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

The Political Bottom Line

Expect people to be curious and concerned about decisions that might affect them; this is natural and understandable. You cannot stop people from being worried or reacting badly. Adopting a parental attitude and treating people like children is likely to generate childish reactions—which only serves to create further unnecessary tension. Claiming that the team “can’t handle bad news” is no excuse for keeping difficult information that they need from them, and to do so is to risk your personal integrity and credibility.

To reduce speculation and rumor, tell as much as you can, as soon as you can, and respect people’s right to know. Getting clear agreements about what to share, with whom, and when provides us with a contract we can stick by as well as enabling us to help the team. Without clear contracts and agreements, we are more prone to making mistakes and inviting more pressure. Remember, Victoria’s secrets is a significant opportunity for building trust and integrity as well as a dilemma in which trust and integrity can be broken.