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When we talk of leadership, we often package it in grand ambition, inspiring vision, and emboldening action.
A big speech, a decisive victory, a nailed landing.
But what really makes a leader is not the major milestone.
It’s the day-to-day busy-ness that often gets ignored.
Getting Teams to Speak Up Is a Leadership Responsibility
I had a LinkedIn exchange with someone earlier this week in reaction to a post I wrote about silent dangers in the room. In a nutshell, my post stated that silence in a meeting does not mean agreement – it often means that people have concerns and they don’t want to speak up. It’s not that you’ve covered all of the risks, it’s that they aren’t even being raised.
This led to a conversation about the techniques a leader could use to tap into those hidden thoughts, including using tools, surveys, and good ol’ word of mouth.
My answer to getting teams to speak up is surprisingly simple: just ask.
Not in a challenging way, and not in any way that makes people feel uncomfortable.
But in a genuine and low-pressure way, merely looking someone squarely in the eye and saying, “I feel like you have something to say…?”
They often push back or shake their heads, to which I’ll just say, “Are you sure? You really look like you want to say something.” Then wait it out.
And you know what happens next 99% of the time?
Of course you do: they actually speak what’s on their mind.
Leadership Isn’t Flashy – It’s Consistent
It’s not a genius technique that’s going to impress anyone – and it certainly didn’t in the LinkedIn conversation. 😂
Everyone wants “strategies” and “tools” to solve problems, but at the end of the day, is there a better way for two humans to communicate other than conversation?
In my experience, everyone actually wants – no, needs – to voice their thoughts. Some people immediately blurt out whatever they’re thinking, but a lot of people filter it – and even more come up with excuses for why they shouldn’t speak.
They want to speak – and convince themselves they shouldn’t. Getting teams to speak up means helping them over that hesitation.
A leader will tell them that they should – and that everyone wants to hear it.
And why is this a leadership trait, and not just a communication technique?
Because every time a leader draws out a hidden thought, they’re essentially “training” the rest of the team to speak up – even if they’re sharing bad news.
Everyone else in the room sees that opinions are welcome, and so does the person in the momentary spotlight.
Next time, everyone might be a little less hesitant.
After that, it will become routine.
Your team will communicate more, and your project will get the challenge it needs, when it needs it.
Getting teams to speak up consistently isn’t about technique. It’s about creating enough trust that even bad news feels safe to share.
Everyone wins.
This Week’s Spotlight
In my latest guest article – this time for the International Association of Project Management (IAPM) – I actually talk about the opposite of silent dissent – unproductive noise!
Virtually every public sector project these days has “model” governance: oversight, risk logs, audit, etc. And yet so many still fail, because we’re reluctant to ask: is any of it working? Check out the full article here.
If your team’s not speaking up, your project’s not getting the truth. Let’s fix that. Book a call here.
