With Theranos Inc. back in the news thanks to the documentary You Can See Everything, it’s hard not to revisit one of the most extraordinary corporate scandals of our time.
A U.S. company that promised to revolutionize blood testing for medical diagnoses, a charismatic founder who convinced some very influential people to believe in her vision, and employees who eventually found themselves facing a difficult choice: stay quiet or speak up.
Whistleblowing exists for good reason. When there are serious breaches of conduct, fraud, abuse of power or wrongdoing that puts people at risk, having someone willing to step forward can be incredibly important. Sometimes, it takes considerable courage to tell the truth when an entire organization seems determined to avoid it.
But most of us will never work for another Theranos (which took some US$700 million from venture capitalists and private investors before flaming out in lawsuits, sanctions and fraud convictions). We will, however, work with people who lie.
I’m not talking about major fraud or criminal activity. I’m talking about the smaller, everyday dishonesty that happens in workplaces everywhere.
The colleague who takes credit for something they didn’t do. The employee who tells the boss a project is finished when it isn’t. The manager who conveniently forgets a conversation when it no longer suits them. The person who gives three different versions of the same story, depending on who’s asking.
These aren’t necessarily...
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