Book: Speak Up

Reitz, M. and Higgins, J. (2019). Speak Up: Say what needs to be said and hear what needs to be heard. London: Financial Times Publishing

“I don’t want any yes-men around me. I want everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs them their job” Sam Goldwyn (American film producer)

Enabling people to speak up is now an imperative to reduce the risk of wrong-doing as well as access vital knowledge and ideas from employees.

Leaders are encouraged to say their doors are always open, to host Friday-pizza-with-the-boss sessions and whistleblowing hotlines are set up, yet such organisational interventions are often too simplistic to make any sustainable change to culture.

Simply asking people to ‘speak up’ and encouraging leaders to ‘engage in conversation’ without thoroughly appreciating the impact that power differences - and prevailing social and cultural norms - have on what can be spoken, and what is heard, is naïve at best. At worst it leads to organisational cynicism, as an issue of critical practical importance becomes trivialised into ritualised listening, consultation and training exercises.

“The world may admire the truth-tellers, but few will want to employ them.” Charles Handy