Why a culture of silence is killing innovation

Why a culture of silence is killing innovationWhy a culture of silence is killing innovationThe most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.? CocoChanelCan your employees speak upfreely?I never get tired of asking this question. What frustrates me is getting the same response from CEOs Yes, of course?- ?their kollektivs tell me quite a different story.As a change instigator, Im obsessed with silence?- ?if gruppes dont speak up or share their best ideas, how can my clients innovate and grow in the right direction?People are the best sensors a company can have?- ?they are the first to detect issues or opportunities on the frontline. We must liberate the organizational voice.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraHouston, we have a silenceproblemOrganizations canbedrngnis solve a problem they dont even know it exists.At Liberationist, among other things, we help organization s address silent problems?- ?issues that are hurting the company but no one is aware of, or they are, but no one wants to talk about it.Silencing recurring problems makes things worse?- ?frustration piles up. Also, when people dont feel listened to, they start keeping their ideas to themselves. Or, even worse, theyll take them to a competitor once they land a new job.Silence is the result of an interesting paradox. Most people believe they will speak up when something worrying or disturbing happens, but very few actually do.Behavioral studies show that only 25% of people said something when a stranger cut in front of them in line?- ?the majority complained to their neighbor or made dirty faces.A similar study shows that 93% of people say their organization is at risk of an accident waiting to happen because people are either unwilling or unable to speak up.So, why do people stay quiet?Is silence a partality or a culturalissue?There are two approaches to understand what drives organi zational silence.The personality perspective puts the emphasis on people?- ?some individuals lack the disposition to stand up, while others are more naturally outspoken.The situational perspective, on the other hand, blames it into the culture?- ?people dont speak up when the environment doesnt provide psychological safety.So, should we blame people or the culture?In the end, culture overrides the influence of personality. As this Harvard Review Article explainsPeople with a low approach orientation spoke up when they thought it was strongly expected of themPeople with a high approach orientation were less likely to bring up concerns when they felt it was discouraged or punishedResearch supports that culture plays a dominant factor in promoting silence (or not). However, to change people behavior, you must work at the intersection of both.Why people keep their ideas to themselves1. ReputationPeople worry they will be labeled as negative if they raise an issue, a study shows. No one wants to be the bearer of bad news?- ?they know the messenger gets killed. Also, speaking up could potentially damage valuable relationships, not just their image.2. Peer pressureThe organizational voice is influenced by the perception that others will support us or not. Noelle-Neumanns spiral of silence explains how majority opinions become dominant over time. The fear?- ?and threat?- ?of isolation keeps minorities from being open and honest.The act of speaking out makes you alone.? RavishKumar3. Unsupported managementMost managers are not empowered to act on input from their subordinates because their bosses dont support them in the first place. They are also pushed to focus on short-term issues as research shows. How can managers be more inclusive of new ideas when their organizations put them in an impossible, powerless situation?4. Fear of retaliationLosing ones job is the most pervasive fear at work. People are afraid that expressing their honest opinions could put theirs at r isk. Instead of doing the right thing, they behave as its expected of them.5. SkepticismSilence is not only driven by fear, but by inaction. Whats the point of asking people to share their ideas if nothing will happen? The belief that innovative solutions are always ignored or will never be implemented frustrates people?- ?no one wants to waste energy or time.Liberate your organizational voiceAs a leader, you know you have to model behavior?- ?you cant expect your team to act in a way you are not.That takes me to the second point, removing the fear of retaliation. A safe space is not something you can provide. Psychological safety is a reflection of collective behaviors?- ?what the organization rewards and punish makes people feel safe (or not).This is slavery, not to speak ones thought.? EuripidesHere are some behaviors to start liberating your organizational voice.Make silence positive Sometimes, the best way to change a behavior is to embrace it, instead of fighting it. Turn sile nce in a moment for reflection and inclusion.Squares silent meetings allow a team to review a document individually. After 30 minutes, the discussion starts. Not only it prevents unproductive conversation but encourages participation from silent voices.Shake things up Groupthink is a byproduct of peer pressure. To promote innovation, you must weaken the status quo. Instead of fighting majorities, dilute their power.Sororities and fraternities are known for cultivating conformity. Researchers recruited people from both groups to solve a murder mystery. Initially, they were placed in teams that belonged to the same groups. Then, they started adding an extra person to each team.The outsider made the group feel agitated and uncomfortable by questioning initial assumptions. In the end, it doubled the groups chance of getting the right answer.Celebrate mistakes Embrace failing smarter?- ?learn to eliminate what doesnt work, dont make the same error twice. Mistakes not only help uncover ne w ways but help challenge the status quo?- ?even if business results are great.Netflix CEO Reed Hastings was worried about not being innovative enough even if the company was enjoying sensational success. He believed the streaming service company had too many hit shows and canceling too few new ones. In Hastings words, Our hit ratio is too high right now. We have to take more risk?- ?to try more crazy things. We should have a higher cancel rate overall.Promote diversity of thinking We are all diverse we are all different?- ?remarkable companies benefit from everyones uniqueness.The Marshmallow Challenge is an activity that showcases the power of diverse collaboration while trying to build a tall tower with spaghetti, tape, and a marshmallow on top.LiberationistAs you can see above, kids perform better than adults?- ?no surprise there. And engineers and architects beat everyone else. However, by adding an executive admin to a CEO-only team, increases performance. Integrating diverse thinking boosts innovation.Develop progressive dialogue Encouraging people to speak up requires design and intentionality. Asking people for feedback doesnt work?- ?thats what Steve Jobs found out until he changed his questions.The 124-All exercise allows people to work on an issue progressively building on each phase discussion. First, on their one. Secondly, with someone else. Thirdly, two groups work together. Lastly, the entire team works as one.This progressive approach is sensational for team retrospectives, brainstorms or feedback sessions.Transparent conversations Anonymity doesnt solve for silence it makes things worse. It either reinforces the notion that speaking up is not safe. Or it drives imaginary witch hunts?- ?bosses will always find out who said what.Town hall meetings can drive alignment, increase transparency, build trust, and encourage innovation. Spotify uses them, so everyone understands whats going on. Employees, submit any questions they want, that are then upvoted?- ?the most popular must be answered by senior leaders. Transparency facilitates open dialogue.Getting feedback and innovative ideas from a silent team is not easy. Dont expect people to break their silence on their own?- ?create the right space, reward the right behaviors.Liberating your organizational voice takes time and consistency. But its worth the effort?- ?dont wait until the exit interview to listen to what people really think.This article originally appeared on Medium.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people