Boeing Moves Further Away From Ethics, Trust and ‘Relationship’
The trust, relationship health and reputation of a corporation, its leaders and stakeholders isn’t protected or improved by legal maneuvering to avoid doing the “right” thing ethically and morally.
The company and executives at Boeing are going to learn this painful reality the hard way. Again.
The U.S. Justice Department is expecting Boeing to plead guilty to criminal fraud for its role in two deadly plane crashes of its 737 Max jets, reports David Koenig, writing for the Associated Press.
But will it?
The company was directed to promptly accept or reject the offer, which includes agreeing to an independent monitor who would oversee its compliance with anti-fraud laws, Koenig reports.
Boeing leaders — and the brand — are not trusted. Trust was forfeited.
“Prosecutors alleged… Boeing misled regulators who approved the 737 Max and set pilot-training requirements to fly the plane. The company blamed two relatively low-level employees for the fraud,” Koenig reports.
That is not, figuratively speaking, a chess move that will earn belief or respect. It escalates distrust and negative emotions.
Attorneys for the deceased victims expressed their anger, something Boeing is going to have to continue to endure publicly.
“The underlying outrageous piece of this deal is that it doesn’t acknowledge that Boeing’s crime killed 346 people,” said Paul Cassell, one of the lawyers for victims’ families. “Boeing is not going to be held accountable for that, and they are not going to admit that that happened.”
Deciding not to admit wrongdoing can earn a person and company a lifetime stain on their name and make beneficial personal and business relationships difficult or impossible.
Yes, you represent stakeholders and yes, you have to save the company from financial disaster and surprisingly, yes, you additionally have an ethical and moral responsibility to fully own and confess failings and endure losses for harm (death and grieving) to others that is a direct result of your decision errors and failures of leadership.
Doing so narrows the gap between who you believe you are and publicly communicate and who you actually are with the evidence. Do everything to move show sincere remorse, move back towards trust and rebuild relationships with stakeholders.
Michael Toebe is a reputation consultant, advisor and communications specialist at Reputation Intelligence: Reputation Quality, assisting individuals and organizations with further building reputation as an asset or ethically and responsibly protecting, restoring or reconstructing it.
Contact Michael for reputation services: 316-226-4071 or by using the form below.
