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

Move Forward with Your “Compete” Decision

If you decide to step into the competition, you need to be clear about exactly what your proposal is. You need to think through the benefits and possible limitations of your case and link these to the organization’s goals and strategy. Why should the organization decide your proposal is the right way? Why should the stakeholders have confidence that you can deliver if they vote for you? What drawbacks are there to what you want to happen? The answers to these questions—and many more—can help you make your case in a compelling way.

Treat the proposals of your competitors to the same analysis. Be objective as you do this. Go beyond the obvious and think through why they may be right. Imagine you are in the position of making the final decision between the different proposals. How would you view the merits and drawbacks of each proposal? Judge each and see how they compare.

This comparison enables you to decide what you are going to focus on during your influencing campaign. Attempting to persuade others of the advantage that your proposal has in common with the competition is pointless. You need to find unique and potent benefits. Do not shy away from recognizing any drawbacks in your proposal. If you don’t mention them, your competitors may take advantage of your unbalanced argument as they push forward their own case. Be realistic. If your case doesn’t stack up—it’s not too late to opt out!

Once you have decided ...