The Fine Line of Ethics in Mentoring: A Humorous Anecdote

In the realm of professional experiences, there are times when ethical boundaries can blur, often leading to amusing yet thought-provoking scenarios. One such instance arose during my time volunteering alongside fellow associates to mentor a high school team as part of a Junior Achievement program. The initiative aimed to provide students with practical insights into the world of entrepreneurship by guiding them in setting up and running a small business.

Our group decided to embark on a venture selling fruit baskets. The plan was straightforward: purchase bulk fruit, assemble it into delightful baskets, and deliver them to homes in our community. However, we quickly discovered the Junior Achievement guidelines posed significant challenges, primarily the restriction against accumulating any debt, which was meant to protect the organization. Although well-intentioned, this rule inadvertently stifled our ability to operate smoothly in a real-world business environment.

How could we acquire the fruit necessary for our baskets without incurring liabilities? The conundrum was clear—we couldn’t. To navigate this obstacle, we devised a workaround: we required customers to prepay for their fruit baskets. By selling the orders upfront, we collected funds upon receiving the orders, allowing us to fulfill the deliveries a few weeks later. While this approach proved to be effective from a business standpoint, it also led us to a rather entertaining ethical dilemma.

As part of our responsibilities, we were required to submit weekly financial reports to the Junior Achievement office. However, if we accurately reflected our cash collections and deferred revenue, there would undoubtedly be a backlash from the organization. To maintain a sensible grasp of our finances while adhering to the rules, we inadvertently began maintaining two sets of books. This realization struck us as particularly humorous, especially since we had also engaged the students in this unintentional subterfuge.

We created a “real” set of records that reflected our true financial situation and a “compliant” set meticulously tailored for submission to the regional office, which would be the basis for their oversight. For over three weeks, we operated under this dual system, fully aware of the ethical grey area we were navigating. During a casual discussion, we collectively recognized the absurdity of our situation, yet since the project was nearing its conclusion, we opted to continue our unconventional Bookkeeping practices with little remorse.

This experience served as a lighthearted reminder of the ethical dilemmas we sometimes face in our careers, often with unexpected yet comical results. It also raised the