little lightIntegrity · Little Light original
A colleague tells you privately about something that is making work difficult. You can see how to help. At the next meeting, you begin explaining their situation, only to realise that your intention to support them has carried their story into a room they never chose. Before speaking on someone's behalf, include them in deciding how that help should look. What can be shared, with whom, and under whose name? Be honest about any responsibility you have to involve others; do not offer secrecy you cannot keep. There may be a way to address the underlying problem without making their personal circumstances the centre of the discussion. Good intentions do not remove the need for care with another person's story. Effective advocacy helps someone gain a voice or a choice, rather than quietly taking both away. Your influence becomes more useful when the person you hope to help can still recognise their own wishes in what you do next.
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