Speaking Up in the Workplace is Vital Yet It Remains a Challenge

The Importance of Speaking Up in the Workplace

At the time of writing, the BBC is recovering from yet another scandal. This time involved a TV personality demonstrating inappropriate behaviour at work. When scandals happen, people break their silence. This shows how important speaking up is at work. Doing so can help prevent similar events in the future. In a time when accountability matters, it’s more important than ever to hear and respect all voices. In today’s complex and diverse workplaces, employees need to share ideas, express concerns, and contribute meaningfully.

Yet, despite its significance, speaking up remains a challenge in many workplaces. For instance, Lukasz Krupski, a former Tesla employee, raised concerns about safety issues at the company’s manufacturing plant. He claimed Tesla management repeatedly ignored his safety hazard warnings. Krupski alleged that these safety concerns posed serious risks to employees’ well-being. Despite his attempts to address the issues internally, he felt marginalised and subsequently left the company. In the end, Tesla later recalled millions of its cars over safety concerns.

Many people are held back by fear of judgment. They worry about retaliation or negative consequences. These barriers show that organisations must build a culture where employees feel safe and valued for their input. Creating a “speak up” culture takes effort. It involves promoting fairness and openness. It also means giving people the tools and confidence to speak up effectively.

In this article, I’ll discuss why speaking up is vital for organisational success. I’ll look at common obstacles that can hinder this and share some practical strategies. I’ll close by introducing my SAFE coaching framework©. This unique approach helps people gain the confidence to speak up for their own benefit and that of their organisations. Whether you’re a leader, a coach, or an employee, this framework provides actionable guidance to make speaking up a reality in your workplace.

What Does It Mean to Speak Up at Work?

Speaking up at work happens when employees see problems, a need for change, or spot opportunities to help their organisation. “Employee voice” or “speaking up” means sharing concerns, problems, or ideas with those in charge. This way, employees can communicate proactively and help make changes. Research shows that this can benefit organisations in several ways. These include better learning, greater adaptability to change, and improved performance.

Why is Speaking Up at Work Important?

Frequent scandals relating to poor work behaviour have increased the need for “speak-up” cultures in organisations. Employees are encouraged to share their thoughts and raise concerns. As such, they shouldn’t fear being reprimanded or seen as troublemakers. Promoting a speak-up culture has many benefits. A quick online search for “speak-up culture” shows over a billion results. For businesses, it’s important to create an atmosphere where people feel safe to speak up. This not only builds inclusivity, but helps reduce reputational, financial, and legal risks. Encouraging employees to speak up is important, but it can be difficult. This is due to the complex psychological factors involved.

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Barriers to Speaking Up at Work

Speaking truth to power takes courage. I am naturally proactive and confident in sharing my point of view. However, at times throughout my career, even I have chosen to hold back on expressing my concerns. Bringing up concerns or suggesting opportunities may seem “risky” depending on the work environment. The link between psychological safety and speaking up is key. It helps us understand why people might hesitate to share their concerns or ideas at work. Silence prevails in environments depicted by low psychological safety. When people feel unsafe to speak up, they see more risks than benefits. This makes it hard to have open communication. Speaking up works best in places with high psychological safety. Here, employees can share their thoughts without fear of judgment or backlash.

Psychological safety means feeling free to express yourself without fear of negative judgment. It is key to workplace creativity, team effectiveness, and overall performance. For many, this feeling stems from early life experiences. As kids, the fear of punishment for mistakes or saying the wrong thing can make us hesitate to speak the truth. This learned behaviour often carries into adulthood, particularly in workplaces perceived as “unsafe.” A sense of safety is essential for developing trust, creativity, and collaboration within teams.

Many barriers prevent employees from speaking up. My own research highlights several reasons for choosing silence. Some employees worried that their concerns would be ignored or downplayed by their managers. This left them feeling foolish or undervalued. Some people feared that bringing up issues would cause too much questioning. This could lead to frustration and feelings of hopelessness. While others feared being seen as troublemakers. In some workplaces, speaking up can feel confrontational. It might be viewed as disruptive or harmful to the team or organisation. In such situations, there is a risk to team dynamics, particularly when the content of what is being voiced is perceived as overly negative. This can result in fractured relationships amongst colleagues, particularly if left unchecked. It’s clear that worrying about how others will perceive or judge you is a key factor in choosing to speak up or remain silent.

Another often overlooked, barrier is the presence of “deep rules” within organisations. Professor Jim Detert explains that deep rules are the unspoken rules about what’s okay to say, or not say, at work. These hidden rules often link to power structures in organisations. They can set invisible limits on acceptable communication. Even in safe environments, these deep rules can stifle important conversations. The impact of deep rules is significant. When employees feel constrained by these unspoken rules, they are less likely to give feedback, share ideas, or voice concerns. This lack of open communication stops individual growth and holds back organisational progress. As a result, valuable insights and chances for change go unspoken.

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Creating a Speak-Up Culture

Overcoming these barriers requires intentional effort and action from leaders and organisations. Building real psychological safety needs more than just empty promises. Actions truly matter more than words. It needs a proactive approach to break down deep rules. This way, employees can feel safe to question the norm. Organisations can unlock their teams’ full potential by tackling hidden barriers. This creates a culture where speaking up feels safe and valued. A speak-up culture relies on a work environment that feels safe, open-minded, and inclusive. There are several ways in which this can be done. Here are some practical suggestions that have been successfully implemented in other organisations:

1. Blameless Reporting

A great way to promote openness is through blameless reporting. This method encourages employees to report any issues or safety risks early, before they grow into bigger problems. This approach understands that mistakes and challenges will occur, especially when starting something new. It sees these as chances to learn and grow, not as reasons to blame others. Blameless reporting removes the fear of negative consequences. This encourages employees to tackle issues early. As a result, it helps prevent bigger problems later on. This method focuses on accountability instead of blame. It ensures that reports lead to constructive action, not reprimands. Companies like Zoopla and Eventbrite are known to use blameless reporting. Blameless reporting normalises openness and problem-solving. This improves safety and efficiency. It also boosts teamwork and trust within the organisation.

2. Humour

Light-heartedness at work is also important. A recent study showed that leaders with a good sense of humour made employees feel safer and more at ease at work. This feeling of safety, in turn, encouraged them to share their thoughts. We tend to let our guard down when we feel comfortable and at ease, which is more likely to occur when we and those around us don’t take ourselves too seriously. If you’re thinking about adding fun activities to boost psychological safety, that’s wonderful! Just keep in mind, that no one enjoys forced fun!

3. Fairness

An employee’s willingness to speak up at work often depends on how fair they feel their workplace is. The late Jerald Greenberg was an expert in workplace fairness. He introduced the “voice effect.” This means that when employees can express their thoughts, they tend to see the organisation’s decisions as fair. People who feel heard tend to be more accepting of decisions and show greater satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty at work. On the flip side, when employees feel their input is ignored or dismissed, it can lead to a sense of unfairness, lower morale, and even negative behaviours. It’s like a cycle—when fairness is present, it creates a positive loop of trust and cooperation. But when fairness is missing, it can create a downward spiral of frustration and disengagement. Giving people a voice helps to keep things on the positive side of that cycle.

This highlights the importance of setting up employee listening groups. Here, individuals can share their thoughts, ideas, or worries. I cannot stress enough that when starting listening groups or similar initiatives, we must have ways to show that action has been taken based on the feedback we get. From my experience, if employees share their thoughts but see no tangible action or response, it can feel worse than not being asked at all.

4. Leader Humility

Professor Amy Edmondson, who pioneered psychological safety, shows how important leaders are. They create a space where employees can speak up safely. A key part of this is leader humility. This means recognising they don’t have all the answers and being open to input from others. In welcoming suggestions from others without defensiveness, leaders build trust. Showing humility means letting others talk without cutting them off. It also means truly believing that “no idea is a bad idea.” This approach lets team members share ideas freely. They know their voices matter. This helps spark innovation and boosts team dynamics.

Introducing the SAFE Framework© – To Encourage Speaking Up in the Workplace

Creating a workplace culture where people feel free to speak up is key to organisational success. However, we know many employees hesitate to voice their thoughts, ideas, or concerns due to fears of negative consequences. To tackle this, I’ve created the SAFE framework©. This coaching method helps promote open communication and self-expression. It’s beneficial for both individuals and organisations.

SAFE stands for Safety, Authenticity, Fairness, and Emotions. These four pillars guide reflective coaching conversations. It helps coachees explore their work environment, clarify their values, and identify effective communication strategies. This framework not only builds psychological safety but promotes authenticity. It emphasises fairness and acknowledges how emotions affect workplace interactions. So, individuals can feel motivated to express themselves in a constructive and meaningful manner. This connection also helps their voices align with the organisation’s goals. The SAFE framework focuses on empowering people. It aims to create workplaces where every voice is valued and respected.

I’ve developed a series of coaching questions to be used in coaching conversations for each pillar with SAFE. Here are some examples:

1. Safety

• “What discourages you from voicing your opinions?”
• “If no topic was out of bounds, what topic would you raise?”

2. Authenticity

• “What’s the impact of feeling you can’t be yourself or true to your values?”
• “How comfortable are you expressing what’s important to you?”

3. Fairness

• “How do you respond to situations that feel unfair at work?”
• “How can you contribute to fairness in decision-making processes at work?”

4. Emotions

• “How do your emotions influence your decisions to speak up or stay silent?”
• “How do you manage your emotions when faced with difficult conversations at work?”

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Key Takeaways

• Speaking Up is Essential for Organisational Success

It’s not a “nice to have,” but a necessity. Encouraging open communication lowers risks, boosts motivation, and helps organisations seize opportunities.

• Barriers to Speaking Up Exist

Speaking up can be difficult. Power dynamics, social comparison, and fear of negative reactions make it challenging. These factors can make employees reluctant to voice concerns or share ideas.

• Leaders Must Promote Psychologically Safe Environments

Organisations and their leaders are key to creating safe spaces. Employees should feel supported to speak up. Psychological safety is crucial. It lets people share their thoughts freely, without fear of consequences.

• Coaching Can Build Confidence and Skill

Coaching is a powerful tool for developing the skills and confidence needed to speak up constructively. Coaching gives individuals the skills they need to engage in discussions and make a positive difference in their teams.

• Speaking Up Drives Positive Change

When employees feel empowered to speak up, it improves decision-making. It also boosts innovation and creates a more inclusive workplace. Removing barriers and promoting open dialogue helps organisations unlock the full potential of their workforce.

Check out Joanne Gray’s new website at www.poweringproactivity.com to learn more about her work on speaking up.

References:

1. BBC News. (2023, December 5). Ex-Tesla employee casts doubt on car safety. BBC. www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-67591311
2. Burris, E. R., Detert, J. R., & Romney, A. C. (2013). Speaking up vs. being heard: The disagreement around and outcomes of employee voice. Organization Science, 24(1), 22-38.
3. Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative science quarterly, 44(2), 350-383.
4. Gray, J. (2023). A multifaceted examination of proactivity at work (Doctoral dissertation). Birkbeck, University of London.
5. Detert, J. (2025). What You Still Can’t Say at Work. MIT Sloan Management Review, 66(2), 82-84.
6. Edmondson, A. C. (2023). Right kind of wrong: The science of failing well. Simon and Schuster.
7. Potipiroon, W., & Ford, M. T. (2021). Does leader humor influence employee voice? The mediating role of psychological safety and the moderating role of team humor. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 28(4), 415–428.
8. Greenberg, J. (2017). Promote procedural justice to enhance acceptance of work outcomes. The Blackwell handbook of principles of organizational behaviour, 189-204.
9. Edmondson, A. C., & Besieux, T. (2021). Reflections: voice and silence in workplace conversations. Journal of Change Management, 21(3), 269-286.