In my article last month, I talked about how important it is to know what you stand for. Values guide your decisions, whether you realize it or not, but knowing your values is the easy part. The real challenge is standing by them when it feels inconvenient or risky. That’s where the shift from understanding our values to actually speaking up and acting on them creates meaningful impact.
Mary Gentile’s Giving Voice to Values (GVV) framework moves beyond the standard question, “What’s the right thing to do?” and shifts to something much more practical: “How can I actually do the right thing in this situation?”
Most of us already know what’s ethical in many situations, but pressure, expectations, and social norms often make it hard to act. GVV isn’t about debating ethical dilemmas; it’s about preparing for them. It provides tools to confidently voice and act on values when it counts.
What Helps Us Speak Up
GVV includes a few things that can make it easier to act on our values: self-knowledge and commitment, seeing ethical challenges as normal, practicing and pre-scripting, and allies and support systems.
Self-Knowledge & Commitment: The clearer you are about what you stand for, the stronger your resolve. This is why identifying and knowing your values is critical. It’s surprising how many adults and working professionals have not clarified their values or established what they stand for. This makes them more susceptible to making decisions and taking actions that they may later regret.
Review last month's Walton Insights article for methods for determining your values.
Seeing Ethical Challenges as Normal: It’s not a matter of “if” but of “when” you’ll encounter your next ethical challenge. Instead of being surprised by challenges and conflicts, expect them. This way, you won’t be caught off guard and surprised.
In my “Ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility” course with undergraduate business students, I ask them to consider ethical dilemmas they’ve already experienced. The scenarios they describe are complex and important, but completely normal. I’ve not yet had a student unable to identify one or two situations.
Practicing & Pre-Scripting serve as important strategies for acting on your values. Having go-to responses and actions prepared makes it easier to stay true to your values when faced with ethical dilemmas. GVV isn’t inherently about confrontation; it’s about finding the right way to act on your values in a way that fits your style.
Here are four practical ways to do that:
1. The Values-Aligned Redirect
This approach reframes the request in a way that highlights ethical or professional standards, making it clear that acting otherwise could have consequences.
Example phrase: "I want to ensure we're handling this in a way that aligns with our company’s values and best practices. Could we explore an alternative that keeps us on the right track?"
Why it works: It shifts the focus from personal hesitation to a shared commitment to ethical standards, making it a logical and professional approach rather than a personal objection.
2. The Accountability Deflection
This response shifts the decision-making responsibility to policies, guidelines, or leadership—buying time while reinforcing accountability.
Example phrase: "I want to double-check our policies on this before moving forward. I’d hate to make a decision that might put us in a difficult spot later. Let me get some clarity first."
Why it works: This keeps the discussion neutral and non-confrontational while signaling that there are standards in place that must be followed.
3. The Silent Resistance
For those who prefer not to engage directly, taking strategic action can be just as powerful as speaking up.
Example action: If you're asked to manipulate data in a report, rather than pushing back verbally, you could document everything carefully, ensure transparency in your own work, and subtly escalate concerns. For example, you could copy relevant stakeholders in an email that neutrally asks for clarification.
Why it works: Instead of a direct refusal, this action ensures accountability by bringing more visibility to the situation. Sometimes, making something more transparent is enough to stop unethical behavior in its tracks.
4. The Strategic Delay
Sometimes, slowing things down can prevent unethical actions from taking place without the need for direct confrontation.
Example action: If pressured to approve something you’re uncomfortable with, you can ask follow-up questions, request additional data, or flag a need for a second opinion. This buys time and may lead to the issue resolving itself without you having to take a firm stance publicly.
Why it works: Delaying a questionable request gives others time to reconsider or new information to surface, making it easier for the ethical choice to prevail naturally.
Standing by your values doesn’t always mean speaking up directly. It’s about finding the most effective way to ensure ethical outcomes—regardless of whether that’s through strategic communication or subtle but decisive action. The key is being prepared so that when the moment comes, you know exactly what to say or do.
Allies & Support Systems
You’re not alone. Finding like-minded colleagues, mentors or professional networks can give you the courage to act. Here are some ideas for you to build a network that can be available to you when you need them:
- Identify potential allies by paying attention to people in your workplace whom you respect because of their reputation for integrity and sound decision-making.
- Right now, seek out and connect with a mentor who can not only help you with business-related issues but can also offer guidance on how to best manage any concerns that arise regarding potential unethical conduct.
- Identify where in your organization you can ask for confidential guidance when you are unsure of ethical conduct. Examples include Ethics Hotlines, the HR department, Legal, or Employee Resource Groups.
What Makes Speaking Up Hard
Some common barriers that stop people from acting on their values include:
- Pressure from Authority Figures: It’s tough to push back when a manager is the one making an unethical request. There are real power dynamics in workplaces that can make it feel like saying no is not an option, especially if your job or promotability could be threatened.
- Social Pressure & Groupthink: When everyone else seems okay with something, it’s hard to be the one to challenge it. We learn how to act and behave by seeing those around us. If nobody objects, it can seem that the action is acceptable, making it even more difficult to speak up.
- Fear of Isolation or Retaliation: No one wants to be singled out or risk job security. This fear is a big silencer. Being excluded, receiving negative performance reviews, or being made to feel like you aren’t a team player drive many values-driven individuals into silence.
- Lack of Confidence or Skills: Sometimes, people hesitate simply because they don’t know how to articulate their concerns effectively. They may freeze up or second guess themselves and their competency to question the action being asked of them.
Once you know the enablers and disablers that apply to you, you can begin to find ways to lean into the enablers and work around the disablers.
Put It to the Test: Practical Scenarios
Let’s look at a couple of real-world scenarios that professionals might face.
Scenario 1: Being Asked to Omit Critical Information in a Project Report
The Situation: You’re part of a team working on a project report for senior leadership. Your manager tells you to leave out certain data points that poorly reflect a recently launched initiative. You know that leaving out this information could mislead decision-makers, but pushing back might not sit well with your boss. Here’s what you should do:
- Expect the challenge: Recognizing that these requests can happen helps you stay prepared.
- Reframe the issue: Instead of just saying “no,” position your response to highlight business benefits: “If we include all the data, leadership can make more informed decisions and adjust strategies proactively.”
- Have a script ready: Prepare responses that make ethical action feel like the obvious choice: “Rather than omitting data, what do you think about adding context on how we’re addressing the challenges?”
- Find allies: If other team members share your concerns, discuss the importance of full transparency and bring it up together.
By becoming a problem-solver, you can stand by your values while still being seen as a team player moving your project forward.
Scenario 2: Social Pressure to Participate in Gossip
The Situation: Your colleagues frequently gossip about others in the office. It feels uncomfortable, but you also don’t want to seem like an outsider by refusing to join in. Here’s what you should do:
- Recognize the pattern: Gossip happens in many workplaces, and social pressure can make it hard to opt-out.
- Pre-script Your response: Instead of shutting down the conversation, redirect it with something like: “I’m trying to stay out of office drama. I find I’m happier that way.”
- Find allies: If there are others who also prefer a respectful workplace, support each other in keeping conversations constructive.
- Lead by example: Changing the subject or steering the discussion toward work-related topics can subtly influence the group over time.
These small shifts can help you stay true to your values without alienating yourself.
Tips for Ethical Decision-Making
Beyond applying GVV to specific scenarios, here are some everyday habits to help reinforce ethical decision-making:
1. Do a Quick Self-Check Every Day
Before making a tough decision, ask yourself: Would I be comfortable explaining this choice to someone I admire? At the end of the day, reflect: Did I align my actions with my values today? If not, what can I do differently tomorrow?
2. Establish an Accountability Partner
Find a mentor, colleague, or friend who shares your commitment to navigating challenges to ethical behavior. Check in regularly to discuss them and brainstorm ways to handle them.
3. Write Down Your Core Values
Having a clear personal values statement can serve as a guide when making tough decisions. If a vision board is more your style – go for it! When faced with uncertainty, revisit your values to make sure your actions align with them.
4. Practice Speaking Up in Low-Stakes Situations
Participate in role-playing exercises or ethics training sessions to build confidence. Start by voicing your values in smaller conversations before tackling bigger ethical dilemmas.
When you combine a strong sense of personal values with structured GVV tactics, you develop the confidence and skills to act with integrity, no matter the circumstances.
Now Act on It
Acting on our values isn’t always easy, but it’s how we create workplaces and communities built on trust, integrity, and accountability. The Giving Voice to Values framework shifts ethical action from wishful thinking to practical execution. By understanding what helps and hinders us, anticipating conflicts, building scripts, enlisting allies, and practicing our responses, we can manage difficult situations with confidence.
As you reflect on your own experiences, think about how you can start applying GVV principles in your daily life. Talk to your peers about ethical dilemmas, seek out training, and share your own stories about giving voice to values.
