new job at a chemical manufacturing company. Joy set up a process in her new role that helped her get her work done, but she recently discovered correspondence between her supervisor and a vendor representative in which the two discussed a secret deal: the company could dump hazardous industrial waste into the wetland adjacent to the factory in exchange for a discount on raw materials from the vendor. Joy has considered herself a “people-pleaser” in the past, but she also does not want to be complicit in the waste dumping.
Joy is a mid-career professional who previously worked in the travel industry. After deciding to switch careers, she recently started a new job at a chemical manufacturing company. Joy’s role includes management of the company’s supply chain of raw materials.
Joy initially felt uncertain about whether her previous work experience would be relevant to her new role. However, she valued challenges and wanted to be ambitious about learning during her first weeks. She set up a process for herself that became a habit: every morning, Joy set a reminder for herself to follow up on outstanding requests from the previous week, while in the afternoon following lunch, she processed new contracts. Due to this process, she had a little free time at the end of the day to review terms with all active vendors who supplied raw materials to her company.
However, during her review, Joy came across some information that alarmed her. She discovered correspondence between her supervisor and a vendor representative in which the two discussed a secret deal: in exchange for being allowed to dump hazardous industrial waste into the wetland adjacent to their factory, the vendor agreed to provide Joy’s company with a price discount on raw materials.
Joy is uncertain about what to do. As a new employee, she hasn’t built relationships with her colleagues and feels awkward about confronting her supervisor. She also worries she may be the only one who cares about the situation, as one of her coworkers told her that sustainability was not a priority. Furthermore, Joy considers herself a “people-pleaser”; in the past, when she has dealt with conflict, it has been her habit to smooth things over quickly in order to preserve harmony.
At the same time, Joy knows that dumping chemicals improperly is against compliance regulations, which she feels she must uphold. She also is concerned about the damage to the wetland, which harbors an ecosystem at risk. Joy also sees herself as a person of integrity; she does not want to be complicit in allowing the waste dumping to continue.
Use the 5 Ds guide to analyze Joy's situation.
What makes this situation a dilemma for Joy? With whom might Joy be able to discuss this situation? What options might Joy consider as she deliberates how to navigate the situation? What decision might Joy make, and why? What questions could Joy ask herself as she debriefs her actions afterward?