If you have a potential conflict of interest, what should you do?

• A. Disclose the conflict and recuse from the decision.
• B. Proceed as normal.
• C. Hide the conflict.
• D. Ask a peer to decide.

Answer: (A)

Having a potential conflict of interest means your ability to judge decisions impartially could be questioned. The best move is to disclose the conflict and recuse yourself from the decision. Disclosure shows transparency and lets others assess whether your involvement could bias the outcome. Recusal prevents you from influencing the decision and protects fairness and trust in the process. Proceeding as normal, hiding the conflict, or asking a peer to decide can all raise concerns about impartiality and damage credibility; the safe and proper approach is to involve a non-conflicted party after disclosure or follow your organization’s policy to remove yourself from the decision.