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

Meet with Your Sponsor and Gain the Support You Need

The chances are high that you will get little time with your sponsor to discuss the issues. With so many other things clamoring for his attention, make every word count. You need to get to the point quickly and motivate him to take it seriously and give the discussion the time it deserves. Remind him about why your work is, or was, important. A clear statement of what you want from him and an overview of progress will help focus both your minds on what needs to be discussed.

Having gained his agreement to work toward the objective for the meeting, you should work hard to keep things constructive and oriented toward problem solving. If he says something that you do not understand, be assertive in asking more probing questions. You need to be certain about what he is saying and why he is saying it. Unless you do understand, you may not make the progress that you need to make in moving your project forward after the meeting.

Also, it is helpful to display empathy if he is sharing his own problems. Empathy can help build a closer working relationship. And as empathy grows his willingness to help you will increase. Maybe you are doing something that hinders his progress on certain issues. Find out if he thinks there is anything you could be doing differently to help him meet his own objectives more effectively.

As the meeting progresses, push assertively toward your objective and make your specific requests clear at the appropriate ...