We frequently hear that poor organisational performance results from voices not being heard. Consider how you would feel if you were unable to communicate your feelings or knowledge.
If you force development projects on people, they frequently fail. You must make sure that your staff has the highest possibility of embracing and participating completely in the employee development programme if you want it to be a success. Giving employees a say in the program’s design and results is the best approach to doing this.
There are various methods for accomplishing this at the organisational level, such as employing engagement surveys or psychometric assessment tools. Another extremely powerful method, though less popular than you might imagine, is for managers to just have more frequent, open dialogues with their staff about how they are progressing.
What prevents people from speaking at work or expressing their emotions, and how can HR teams and management promote communication among employees?
Here are three of the most typical reasons why people can’t or don’t express their emotions at work, along with a couple of ideas for how to better motivate people to participate:
Conflict Phobia
Simply put, people frequently choose to avoid conflict by sticking their heads in the sand. A problem that could affect the entire firm could arise if there are vocal individuals in the organisation who are particularly combative and protective of their point of view. Long-term effects of this include repressed unpleasant emotions, good employees quitting the company, and a disillusioned and disengaged staff.
What to do: Promote the sharing of minor issues to prevent them from developing into major issues. Giving them access to a coach or mentor with whom they can privately express their concerns is one approach.Encourage people who are occasionally overzealous to consider other people’s points of view while maintaining their zeal.
Emotional Perfectionism
“May I say that I have not thoroughly enjoyed serving with humans? I find their illogic and foolish emotions a constant irritant.”
Mr Spock, Star Trek, season 3, episode 7 (“Day of the Dove,” 1968)
There are still some people who believe that expressing emotion is a sign of weakness, much like the fictional Vulcan race from the science fiction television series Star Trek. They might also think that if others knew how they truly felt, they would belittle or reject them. Unfortunately, this often leads to them not sharing their ideas at all.
Create a sharing-oriented culture. In a meeting, never discount someone’s thoughts or opinions. Create a space where people can be honest and share how they truly feel about crucial issues. After all, you never know how many people are shielding the same viewpoint from view!
Fear of Disapproval and Rejection
The dread of rejection is the thread that ties the preceding two points together. This is the most typical reason why people don’t express their opinions, and as we all know, a tonne of self-help books have been published just to solve this issue. The desire to do nothing is strongly influenced by the fear of rejection.
So how can HR teams and leaders help employees break through?
Fundamentally, fostering communication depends on the calibre of management and leadership in your company. Use empowering language, invite individuals to offer their thoughts, and show them that you value what they have to say. Encourage donations and express gratitude to others. You will have a far greater chance of success if you can make your employees feel truly valued and personalise your employee development programme to meet their needs and objectives.
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