Want a Speak Up Culture? Listen.
Integrity is one of the most popular workplace values. Across now-empty company headquarters, it’s scrolled on hallway walls and affixed to corporate coffee mugs. We all get its intention: do the right thing, don’t lie, cheat or steal, don’t be a jerk, but I’m often hard-pressed to get a succinct description of what integrity looks like in action.
“Speaking Up” is a bit more tangible. We want people to say something if a line is crossed. But with our virtual lines in different places, it can be confusing to know when to call out a “not okay” behavior. Depending on what baggage we’re carrying, the mere thought of speaking up could initiate a critical inner monologue: Do I want to risk my career for this? Am I overreacting? Did I mishear something? The what-ifs can be paralyzing. For most of us, intervening takes practice.
Here are a few things to remember to create a culture of high trust, integrity and speaking up:
1. Your voice matters. So do your ears. According to Josh Bersin’s 2021 report, Elevating Equity: The Real Story of Diversity and Inclusion, listening to employees is the top driver of excellence. By creating regular channels to gather feedback (people pulse surveys or listening circles), companies can better understand where there may be cracks in culture. (Word of caution: it’s important these don’t turn into complaint sessions, so best to set clear ground rules in advance. Leaders must also be ready to take action to change things for the better.)
2. Courage can feel uncomfortable. Being brave IRL often starts in safely constructed environments like role-play trainings or mock peer-to-peer conversations. If we feel secure trying out new intervention language, it makes it easier to act in the moment when the stakes feel higher. Practice saying things like, “I don’t think that’s what you meant to say” or “I don’t find that funny. Let’s move on.” Pick phrases in advance that work for you. You’ll be more ready to use them in the moment down the line.
3. Vulnerability can deepen relationships. Speaking up when things don’t feel right means admitting we feel something. That lump in your throat is vulnerability, and not all of us are used to putting it on display. I’ve often caught myself thinking I’m probably overreacting, only to discover others felt the same way but were too scared to say anything. One brave voice can shift the tide. These shared vulnerable moments can also deepen relationships.
4. Big change can start small. Sitting on the sidelines and complaining about how bad things are isn’t constructive. Moments of change only happen when we do the work and act. Pointing out a seemingly harmless unconscious bias or micro-inequity (a pattern of interrupting or selecting only certain groups of people to take notes) can be the first step to bigger change. By acknowledging everyone has the power (and responsibility) to positively influence culture by listening more and speaking up when necessary, we can set the tone for bigger changes ahead.
Hey, this stuff isn’t easy. And it isn’t one-size-fits-all. But most of us have experienced the negative consequences of inaction. We know in our guts and hearts that speaking up can create a ripple effect of integrity-in-action and a more psychologically safe culture. It can lead to more creative ideas and authentic connection among diverse teams. Combined with empathetic listening, speaking up can be a sustained business initiative — not an HR or Legal pet project. It becomes personal. That’s when integrity comes to life. And that’s when creativity at work can thrive.
