When employees at every level speak up, they circulate knowledge, expand creativity, and prevent collective tunnel vision. Here are three steps you can take to empower your employees to use their voice.
- Prioritize unconditional inclusion.?If you want your employees to feel confident to speak up, they must first feel a sense of acceptance based on their fixed, intrinsic worth. In other words, make it clear that everyone’s voice matters, regardless of their seniority or direct impact on the organization’s bottom line.
- Give people permission to disagree.?Groupthink can undermine your team’s ability to come up with truly innovative ideas. Encourage people at every level to speak up if they disagree with a consensus, rather than simply falling in line.
- Commend employees who speak up—even if you don’t adopt their ideas.?As a leader, you can’t say yes to every idea your employees raise. But you can make it clear that you hear them and are grateful for their input.
