Political Dilemmas at Work: How to Maintain Your Integrity and Further Your Career

Identify the Risks Created by the Power Vacuum

How an organization reacts to a senior level departure will vary. At its best, the organization will pull together at every level and make sure that its mission is not endangered. It will look to protect the status quo and look after those who are left behind. Life goes on. However, that reaction is uncommon, and in political environments a different response may be emerging just below the surface.

Certain people around the organization may recognize the opportunity presented by the power vacuum. They will start to reassess their relationship with the team and make new decisions about how they will push their agendas forward. Old disagreements may surface, and what was once certain may come into question again. Others may see this as an opportunity to assert their power to improve their own position. These risks may be uncomfortable and can have a dramatic effect on your work, so you need to consider them carefully. You need to assess the situation on three levels—and quickly. It is far better to be proactive in your thinking than to discover you are in a defensive situation!

First, think about the work you are currently engaged in. What tensions exist with other colleagues around the organization? How might your opponents press the issues now that your leader has gone? In the past, what disagreements did your former leader settle in your favor? These may be rising again right now. Preparing yourself for these possibilities is ...