Get Talking Make no mistake about it: When it comes to employee relations, silence is not golden.
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
It's a sad fact of downturns: Employees stop speaking theirminds because they fear losing their jobs. For employees watchingthe unemployment rate rise, it can seem safer to go along to getalong.
But hear this loud and clear: Employee silence is killinginnovation and perpetuating poorly planned projects that lead todefective products, low morale and a damaged bottom line, saysLeslie Perlow, an associate professor of organizational behavior atHarvard Business School in Boston and author of the book WhenYou Say Yes, But Mean No: How Silencing Conflict WrecksRelationships and Companies . . . and What You Can Do About It(Crown Business). "Behind many broken processes, mistakendecisions and failed products are people who didn't speakup," Perlow says.
You need employee input to generate new ideas and keep projectson track. But how do you encourage honest feedback in toughtimes?
Consider Buyerzone.com, a B2B online marketplace forsmall-business purchasing based in Watertown, Massachusetts. Thecompany underwent two rounds of layoffs in 2001, reducing stafffrom 80 to 18. For president and CEO Sam Zales, the silence wasdeafening.
"Every company has been hit by the external factors of theeconomy," says Zales, 39. For employees, he adds, it'smeant "fewer risks and more concern about what's going tohappen."
The challenge today is creating a culture where employees feelsafe to offer constructive criticism-an attitude that starts at thetop, says Bob Phillips, co-author of Absolute Honesty: Buildinga Corporate Culture That Values Straight Talk and RewardsIntegrity (AMACOM). "The culture of the company drives alot of the behavior," he says.
To keep employees talking, Zales holds a weekly "firesidechat" where he answers employee questions. He also rewardsemployee input that catches problems early on in projects."Keep attuned to morale, and when [silence] happens, goinformal with your communication," he suggests.
Silence isn't always bad; Zales uses it strategically todraw employees out. "When silence persists at a meeting, letit sit there for a minute to see if someone reacts to yourcomments," he says. These changes have helped morale and thebottom line. Buyerzone.com has 25 employees and projects sales ofabout $10 million in 2003.
Diagnose your workplace for warning signs of a silence problem.These include meetings where a few people do all the talking, alack of recognition for feedback, and less brainstorming onprojects. Phillips predicts employers who don't acknowledge thesilence will hear the sound of footsteps once the economy improves."A lot of [employees] will leave," he says. "Andthey'll start [speaking up] at their new companies."
