When team members fail to bring their whole self to work , connect with others and actively seek to build strong relationships , then it is almost impossible to create high performing teams . This is because the silent team members simply choose to do the minimum and then sit back to observe the preferred team members take the stage . will be room for creativity by challenging the status quo . This can only be possible if team members are allowed to openly share and learn from their mistakes and also feel safe to take risks and experiment .
GOVERNANCE
Silence Means Self-Censoring Because The Space Is Unsafe
By CS , Dr . Kellen Kiambati
A good leader should continuously ask why particular members of his or her team are always silent . It means they are either actively listening or self-censoring . If they are self-censoring , then , the team leader has slowly but surely inculcated practices that demonstrate their opinions do not count or has created a toxic environment that make some team members feel afraid of being judged or ridiculed .
The most unfortunate thing is that most leaders do not even pay attention to notice the silent team members so as to gauge if they are paying attention or are simply disengaged and do not in any way feel safe voicing concerns .
Psychological safety is the antidote to silence . It ’ s the shared feeling that a team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking . When team members feel safe , they are more authentic , actively participate , speak out , and challenge groupthink without fear of retaliation . Building a psychologically safe culture is every leader ’ s responsibility and it is a good practice to reach out to silent members so as to understand their reasoning . Most important , is for leaders to understand that psychological safety is a continuum and should not be looked at as whether one has it or not . It is a question of how much team members feel secure to express themselves .
When team members fail to bring their whole self to work , connect with others and actively seek to build strong relationships , then it is almost impossible to create high performing teams . This is because the silent team members simply choose to do the minimum and then sit back to observe the preferred team members take the stage .
Leaders should purpose to accept , value and utilize unique skills and perspectives so that team members can be courageous to have critical debates , ask candid questions , think differently and share thoughts that help their organizations . When team members are free to share , it means there
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When team members fail to bring their whole self to work , connect with others and actively seek to build strong relationships , then it is almost impossible to create high performing teams . This is because the silent team members simply choose to do the minimum and then sit back to observe the preferred team members take the stage . will be room for creativity by challenging the status quo . This can only be possible if team members are allowed to openly share and learn from their mistakes and also feel safe to take risks and experiment .
In conclusion candid conversations are team ’ s currency and their value is calculated by checking everyone ’ s participation and how much each member is taking into collective wisdom .
Leaders must balance between taking space and making space for others . The question is , how do they strike the said balance ? By facilitating dialogue and ensuring each member have their turn to speak while the rest listen . Invite quiet people to take up space by going first .
Louder voices should make space for others by holding their urge to speak and becoming better at listening . This is because building a psychologically-safe team requires everyone to adjust to their preferred style .
Silence is harmful especially when members keep relevant information to themselves .
CS , Dr . Kellen Kiambati holds a BA - HRM from Kenyatta University , MBA from the Kenya Methodist University and a PhD in Business Administration with a focus in Strategic Management from JKUAT . She is a member of the Institute of Human Resource Management of Kenya . She can be reached via : Kellenkiambati @ gmail . com .
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