Should you tell a lie for your boss?
Dass Sie Ihrem Chef und Ihrer Firma gegenüber loyal sind, istselbstverständlich. Aber sollten Sie auch für Ihren Chef lügen? So verhalten Sie sich, wenn Ihr Chef zu viel Loyalität von Ihnen verlangt.
One of the things you rarely learn in secretarial college is what to do when your boss asks you to tell a lie. The kind of lie you might be asked to make can range from little white ones, like telling an unwanted caller he or she is out of the office, to fabricating the minutes of a meeting, to destroying files.
Some secretaries and PAs are supremely loyal, like Fawn Hall, who shredded documents about illegal weapons’ sales for her boss Colonel Oliver North. As she later explained in court, her policy was “not to ask questions and just follow orders.” Fawn Hall was granted immunity after testifying against North, but she might have gone to jail for her actions.
You will hopefully never face moral dilemmas like hers. But if you are asked to do something you think is morally wrong, stand up for yourself. The easiest way to reject a request is to say “I’m sorry, but I’d feel uncomfortable doing that.” Often, your boss will back off right away.
Obviously, a secretary should be loyal to her boss, but sometimes it is more important to look out for yourself and the well being of your company. It’s one thing telling a pesky telephone salesman that your boss is out of the office and another covering up for a boss who embezzles company funds or destroys incriminating files. “My boss told me to do it” is a cop-out.