The document discusses cultivating conscience through introspection, validation, and confrontation. It describes a reclusive African tribe that helps wrongdoers realize their goodness by speaking of their positive actions. In contrast, modern corporate culture lacks such techniques, so individuals must rely on their own conscience. Taking ownership and accountability for one's actions helps invoke conscience, while their absence can lead to loss of conscience over time. It provides steps and questions to help individuals introspect and validate their actions with peers to determine right from wrong.

1. ABSENCE OF CONSCIENCE
Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar
KEEP
CALM
AND
SPEAK THE
TRUTH
July 20, 2015

2. IN A RECLUSIVE AFRICAN TRIBE, EVERY
WRONG DOER IS BROUGHT TO THE
CENTER OF THE VILLAGE AND IS
SURROUNDED BY ALL THE TRIBESMEN.
FOR TWO DAYS, THEY SPEAK OF ALL THE
GOOD THINGS HE DID, AND HELP HIM
REALIZE THE GOODNESS IN HIM.
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

3. THE TRIBE BELIEVES THAT ALL
PEOPLE ARE GOOD, AND WHEN
THEY DO SOMETHING WRONG,
IT IS ACTUALLY A CRY FOR
HELP!
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

4. THEREFORE, THEY JOIN HANDS TO CREATE AN
ENVIRONMENT OF POSITIVITY, REALIZATION,
INTROSPECTION, AND OFFER A PATH TO CORRECT
ONE’S WAYS WITHIN THE SECURE EMOTIONAL
FORTRESSES OF THEIR BRETHREN.
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

5. SO BEAUTIFUL, POWERFUL, EFFECTIVE AND TRANSFORMATIVE!
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

6. IN THE ADVANCED CORPORATE WORLD,
SADLY THERE ARE NO SUCH SOCIALLY
EVOLVED TECHNIQUES.
ONLY THE INDIVIDUAL’S CONSCIENCE CAN
OFFER A RESCUE.
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

7. SELFISH MOTIVES,
INSECURITIES, POWER,
THE NEED TO BE AHEAD CAN
CLOUD THE DISTINCTION
BETWEEN
RIGHT
FAIR
GOOD
TRUTH
WRONG
UNFAIR
BAD
LIES
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

8. IS THE DIFFICULTY OF BEING
GOOD THAT DIFFICULT?
THINK
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

9. FRANKLY,
THE ESSENCE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IS FAIRLY
ESTABLISHED IN MOST SOCIETIES, AND THEREFORE
AMONG MOST CORPORATE PROFESSIONALS.
RIGHT
FAIR
GOOD
TRUTH
WRONG
UNFAIR
BAD
LIES
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

10. THE ABSENCE OF TWO PRIMARY REQUISITES LIMIT THE ABILITY TO
INVOKE ONE’S CONSCIENCE AND BE RIGHTEOUS...
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

11. TAKING OWNERSHIP OF WHAT YOU DO.1
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

12. AND BEING ACCOUNTABLE FOR YOUR ACTIONS.2
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

13. AND, IT EVENTUALLY LEADS TO A SUSTAINED ABSENCE OF CONSCIENCE.
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

14. MANY RISK ENDING UP THIS WAY, BECAUSE THEY THINK THEY CAN GET AWAY.
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

15. BUT HONESTLY, CAN YOU GET AWAY FROM YOURSELF?
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

16. STEPS TO CULTIVATING CONSCIENCE
INTROSPECTION, VALIDATION, CONFRONTATION.
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

17. CULTIVATING CONSCIENCE
THROUGH INTROSPECTION A SAMPLE LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT CAN HELP YOU
INTROSPECT
DID I MANIPULATE SOMEONE
WAS I SELFISH
DID I MISUSE MY POSITION OF POWER
DID I THINK NO ONE CAN QUESTION ME
WHAT WOULD MY CHILD THINK OF MY ACTIONS
DID I SAY IT’S OK
EVERYONE DOES IT, WHY FRET
WHAT IF SOMEONE DID IT TO ME
GO AHEAD AND BUILD YOUR OWN LIST!
TAKE THE SIGNIFICANT SITUATIONS IN YOUR
DAY, WEEK OR MONTH… WHATEVER TIMELINE
YOU PREFER
MARK THOSE SITUATIONS IN SHADES OF GREY
BASED ON HOW MUCH YOU WERE OFF BY YOUR
OWN STANDARDS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
1
2
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

18. INTROSPECTION TIP
KEEP
CALM
AND
SPEAK THE
TRUTH
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

19. BECAUSE IT’S A CONVERSATION BETWEEN
WHAT YOU HAVE DONE AND WHAT YOU OUGHT TO HAVE DONE.
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

20. INCASE YOU DREW A BLANK AND ARE
ABLE TO SLEEP UNINTERRUPTED,
GOOD FOR YOU!
TRY RAISING YOUR STANDARDS A BIT.
TIP
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

21. CULTIVATING CONSCIENCE
THROUGH VALIDATION
INCIDENT: ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE REPORTEE REGULARLY
STEALS WORK CREDITS AND YOU TURN A BLIND EYE. YOUR
TEAM IS CRESTFALLEN BY YOUR SILENCE
YOUR SENTIMENT: HE IS MY FAVORITE AND I WANT HIM TO
DO WELL. IT’S OK. NO BIG DEAL
PEER SENTIMENT: YOUR SILENCE ENCOURAGES
UNHEALTHY WORK ETHICS WITHIN THE TEAM. ALSO, MAY BE
YOU TOO STEAL CREDITS AT YOUR LEVEL
BASED ON THE INTROSPECTION EXERCISE,
DISCUSS WITH A PEER AND MAP THE SENTIMENT
AS A SECONDARY VALIDATION, PICK ANY
NEWSMAKING INCIDENT IN THE WORLD AND DRAW A
PARALLEL WITH THE PUBLIC SENTIMENT
TRIANGULATE TO ARRIVE AT A SELF-DETERMINED
CONCLUSION
1
2
INCIDENT
YOUR
SENTIMENT
PEER
SENTIMENT
PUBLIC
SENTIMENT
3
NEWS MAKING INCIDENT: CORRUPTION SCANDAL
INVOLVING COUNCIL OF MINISTERS AND THE SILENCE OF
THE PRIME MINISTER
PUBLIC SENTIMENT: THE ENTIRE SYSTEM IS CORRUPT
TRIANGULATION AND CONCLUSION: MY TEAM PROBABLY
THINKS I AM HAND IN GLOVE WITH WHAT’S HAPPENING
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

22. BETWEEN WHAT YOU THOUGHT WAS OK AND WHAT YOU NOW THINK IS RIGHT
LIES THE BIGGEST HURDLE TO CULTIVATING CONSCIENCE.
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

23. EGO
THE
CONFRONTATION
WITH YOUR
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

24. CULTIVATING CONSCIENCE
THROUGH CONFRONTATION
TAKE YOUR EGO OUT OF THE EQUATION
IT ‘S ONLY YOU AND WHAT YOU NOW THINK IS RIGHT
YOU DON’T LOSE FACE, BUT EARN RESPECT AND
TRUST
1
2
YOUR EGO
YOU WHAT’S
RIGHT
3
WATCH OUT FOR THE EGO DRIVERS!
BUT, I AM THE BOSS
I CAN BRAZEN THIS OUT
I HAVE POWERFUL FRIENDS
I WILL DO WHATEVER I WANT
NO ONE CAN STOP ME
ETHICS AND MORALS ARE NO LONGER RELEVANT
IT’S A RAT RACE, AND FOCUS ONLY ON WINNING
EVERYONE DOES IT
THIS IS THE ORGANIZATION CULTURE
IT’S A SMALL THING
I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THESE THINGS
IT IS SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
COME ON, I AM NOT LIKE THAT
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FAIR
YOU CAN’T SAY THAT TO ME
DON’T SUCCUMB TO YOUR EGO
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

25. CULTIVATING CONSCIENCE IS A LIFE LONG
CHOICE. YOU CAN START AT ANY MOMENT
AND STAY TRUTHFUL TO YOURSELF.
FROM TIME TO TIME, TAKE A LOOK AT
YOURSELF. IT IS NOT IMPORTANT HOW
MUCH MONEY YOU HAVE, OR IF YOU HAVE
THE CORNER OFFICE, OR WHAT POSITION
YOU HAVE REACHED.
EVENTUALLY, WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS
WHAT IS THE PERSON YOU HAVE BECOME.
STAY TRUE. STAY CONSCIOUS
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

26. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar is a career marketing professional based in
Bangalore, India. Sanjay believes that the absence of conscience
among individuals make people and organizations hollow, and
causes erosion of righteousness in corporate life. It is important for
everyone to introspect their actions and be good to each other.
Sanjay can be reached at sanjay.kirimanjeshwar@gmail.com.
The views expressed in this presentation are his personal.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
When I first saw the slide show version of Marty Neumeier’s Brand
Gap many years ago, I was awestruck by its simplicity and the
conversational style of presentation.
It taught me how to build slides.
Absence of Conscience | Keep Calm and Speak the Truth | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar