Silence may be golden, but in an organization, it means people are not bringing their whole selves to work. However, leaders can do a lot to get people to voice out their concerns and views because they can affect the productivity and performance of the organization.
When an employee decides to speak up against something which is not so right in the organization, he or she is taking a risk. Hence, speaking up should be seen as constructive feedback from employees rather than a threat. Here are six ways to encourage employees to speak up:
Listen: As a manager, you may not have a tough time speaking about work-related issues, but some may find it tough to talk about dicey topics such as workplace conflicts. Ask for feedback with a genuine intention to listen. Arm yourself with a few questions while asking for feedback. It will let your team know that you are ready for a conversation.
Prove it is worthwhile to speak: Speaking up takes courage. Showing your team that speaking up will not backfire is a great way to build relationships and create a positive change. When they see their concerns addressed, they will share more.
Avoid making them feel wrong: Do not make the employees feel they are at fault or smacked down by your response when they share their feedback. Do not argue and avoid using the phrase ‘yes, but’ because that negates the input. Instead, thank them for candidly sharing their inputs, ask them questions when you do not understand or agree, and invite them to generate solutions to their problems.
Ensure psychological safety: Everyone wants to be heard and understood. Be open, honest, and respectful. Ensure that the conditions and the environment feel psychologically safe for your team. If you want to know how they feel ask your team with humility and openness to receive feedback.
Lead by example: Leaders can lay the groundwork by voicing honest opinions, feedback, and concerns with the employees, leading by example, and demonstrating that all opinions are valued. The key objective of the management should be to create a workplace where the employees feel safe and comfortable sharing concerns or ideas without the fear of being ridiculed.
View complaints as data: While it is hard to deal with complaints that often seem unfounded, view them as data points and get curious about the information behind them. As a leader, you will learn a piece of valuable information about the inside operations of your business.
For a place to grow, divergent views are as important as diverse people. Encouraging the team members to speak without fear benefits the organizations because it leads to analyzing and understanding the different dimensions of every decision, plan, and action.
