Employee Voice and Community Engagement

Roots of Silence

Why is this a problem?

Community Engagement

Tips for Breaking the Silence

Main steps to encourage voice

Learn to listen

Give all a chance to speak

Don't demand instant solutions

conduct surveys

appoint an omsudman (independent listener outside of hierarchy)

Reduce psych. distance between employees and employer

Convince employees that you really want to hear their opinions

Create a workplace where people feel that it is safe to speak

Futility

Discomfort with bringing bad news

Fear negative consequences

Not having a solution to offer

Dread of being labeled negatively

Society as a whole

Workplace/Employees

Dec in productivity

Cognitive dissonance

Stifles innovation and collaboration

Not getting valuable info that could solve problems or prevent a crisis

May become passive decision-makers in other realms like gov.

Spillover effect - hurts their homelife

High stress - depression, drug abuse

Many companies involved in their communities in some way

Positive org conditions (self-direction, etc) - more likely to volunteer

AKA civic engagement

Negative conditions: less likely to be engaged, and more likely to have a mindset primed to focus on negative stimuli