What will you do to show your stand?

It's important that you start out knowing what you'll stand up for, and what you won't. This means knowing your own values , and fully understanding your organization's values and mission.

For instance, what standards of behavior are really important to you? What if your team member did something that seriously breached these standards – would you still stand by her? And what if a colleague violated your organization's core mission? Should you defend his actions?

Although you can't plan for every situation, you can prepare yourself mentally by thinking about what you'd do in certain situations.

2. Analyze the Situation and Assess Risks

You may have to decide at a moment's notice whether to speak up in someone else's defense. In these cases, you'll have to trust your own good judgment to make the best decision. However, it's best to take some time to analyze the situation first, if you can.

Start by gathering the facts about the situation. Are you relying on one side of the story, or have you taken time to speak to everyone involved?

Then explore the behavior. Does it contravene important values and standards, does it undermine the team's mission, or does it unnecessarily impact the well-being of the team or of an individual team member? Or is it actually OK when you look at it using these criteria?

Another part of your analysis has to do with the person you're defending. Has she done all that she can to avoid or remedy the situation? Did she truly do her best? Has she taken responsibility for her actions? Does she deserve your support?

3. Decide on Action

Once you've analyzed the situation, you can decide on the action that you'll take.

For instance, if you believe that your team member was justified in what he did, or that he made an honest mistake, you'd probably decide to support him fully.

Or, as his manager, you might take responsibility for his actions, and take appropriate steps to make sure that the problem doesn't happen again. (This might involve reviewing processes and procedures, making sure that he has the resources needed to avoid problems in the future, or outlining a performance agreement .)

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