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Sometimes, you must speak up to maintain self-worth. There will be consequences which you need to prepare for and accept as part and parcel of deciding to speak out.
ether you take a stand on something is entirely up to you. Only you can decide that. But how you challenge convention can lower or increase the chances of continuing to earn a pay check.
Sometimes, some situation really offends your values or sense of self. You feel the urge to speak up. But, if you can, spend a few minutes before you do so, deciding whether to go ahead.
As I mentioned in the last post, sometimes you need to confront an issue. It takes guts, but it also requires skill if you want to minimize the damage to your career.
What is Taking a Stand? In previous posts, I have discussed situations where taking a stand was an option. Whether it was trying to get a fair division of holidays (Intro), confronting a jerk boss (Power), refusing to maintain a lie (Lying), or trying to challenge groupthink (Groupthink), there can be times when you feel the need to speak up. Let’s do an example of what it might look like. What it looks like Amanda is your boss and you both work for an accounting firm. You are a Chartered Accountant as is she. Amanda comes into your office. Amanda: Ryan, I thought we discussed the Sanderson account. You: Yes, I know, but I just couldn’t find a way to not report the loss. Amanda: Oh, put it in a footnote, for god’s sake. You: I can’t do that! Amanda: Well do something. The client doesn’t want to highlight the loss. You: (a deep breath) Amanda, I know it’s important to please the client, but I just can’t do this. Amanda: Ryan, we’ve discussed your inflexibility before and I’ve had about all I can take. You: I’m sorry, Amanda, I’d like to accommodate the client, but I just can’t. Amanda:…