How to launch a Speak Up Culture
It was early morning on January 28, 1986 at Cape Canaveral in Florida at the pre-launch meeting of the Space Shuttle Challenger. One of the lead engineers was wrestling with a nagging concern. That morning it was unexpectedly cold, and in those low air temperatures he feared that one of the fuel seals, called an “O-Ring” might fail. But with so much riding on keeping to the launch timetable, he chose not to speak up.
Later that morning, the Space Shuttle lifted off powerfully from the launch pad. The solid rocket boosters spewed the familiar plumes of smoke as the Shuttle rose purposefully skywards. Then, seventy-three seconds into its flight, the shuttle experienced a catastrophic failure and, to the horror of a global audience of millions, it blew apart, killing all seven crew members.
Soon afterwards investigators determined exactly what had happened.
One of the O-Rings had failed.
The Space Shuttle disaster is a dramatic example of the consequences of not having a ‘Speak Up’ culture.
Another well documented example is the case of Korean Airlines, which, for a time, had an alarmingly high level of accidents. The airline was able to quickly reverse the trend when it discovered the source of the problem: Second Officers were unwilling to speak up and challenge risky cockpit decisions made by Captains—because of hierarchy.
More recent examples can be found much closer to home.
Take the Hayne Royal Commission into misconduct in the banking, superannuation and financial services industry. One of the most disconcerting revelations that emerged was that bad corporate behaviour and misconduct were widely known about long before they were made public. There are numerous examples — both on and off the record — of people who wanted to speak up but didn’t feel ‘safe’ to do so.
Now, one of the most important questions resonating in Boards and Executive Teams is “How do we make sure we have a Speak Up Culture?”
Defining a Speak Up Culture
A Speak Up culture defines a workplace where people feel welcome and included, free to express their opinions, and confident that their ideas will be heard. On the face of it, there’s a simple formula for creating a positive speak up culture: ensure the benefit of speaking up outweighs the risk:
In reality, as we have seen with NASA engineers, co-pilots in potential crash scenarios, and individuals observing corrupt or inappropriate practices in the financial services industries — people don’t always feel that it is safe to speak up. In many cases, the perceived risk of speaking up far outweighs the benefits. In practice, the formula for speaking up must include the vital component of psychological safety:
Psychological safety diminishes the perception of risk at an emotional level. The greater the psychological safety, the less the perceived risk of ‘speaking up’. The challenge for leaders wanting to create a ‘speak up’ culture is not so much to highlight the reasons to speak up, but to make it safe for their people to do so. The starting point is to measure the current ‘speak up’ culture. We do that through a simple diagnostic survey in which we ask a leader’s direct reports and stakeholders a series of statements which they are asked to rate, such as “I am encouraged to say what I think, even if it is unpopular.” The collective results of the survey provide the data along four dimensions:
1. Risk: How does a leader and their team respond to real or perceived mistakes?
2. Team Dynamic: What is the impact of speaking up on the team dynamic?
3. Inclusion: To what extent does a team member feel included in the team?
4. Trust: To what extent does a team member feel they are supported?
The developmental journey begins by helping leaders to understand the environment they create for their teams. Measurement itself though is not enough. Leaders also need to develop the skillsets and mindsets to make the structural, process and behavioural changes needed to build a more robust ‘Speak up culture’.
Learn more about our approach to developing psychological safety, inclusive leadership and a Speak Up Culture
About the Authors:
Mehul Joshi, Partner Mehul Joshi is a former award-winning BBC journalist and is now a sought-after consultant and executive coach in leadership development and employee engagement, with career spanning three decades and four continents.
Dr. Gabrielle Ostrognay, Executive Coach and Behavioural Analyst Gabby Ostrognay is one of Australia’s foremost experts in evidence-based behavioural assessments. She is a former HR executive and holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne in Psychology.
