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Are You Standing Up For Yourself At Work?

A vintage microphone on a desk.

The office environment requires a delicate balance of working with others and watching out for yourself. Last month, Rosetta Thurman wrote about how nonprofit employees may be willing to speak up for the underserved, but not always for themselves.

"One of the best ways to practice leadership is to be honest and share your true feelings about issues that come up at work. It may feel uncomfortable to broach certain topics, but it’s best to speak up when you have an opinion or concern rather than biting your tongue. There’s no honor in being that person griping out of the side of your mouth after the big staff meeting, “well, that was another terrible idea by management.” Well, why didn’t you say so when the right person was in the room? If you can’t bring yourself to speak up when you have an opportunity to influence decisions in your organization, you also have no right to complain when things don’t happen the way you think they should."

She gave several examples of things that you may need to speak up about, including taking time off, asking for a raise, saying no on occasion, and telling the truth when it comes to your thoughts and feelings about the organization’s direction.

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