Organizational Silence

Organizational silence is a contributing factor to low self-esteem and reduced motivation in the work place.  I once had a job working for a magazine where everyone was afraid to speak out to the editor/publisher. She was very intimidating to the employees because she was “always right”. If someone wanted to speak out on an issue they would hold back because they feared that they wouldn’t get published. I’ve also seen employees who will skip out on work because of their reduced motivation to work. In this particular incident the employees were bored in their jobs and wanted something new.

Currently, I’ve been able to work with very encouraging people. The executives of the company I work for are open to new ideas and actively listen. During my first interview with the company I was told that they were very accepting of new ideas and in fact liked to hear that something could be done a different way; they wanted change. When I actually started working I was thankful to find out that every word was true. If an executive is faced with a new idea that is beneficial to the whole, they will actually try it out. It’s encouraging to know that I can speak up and actually be heard.