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w6-How Employee Voice Helps Community Engagement (Breaking the Silence…
w6-How Employee Voice
Helps Community
Engagement
silence at
work has other potential costs.
employees
refrain from voicing an opinion
about a major issue out of fear or because
they believe their opinion will not matter
A Widespread yet
Invisible Problem
85% unable to raise
an issue or concern
23% gave a definitive “no” when asked
if they generally felt comfortable speaking to
their boss
half of the respondents said they usually
felt comfortable speaking up in their
companies.
70% had been silent
The Roots of Silence
FEAR.
possible negative consequences
FUTILITY.
When employees feel that speaking
up will not bring about any change or have any
impact on the organization, the motivation to
contribute ideas plummets.
20% bosses would not be responsive to
any concerns or issues raised by employees
MUM’S THE WORD.
people stay silent about problems
and concerns because of the discomfort that
comes with being the bearer of bad news.
NOT HAVING A SOLUTION.
two concerns. First, given
the complex nature of management issues, is
it realistic for managers to expect instant answers
from employees? Second, apart from
shutting down vital inputs, this expectation
may encourage people to scramble for quick
fixes that could be unethical or too simplistic
for the problem at hand, leading to much bigger
problems down the road.
"don’t bring me problems,
bring me solutions"
DREAD OF BEING LABELED.
Once you get labeled as ‘difficult
to work with’ or ‘a troublemaker,’ it’s very, very
difficult to get any work done
The Costs for Employees
and Companies
managers need to pay careful attention to their
internal practices regarding upward communication.
The inability to express oneself
at work can have an impact on employees’ personal
lives after they leave the office. They may
experience more emotional exhaustion and
stress, diminishing their life satisfaction and
sense of self-efficacy overall.
The Costs for Society
“Learned helplessness,”: people are exposed
over a long period of time
to unpleasant and uncontrollable
situations,
can present risks for democratic
societies, which require participation
The Effects on Community
Engagement
the quality and number of ties that people
have with others in their community.
whether they vote in elections.
the amount and quality of volunteering they
do.
the degree to which they participate in community
governance activities.
the number of contributions they make to
community-based charities.
the degree to which they identify with their
communities.
when employees
have the opportunity for self-direction in
their occupation, they are more likely to volunteer
for religious, educational, political, senior
citizen or other types of organizations
Turning Up the Volume
1...managers must convince employees
that they really want to hear their opinions.
2...create workplaces where
people feel that it is safe to speak.
engender this “psychological
safety” can be to change the labels applied to
people who express their opinions
Formal systems – such as surveys and evaluations
to identify problems
Breaking the Silence
LEARN TO LISTEN.
GIVE EVERYONE A CHANCE TO SPEAK.
DON’T DEMAND INSTANT SOLUTIONS.
CONDUCT A SURVEY.
APPOINT AN OMBUDSMAN.
REDUCE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTANCE.
The Role of Governance Models
rethinking corporate
governance structures and focusing on parties
beyond just shareholders in companies.