The CIO of my company was the kind of boss who expected people to do as they were told. Everyone in the company kowtowed to him, even his peers. Years before, he had introduced a new IT platform to the company. Although the platform was now out of date and unstable, he recommended that the company continue to use it in the U.S., even adding a new product suite to it. I knew this decision was a huge technical mistake, full of risks and hidden costs. After a sleepless night, I went to talk with the CIO, presenting all of the facts rationally and completely. He ordered me to implement his decision anyway. So I did.

Fast forward four years. Our work on this flawed platform is still not complete. We have spent millions of dollars and customers are very unhappy. Yet, the CIO is now recommending that we expand the use of this same platform throughout the entire company – overseas as well as in the U.S.

I was so wrong. I had a short-term perspective – focused on keeping my job. I ignored my integrity, my responsibility to the company, and if I had to do it all over again, I would have voiced my concerns to the business leaders or I would have left. 

Questions:

1. Besides a short-term perspective, what other ethics traps did this employee face?

2. Over the long term, did this problem get better or worse? Who was harmed by his decision?

3. What else could the employee have done?