The Intermediary – August 2026 - Flipbook - Page 87
B RO K E R B U S I N E S S
Opinion
Learning
to talk
I
am currently working with
organisations that are growing
rapidly. With this comes a
different challenge: building
a culture that will enable
sustained performance while
also creating a workplace where
people genuinely want to contribute.
Increasingly, leaders tell me they want
a culture of openness, candour and
constructive challenge. They want
people to speak up.
It sounds simple. In reality, it asks
people to do something they have oen
spent a lifetime learning not to.
From an early age we are taught
that silence has value. At school we
are rewarded for siing quietly and
following instructions. At home
we learn family rules about what
can and cannot be discussed. Social
norms encourage us to avoid awkward
conversations, preserve harmony and
not make a fuss.
Throughout our evolutionary
history, exclusion from the group
carried significant risks, so our brains
remain highly sensitive to social
rejection. Speaking up, particularly
when we disagree with those in
authority, can trigger the same threat
response as physical danger. We ask
ourselves, “Is this worth the risk?” For
many employees, the answer is no.
Silence protects relationships
Those with less organisational power
oen have the most to lose. They
may worry about damaging their
reputation, limiting promotion
opportunities or being labelled as
‘difficult’. Even where leaders say they
welcome honesty, employees are oen
watching what actually happens to the
last person who spoke up.
Culture is shaped far more by
observed behaviour than wrien
values. Organisations increasingly
operate in environments of
uncertainty where innovation,
adaptability and learning are
competitive advantages. None of
these can flourish if people only
communicate what they believe
leaders want to hear.
The cost of silence is considerable.
Small operational problems remain
hidden until they become expensive
crises. Customer frustrations go
unreported. Ethical concerns are
ignored. Teams repeat avoidable
mistakes because no one feels able to
question existing processes. Creativity
suffers because new ideas require
someone to challenge the status quo.
Many major organisational failures
have not happened because people
lacked information. They happened
because someone had information
but judged it safer to remain silent.
Psychologists describe this as
‘conformity pressure’ and ‘pluralistic
ignorance’. Individuals privately
recognise that something is wrong
while assuming everyone else believes
it is acceptable.
The healthiest cultures are not those
with the least conflict. They are those
that have learned how to disagree well.
The highest-performing teams are not
those that avoid mistakes, but those
that discuss mistakes openly and learn
from them quickly. When people
feel able to admit uncertainty, ask
questions and challenge assumptions
without fear of humiliation,
organisations become more resilient.
They adapt faster because information
flows more freely.
Leaders must recognise that trust is
built through repeated experiences,
not slogans.
The foundations of culture
First, organisations must define
their values in behavioural terms.
Words such as ‘integrity’, ‘respect’
or ‘collaboration’ mean lile unless
everyone understands what they look
like in the everyday.
Second, leaders should examine the
hidden beliefs that shape behaviour.
If employees believe honesty leads to
punishment while silence is rewarded,
AVERIL LEIMON
is co-founder
at White Water Group
no communication programme will
succeed. The informal rules always
outweigh the formal ones.
Third, organisations need
deliberately designed opportunities
for honest dialogue. Regular reflection
sessions, structured debriefs and
facilitated discussions create space
for disagreement.
Fourth, everyone – not just senior
leaders – must develop the skills of
listening with curiosity rather than
defensiveness. The ability to hear
challenge without experiencing it as
personal aack is one of the defining
characteristics of mature leadership.
Finally, organisations need a shared
code of conduct that applies equally
to everyone. If senior leaders are
exempt from the standards expected of
others, psychological safety disappears
remarkably quickly. Fairness is one of
the strongest predictors of trust.
Learning to talk is not about
encouraging people to say everything
they think. It is about creating
environments where difficult
conversations can happen respectfully,
where disagreement is viewed as
a source of insight rather than
disloyalty, and where speaking up
contributes to beer decisions.
Organisational culture is built one
conversation at a time. Companies
that learn how to have honest
conversations do more than create
happier workplaces. They make beer
decisions, innovate more effectively,
manage risk more intelligently and
build the trust that underpins longterm commercial success.
In an increasingly complex business
world, the ability to speak – and to
listen – is one of the most valuable
competitive advantages. I can help you
transform your communication, if
you are brave enough! ●
August 2026 | The Intermediary
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