Here’s why you should encourage your employees to speak up

While most companies encourage their employees to speak freely, only a few organisations manage to do it. This is because sometimes employees believe that they will face retribution if they voice their thoughts and at other times they think that their efforts of talking back will be fruitless. In today's workplace, most people remain silent and go with the flow as they don't want to entangle themselves in any sort of politics. When this happens, employers should re-evaluate their company's policies and work culture. Here are a few reasons why you should encourage your employees to speak up and voice their opinions freely.

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It will improve your employees' performance

Leaders should encourage their employees to speak up as it fuels ideation, discussion, and group thinking. Talking back also leads to issues being openly discussed as there is an uninhibited flow of different inputs and perspectives. Voicing your opinion can convert mundane and one-way conversations into meaningful research that ultimately drives more sustainable performance outcomes. On the other hand, when employees feel that their voice is not heard, then their performance gradually begins to wane.

Your employees will gain the respect of their colleagues

When employees learn to talk back, they not only begin to gain the respect of those who still fear to express themselves, but they also encourage others to speak up. However, with great power comes great responsibility. If an employee has trained himself to voice his opinion, he also needs to train himself to think twice before he speaks. Many people who speak up aren't strategic and they are just looking for attention. Encourage your employees to stand out from the herd.

It makes your employees a better leader

Your employees are not going to remain at their current executive position for the rest of their life. They will someday become managers and in order to get there, they need to first develop leadership skills. Having a strong voice at the workplace will strengthen their influence. Over a period of time, employees with a potent voice will be encouraged to lead meetings or start new projects. Talking back will help mobilise your employees' influence and connect them to other prominent voices in the organisation. This will help further their career like little else.

It opens up new opportunities for your employees

Employees should be shown that talking back can create unexpected opportunities for them. A consistent voice allows talent to be discovered and leads to opportunities that employees didn't even know existed. For example, if an employee voices their opinion freely at a meeting, employers should make it a point to motivate them to continue doing so as this would encourage other employees to talk back too. This will lead more employees to actively participate in important conversations at work.

Talking back to make a valid point and help the organisation's value grow should be encouraged at all times. Ask your employees to take into account the above-mentioned reasons if they still need help finding their voice.