Why don’t people speak up?

Why don’t people speak up?  More importantly, how do we encourage people to speak up more often and at the right time?  I’m guilty of this.  I avoided conflict early in my career which caused me not to speak my mind when I should have. 

Part of the reason employees don’t speak up is due to their personality.  Some people are shy while others are like me and prefer to avoid conflict.  Another reason is due to a company’s culture.  Most employees want to be seen as following rules and supporting directives since managers value team players.  Gary Klein’s book, Seeing What Others Don’t, has a chapter called How Organizations Obstruct Insights.  He argues companies obstruct insights by valuing predictability and seeking perfection (eliminate errors).  A culture that hinders insights will frustrate even the most outspoken, Type A personality.  Over time, the quality of ideas will degrade and feedback will slow to a trickle and eventually stop.

If you are a member of a team, I suggest doing your best to communicate your thoughts in a concise, professional manner as soon as you can. 

1. Being concise forces you to think about your ideas and shows you did your homework to those receiving the idea. 
2. Communicating in a professional matter via email, presentations, or 1-1 discussions will help others take you seriously compared to someone who rambles, yells, insults or complains without justification.  One example I can provide is when I created a short presentation regarding project management issues I was encountering.  I listed specific examples but included potential solutions to resolve the issues.  The concise presentation made it easy for executives to follow during discussions.  Some people prefer to rant or drop bombs during meetings and I don’t think that helps an organization improve. 
3. When to speak up is critical too.  I love Jim Mattis’ mantra which is “What do I know?, Who needs to know? and Have I told them?”.  In today’s hyper competitive and fast-moving economy, it’s typically good practice to escalate issues and share innovations sooner rather than later.

Chapter Sixteen of Seeing What Others Don’t has a section called Increase Organizational Willpower.  Gary Klein writes, “In many cases, the problem isn’t about having or noticing insights; it is about acting on them.  The organization lacks the willpower to make changes.”  This point is valid and I’m interested in why there is a lack of willpower.  In some cases, organizations have different priorities, are constrained by firefighting, or are just complacent.  When it comes to feedback, the receiver of the feedback has the option to act or be passive. 

I think it is important for managers and executives to encourage people to speak up.  When people speak up, managers and executives need to listen intently and close the loop by stating the next steps for action (even if it is postponed) or stating no action will be taken with the reasons why.  Employees want to know their ideas and concerns are taken seriously.  They will be encouraged to speak up when the culture facilitates dialogue and has a bias for action.