When Should I Speak Up At Work?

“The big lesson I learned the hard way was pick your battles. I did things my way in the military, which was ok, but I voiced my opinion too freely if someone disagreed or commented on my style of work. This didn't play out too well. I got as far as I could on my hard work alone but then my career stalled. When I needed support I never received it. I knew relative performance ranking and that my chance for promotion was gone, which killed my morale & motivation. In my new job, I’m more selective with my opinions and pick my battles on how it will play out for me in the future." AVA Advice * Hard earned & well said! Decide what matters most as you pick your battles. And take it one battle at a time. Congrats on learning to look ahead as to how it will play out! * Consider if you’re in the right war. Are you often at odds with the way things are done? It's likely not a good fit. Company values on the wall often aren't the real ones! Behavior that gets rewarded reveals the real values. * Increase your success rate when speaking up: Assess the sources of power to plan how, when & to whom you should speak. Come to our Power & Influence workshop this Sunday to learn more.