Dial up a Speak-Up Culture
Kathryn van der Merwe
Group Executive People, Culture and Communications at Telstra
Our focus on a speak-up culture began in earnest when we acknowledged that rating “good” in our company surveys simply wasn’t good enough.?
At ANZ, we need our people to speak up and share their views and ideas, but we also need to do so in a way that strengthens our inclusive culture.
We appreciate that with a workforce of more than 40,000 and spanning more than 30 geographies, not everyone will share the same views.
Indeed, part of the power of having a diverse workforce is the ability to tap into different experiences, views and ideas. But having a diverse and inclusive workforce means that regardless of those differences, everyone experiences a sense of inclusion and belonging.
We define a speak-up culture as one where people feel safe to speak out—to raise issues and concerns but also ideas. As a bank, it is critical that we can confidently identify and mitigate any risks or issues, and the impact of speaking up starts there. But as we innovate to meet our evolving customer needs, we also need our people to speak up because we want to hear their ideas.
The good news is that with continued focus over the past five years, our speak-up scores have improved by 10 percent. This article summarizes some of our biggest insights and lessons, both pre- and post-2020, with the hope that our experiences may help others focused on fostering a culture where people feel safe to contribute and challenge.
Read the full article in People + Strategy.
Chair and Mentor at CMi Merryck
3 年Fantastic article Kath and a testament to your insight and thought leadership about workplace culture and so much more. Thank you for taking the trouble to write it - typical of your generosity to share your thinking.
Great to see this area of business getting further attention and strengthening. Risk functions elsewhere should consider the voices of People, Talent and Culture leads who want to raise the bar - they get big gains from these changes too!
Managing Director Suncorp Bank Integration
3 年Kath when you live it day to day it is hard to appreciate all the work that been done in the speak up space over the last few years - your article really brought it to life and hopefully will benefit others - a topic that truly deserves to be open source!
Partner at Bain & Company
3 年Always find inspiration in how you continuously raise the bar, Kath. I’ve been thinking a lot about ‘speak up culture’, and this piece is so clear and thoughtful on the topic. Thank you for sharing.
Organisational Strategy | Workforce Development | Digital Capability
3 年Brilliant advice Kathryn. Regular team huddles create psychological safety, sustainable action and belief in the feedback process. Supporting this in a simple, systemised way can transform feedback culture for the better!