Speaking Up is Not Self-Evident

Speaking up when we witness wrongdoing is not so self-evident. We all know the stories about bystanders who watched and did nothing. Or worse: they looked the other way.

We all think this behaviour is unacceptable, but what can one possibly get from speaking out, except getting involved themselves?

It is a universal natural law: silence is the protective reflex of any witness.

In an organisation, a witness is always connected to the offenders - whether peers or managers - and he/she is always prone to repercussions. Getting a witness to speak up is not easy.

Not so many are heroes like the TIME Persons of the Year 2002 winners from Enron, Worldcom and the FBI. An accessible system, based on a realistic view of human behaviour, is the minimum requirement for witnesses to speak up.