People protest. Having spoken to friends in the past, and recently, it is clearer to me the kinds of protests people make. I’m talking about what people do or say when they’re unhappy with the service a business or organisation offers. It also includes when people are unhappy about something in the teams and organisations they serve in. Team and organisational death by silent protest usually ensue displeasure and dissatisfaction.
People speak up and don’t speak up for different reasons. They do so for both wrong and good reasons. Sometimes people don’t speak about things they are unhappy, uncertain and uncomfortable about because of fear.
At other times because they want to see things fall apart to prove a point they might have had voiced or incubated internally. Sometimes people just don’t want “to be a bother” and settle for discomfort and the status quo.
I’m one of those guys who clears his throat and airs concerns. This includes teams and organizations I serve in and organizations or businesses I interact with. From the coffee shops I frequent to the insurance company I use, if something that doesn’t sit right with me I speak up.
My reasons are simple:
Shutdown
When people don’t speak about bad service they receive they tend to protest silently. Doh. They simply don’t return to establishments and tell their friends to do the same. In the long run, businesses shut down and people lose jobs.
I want to see every service provider excel at what they do. One of the reasons? It keeps people employed and makes for less hungry and homeless families and children.
Sometimes bad experiences are isolated and businesses suffer because of one bad experience.
Don’t do the silent protest. Also don’t give any useless critique. Speak up to build up [Click to Tweet]
Greater
Team and organisational death by silent protest is likely the reason for the decline and eventual demise. Not knowing that you don’t know could take your enterprise out.
Organisations want to be great. Sometimes they struggle with knowing what the next play is to their next “great”. By speaking up you help pave their path to greater.
Sometimes organisations have blind spots and they need help seeing them.
Being silent in your team or organization can be tantamount to vision sabotage [Click to Tweet]
Crux
Being silent has implications beyond us as individuals. Speaking up, when done right can help our teams and those who serve us be greater. It is a full circle; we get to benefit and so do other people.
The silent killer of your organizations and business you encounter can be silence [Click to Tweet]
Your take?