Your Quick Guide To Managing Ethics & Compliance

Car Breakdown + Impact Lessons

A week or two ago, my car broke down. My son (Luke) and I were going to his Jiu-Jitsu class. It was dark and cold. First, the auto-stop-start indicator blinked; then, the automatic brake system flashed on a reasonably zippy A-road (60mph). Next came the assisted steering warning. Luke asked about each light as I realised we were in a 55mph overweight go-kart (tangentially related image below), fast approaching a backed-up roundabout. “What does ABS stand for? What does the ‘A’ symbol mean? Why is it beeping? I think you need to slow down.” All very helpful; thanks, Luke.

I had a few seconds to make a decision. At that stage, there was only one priority: keeping Luke safe. So I used the gears to slow, changing down rapidly (as the brakes were struggling).

With safety assured, we had the next choice: leave the car on the verge of a fast-moving and busy A-road (which would mean waiting in/by an unheated vehicle for hours for roadside recovery) or try to make it around two more roundabouts to a nearby supermarket car park. This decision also needed to be made in those seconds. We aimed for the car park.

Eventually, with a dying engine screaming in first gear and the turning circle of a container ship, we pulled into a lot just as everything failed (lights, battery, etc.). Phew. My wife was able to pick us up, and we could take a more leisurely (and less expensive) towing option the following morning.

When we are pushed to make quick decisions, we can make mistakes. However, these decisions can also help us focus on our priorities.

If you’re trying to get management to care about a risk topic, simulate an imminent crash and see what they prioritise. That’ll tell you what matters most to the company. Usually, you can work with that (dovetailing risk around that core priority). If the priority is wild or deeply unethical, it’s probably better to know now and dust off your CV/résumé than not know 😬!

Need more?

Book a (free) strategy session, get new articles, and other content designed to be useful and fun.

Your Quick Guide To Managing Ethics & Compliance