conclude from their research, it turns out that patterns of silence in an organization, whether due to the workplace culture or an employee’s own background, are "extremely costly to both the firm and the individual." They found this to be true for organizations ranging in size from small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations and government agencies. "Silence,"by preserve the relationship or contribute to getting work done effectively or efficiently. Failing to raise concerns, confront conflict or talk about differences in organizations can, and often does, lead to these problems:

There’s an increase in "behind closed doors" anger, lament or plotting, as concerns are shared with trusted colleagues. Most employees don’t initially take a concern behind closed doors with ill intent. But they do want to be heard, to be told their concerns are reasonable, and they'll turn to co-workers they consider allies to get such reassurances. While a natural step in some ways, it’s also a trap for the individual and the organization.

There’s an increase in anxiety, anger and resentment, since silence doesn’t erase a difference but instead sends it underground, like the snake under the rug. It just moves around, sometimes growing larger and larger. If a person really care about something, it’s pretty hard to shrug it off and pretend it’s not bothering them.

Insecurity grows. The authors argue that when employees feel defensive and self-protective, they become increasingly more fearful of speaking up. This cycle leads to more silence and thus more insecurity, in what they call a "spiral of silence."

Relationships are damaged, sometimes badly so. Real concerns about a colleague’s behavior or decisions don’t simply go away when stifled. The psychological distance create by silence can and often does do more damage to the relationship in the long run than having the initial difficult conversation could ever have.

Creativity and effective decision making decline. I often say that the best organizations aren’t ones without conflict, they’re the ones that know how to work effectively with conflict. Difference, well managed, leads to greater creativity and better decisions. When important conflict is ignored, the work environment suffers in terms of morale, physical health, employee retention, and quality decision-making.

So how do you let the snake out from under the rug? How do you keep employees and organizations functioning well once the snake’s loose? In part 2, I’ll discuss how to break the spiral of silence, when it’s best to speak up, and how to do it effectively.

Copyright © 2005 by Tammy Lenski. All rights reserved.

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Dr. Tammy Lenski is the author of I Can't Say That!, a popular blog read by women all over the world. A professional mediator, conflict management coach and educator, Tammy works personally with women who want to keep their balance in conflict and step up to the conversations that really matter.

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