Speak up: Many of us are afraid to speak up, especially to speak truth to power, and there are many barriers to being open and frank. In organizations, this results in bad decisions and, at a societal level, many wrongdoings that are not brought to justice. We need to get better at not just speaking up but in listening to people who have something to say.
The term to speak up has a few variants. This is how I define the term.
A simple general definition is:
Speaking up is to express our opinions frankly and openly.
And then, still simply but more specifically:
Speaking up is to express our opinions frankly and openly in the workplace or privately.
Speaking out is to express our opinions frankly and openly publicly.
Speaking truth to power is to express our opinions frankly and openly to people who have some form of power over us.
The Quakers
The Quakers originally coined the phrase ‘speak truth’ to power in the mid-1950s. It was a call for the United States to stand firm against fascism and other forms of totalitarianism.
Speaking out
The first meaning of speaking truth to power is in keeping with the Quaker use and is typified by Shari Runner in this Huffington Post article:
Speaking truth to power means believing deeply in what you say and fighting every day to have that heard.
It may not be popular; it means taking a risk; it means standing for something.
This is often also called speaking out – speaking against something or in favor of something publicly that you think is bad or good.
Speaking truth to power
Depending on the context, speaking truth to power has a more common second meaning that I can best describe in this way:
Tag: speak truth to power (7)
There are many reasons we might be reluctant to speak up, and fear of authority is just one of them.
Engrained, in many cultures, especially Asian ones, is profound deference to authority.
People are taught to respect and obey their parents, elders, teachers, and others in authority.
How do you speak truth to power? | Simon SinekTwo-way street
However, speaking truth to power is only one part of the equation, the other equally important part is power listening to truth.
Power Differences
The fear of speaking up comes from the power difference between two people. One party feels they have less power (perceived or actual) than others and are afraid. On the other hand, the second party feels superior and is less likely to listen.
There are many forms of actual or perceived power differences other than authority: seniority, gender, education, social class, articulateness, accent, nationality, race, or dress, to name but a few.
When practicing Conversational Leadership, we should foster a “speaking and listening” culture at home, at work, and in our communities.
Resources
- Article: Speaking Truth to Power
- HBR Article: Can Employees Really Speak Up Without Retribution?
- Article: How To Be Less Quiet And Contribute To Group Conversations
- HBR Article: Creating a Culture Where Employees Speak Up
- Blog Post: A Shy Person’s Guide to Making Yourself Heard In a Group Conversation
Posts that link to this post
- Knowledge Café Principle: Everyone Has an Equal Voice Everyone is an equal participant
- Conversation Sharpens the Saw It is not a waste of time
- Gurteen Knowledge Café: Entrenched and Entrained Thinking A blog post by Conrad Taylor
- Social Silencing A phenomenon where people don’t speak up for fear of social exclusion
- Acts of Conversational Leadership Adam Grant
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