Early in my career, I was exposed to various potential conflict-of-interest situations and was tasked with raising awareness and providing training to employees. I realized hypothetical conflict-of-interest scenarios, when presented to employees, assist in the thinking process and elicit new ideas. Each time we discussed the hypothetical scenario, it brought about a new dimension. Here’s a hypothetical conflict of interest, deconstructed to different levels of thinking.

Employees may frequently wish to engage in activities within their normal scope of work due to passion, interest, social responsibility or financial gain. It’s your organization’s responsibility to educate and train employees so that they are aware of any potential conflicts of interest in relation to external activities. This will allow both the employee and the organization to avoid compromising situations.

This general approach can provide a guiding pathway to employees who otherwise might be nervous to raise a potential conflict-of-interest situation.