Surface Ripples

When They Go Quiet

Have you ever been in a situation where you noticed that suddenly, a colleague who was always keen to suggest ideas or improvements or comment on a project of some sort suddenly "went quiet"?

You can tell a lot about an organisation by whether they encourage people to “speak up” or whether other people’s ideas are squashed.  Some call this the “Yes Culture”.  Whatever it is, if someone who was always willing to say something (assuming it was always intelligent or constructive) suddenly stops contributing, that should be a concern for the organisation.

I’ve worked in cultures that slavishly followed the “Yes boss” philosophy as well as others in which contributions were encouraged, heard and given due respect.  In some military cultures, the rank and file are encouraged to dissect an officer’s plan to see whether they (the officer) have forgotten something or whether things could be improved.

The problem with encouraging a “Yes Culture” is that we end up with an “echo chamber” in which the team simply parrots the boss.  This is not only toxic for those concerned, but also highly risky for the organisation as people may be lead down the wrong path.  It’s characteristic of governments where power is concentrated in one individual.  There are at least four such governments in the world at present. 

From experience, I can safely say that it hurts when people “tear apart” the plan or project I’ve worked on for so long.  As long as the tearing apart is constructive and results in a better plan or project, it’s worth it (and we learn what to look out for in future).  If it’s simply to score points then again one has a toxic culture.

It takes only one person to destroy an open, trusting and proactive culture.  I ’ve seen with my own eyes where an employee (not the “boss” themself) acted as a “happiness vampire”.  When we asked for ideas or comments in a meeting, everyone else would look to that member of staff who usually sat there with a face like a thundercloud!

In the end we had to let that person go.  The effect was electric!  The next day everybody walked in with heads held high and were laughing, chatting and from then on suggesting ideas or commenting on discussions or plans.

The next time we see someone “go silent”, it’s time to find out why.

I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management.  I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website  provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.  

Labels: Leadership, Productivity, Strategy, Teamwork

posted by William Martin @ 07:44