Elaine Lin Hering

We’ve all learned what’s okay and not okay to say—on teams, in organizations, and in relationships.

Offering different perspectives. Raising concerns. Lending expertise. Collaboration, innovation, belonging, and results all require individuals to be willing and able to speak up. But creating a culture where people are incentivized and rewarded for speaking up isn’t as simple as just saying “speak up”. To address issues early, to reap the benefits of diversity, and to fully unleash talent, we have to examine the role silence plays in our organization—so we can make more conscious decisions about the results we want.

With humor and candor, I examine hard truths about the costs involved with speaking up and how to rewire our well-worn reflexes. Learning outcomes include:

• Ways your actions unintentionally normalize silence

• How to create clear paths for voice

• Strategies for lowering the real and perceived costs to speaking up

• Understanding and designing for different wiring

• Three dimensions for creating a culture of voice